Motions - Amending Motions

[Guest Guest]

I need some help with the topic of ammending motions. If a motion is brought forward, seconded and discussion begins, my understanding is that that motion can be ammended. What is the process for that? Can the new ammended motion be ammended? My understanding is a motion is made to ammend the first motion, that gets seconded, it goes to discussion at which point the original ammendment is gone - is that accurate? How many times can this ammending of the motion go on? At our meetings, we use projectors and screens and type the motion out so it is crystal clear what motion we are discussing. Any help would be appreciated.

[Chris Harrison]

The motion to Amend is a complicated one and the section covering it is probably the longest one in RONR. See RONR pp. 130-168 for the motion in all its glory.

[Shmuel Gerber]

I need some help with the topic of ammending motions. If a motion is brought forward, seconded and discussion begins, my understanding is that that motion can be ammended. What is the process for that? Can the new ammended motion be ammended? My understanding is a motion is made to ammend the first motion, that gets seconded, it goes to discussion at which point the original ammendment is gone - is that accurate? How many times can this ammending of the motion go on? At our meetings, we use projectors and screens and type the motion out so it is crystal clear what motion we are discussing. Any help would be appreciated.

In principle, only the immediately pending motion can be amended, which is done by the subsidiary motion to Amend. There is no "amended motion" until the motion to Amend is adopted, at which point the original motion, as amended, is again open for debate and possible amendment. However, while the motion to Amend a main motion is immediately pending, a motion to amend the amendment is in order.

Your best bet is to start by reading Chapter 5 of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief.

[Gary Novosielski]

I need some help with the topic of amending motions. If a motion is brought forward, seconded and discussion begins, my understanding is that that motion can be amended. What is the process for that? Can the new amended motion be ammended? My understanding is a motion is made to amend the first motion, that gets seconded, it goes to discussion at which point the original amendment is gone - is that accurate? How many times can this amending of the motion go on? At our meetings, we use projectors and screens and type the motion out so it is crystal clear what motion we are discussing. Any help would be appreciated.

When a motion is made (and seconded) to amend a motion that is under discussion, discussion stops on the main motion and concentrates on the proposed amendment. Discussion is limited to the merits of the amendment--whether the changed wording is a good idea, or not. Once that is done, the amendment is voted on, and the outcome of that vote determines whether the motion remains as it was, or is amended (changed).

But whichever outcome happens, the main motion is not passed yet. It is now under discussion again (well, actually 'still'), either as amended or as it was before the amendment was offered. It's not decided yet, and it can be amended any number of times before it is in its final form.

Once there are no more amendments offered (and agreed to or not) and no more discussion, the motion is in its final form. But it still has to be voted on, up or down, to see if it passes or not. It might have been amended a dozen times, and still be voted down.

The amendment process has no bearing on that, except that it certainly may change how people feel about the final vote. The amendment process is sometimes called "perfecting" the motion--the idea being to get it into a form that will be agreed to by a majority vote, once it is perfected. But in practice that doesn't always happen.