RONR Software

[Guest Jason Forraigner]

I wonder does there exist any meeting management software that would incorporate RONR? I mean, given that RONR contain such detailed and systematic rules, there should exist some software that could track pending business, motions in order, etc. It would also be interesting to know with what solutions such important and complex assemblies as Senate or House of Representatives manage their business. 

[Rob Elsman]

I suggest you contact the Library of Congress, which manages and publishes online all the legislative activity of both houses of Congress. 

[Guest Jason Forraigner]

Library of Congress publishes the legislative activity post factum, they don't manage it. The question concerns if a presiding officer in case of RONR, or the Speaker in case of House of Representatives, or any rank-and-file member of a meeting can have any support as to indicate which questions are pending now, which motions may be in order now, which business lies on the table.

[Guest Jason Forraigner]

Library of Congress publishes the legislative activity post factum, they don't manage it. The question concerns if a presiding officer in case of RONR, or the Speaker in case of House of Representatives, or any rank-and-file member of a meeting can have any support as to indicate which questions are pending now, which motions may be in order now, which business lies on the table.

[Josh Martin]

1 hour ago, Guest Jason Forraigner said:

I wonder does there exist any meeting management software that would incorporate RONR? I mean, given that RONR contain such detailed and systematic rules, there should exist some software that could track pending business, motions in order, etc.

I am not aware of such software. Most meeting software I am aware of incorporates (at most) tools for items such as gaining recognition, voting, and real-time display and editing of the motion(s) pending before the assembly. Items such as determining what motions are pending, what motions are in order, etc., generally remain the responsibility of the chair and the parliamentarian (if there is one).

There is a CD-ROM of RONR, which allows easily searching the text, but it does not provide any functionality beyond that. I also understand that the 12th edition will have Kindle versions available.

1 hour ago, Guest Jason Forraigner said:

It would also be interesting to know with what solutions such important and complex assemblies as Senate or House of Representatives manage their business. 

Frankly, I am rather doubtful that they use software for this purpose. I know that both houses have a Parliamentarian (with multiple assistants), who advises the presiding officer. They presumably have electronic devices for the purpose of accessing and searching the extensive rules of these bodies, but I don't think they have software which does the advice for them.

It should also be noted that neither the US Senate nor the US House of Representatives use RONR.

5 minutes ago, Guest Jason Forraigner said:

The question concerns if a presiding officer in case of RONR, or the Speaker in case of House of Representatives, or any rank-and-file member of a meeting can have any support as to indicate which questions are pending now, which motions may be in order now, which business lies on the table.

As I have noted above, generally such support takes the form of a person rather than software. This person is called the parliamentarian.

[Guest Jason Forraigner]

Thanks for a comprehensive reply. I think it would nevertheless be praiseworthy if someone comes up with such a tool once.

[Rob Elsman]

Someone is doing the very things you are talking about, because a blow-by-blow text narrative appears in live time on the House website. Again, I suggest you contact the Library of Congress.

[Alex Meed]

Both chambers of the Texas Legislature, and other legislatures I've seen, have a little screen above the rostrum that shows the current parliamentary situation. Sometimes it gets complicated, like when a bill got a third-degree amendment (which is allowed in Texas if it's a substitute for the second-degree amendment) in 2017, as depicted in the attached photo (credit).

As far as I'm aware, that display is managed by custom software that is controlled by the clerks.

Edited April 9, 2020 at 07:22 PM by Alex M.
properly attach the photo

[Joshua Katz]

Well, it makes sense that it would be a big screen, and that they'd allow a higher degree amendment than RONR. Everything is bigger in Texas.

[Alex Meed]

Everything's bigger in the Texas Legislature. Especially the points of order. (I believe the specific issue was that when the Calendars Committee met to set the calendar for that day, the meeting notice didn't indicate the location of the meeting, as House rules expressly require.)