Guest Speakers During A Bill

[Guest Jess]

Are members presenting a bill allowed to bring a guest speaker? 

for context, this is student government at a college. The writer of the resolution wants to bring a guest that is experienced in the field of their resolution to speak on their bill to give context. 
 

is that allowed during the congressional session? If so, what is the process?

[Josh Martin]

On 11/10/2023 at 2:17 PM, Guest Jess said:

Are members presenting a bill allowed to bring a guest speaker? 

for context, this is student government at a college. The writer of the resolution wants to bring a guest that is experienced in the field of their resolution to speak on their bill to give context. 

is that allowed during the congressional session? If so, what is the process?

Permitting a person who is not a member of the assembly to speak in debate requires a suspension of the rules, which takes a 2/3 vote for adoption.

[Richard Brown]

On 11/10/2023 at 3:03 PM, Josh Martin said:

Permitting a person who is not a member of the assembly to speak in debate requires a suspension of the rules, which takes a 2/3 vote for adoption.

I agree that permitting a nonmember to speak in debate requires suspending the rules, but he can be permitted to address the assembly in the way of making a presentation, not in debate by means of a regular majority vote. In either case, it can also be done by unanimous consent, if there is no objection.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 11/10/2023 at 4:26 PM, Richard Brown said:

I agree that permitting a nonmember to speak in debate requires suspending the rules, but he can be permitted to address the assembly in the way of making a presentation, not in debate by means of a regular majority vote. In either case, it can also be done by unanimous consent, if there is no objection.

Yes, a non-member may be permitted to speak other than in debate, by majority vote.

[Weldon Merritt]

On 11/10/2023 at 2:26 PM, Richard Brown said:

I agree that permitting a nonmember to speak in debate requires suspending the rules, but he can be permitted to address the assembly in the way of making a presentation, not in debate by means of a regular majority vote. In either case, it can also be done by unanimous consent, if there is no objection.

 

On 11/10/2023 at 8:30 PM, Gary Novosielski said:

Yes, a non-member may be permitted to speak other than in debate, by majority vote.

Yes, but if the guest is speaking "to give context" for a resolution, that sounds to me like debate.

[Rob Elsman]

If the guest is speaking as to the advisability of doing what the pending motion proposes, that is debate.  If he is just factually presenting relevant information about which he has special knowledge or experience without advocating for or against the pending motion, that is a presentation.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 11/10/2023 at 10:44 PM, Weldon Merritt said:

 

Yes, but if the guest is speaking "to give context" for a resolution, that sounds to me like debate.

Yes, I had considered that, and it sounds a lot like that to me as well.  But think it depends on the structural parliamentary situation at the time.   If the guest, for whatever reason, is heard from at a time before that question--or any question--is before the assembly, it is technically not a speech in debate.  

So the question is does this rule apply based on the timing when the guest is heard, or on the content of the speech, or rather the predicted content of the speech, since the chair does not know for certain what the guest will say, and so cannot know for certain the vote required to grant permission.  

[Weldon Merritt]

On 11/11/2023 at 7:44 AM, Gary Novosielski said:

Yes, I had considered that, and it sounds a lot like that to me as well.  But think it depends on the structural parliamentary situation at the time.   If the guest, for whatever reason, is heard from at a time before that question--or any question--is before the assembly, it is technically not a speech in debate.  

So the question is does this rule apply based on the timing when the guest is heard, or on the content of the speech, or rather the predicted content of the speech, since the chair does not know for certain what the guest will say, and so cannot know for certain the vote required to grant permission.  

Good points, of course. Of the guest is speaking while a motion is pending, that almost certainly would be debate. Before a motion s pending, I'm not so sure.,

[Richard Brown]

I disagree that this sounds like debate. In meetings such as city council meetings, I have seen countless instances of an expert or city department head addressing the city Council, either before or after the proposed ordinance or resolution has been introduced, in the way of providing background or context, or the reason for the proposal. That almost always takes place prior to the council members actually beginning to debate the motion (ordinance, resolution, proposal, whatever).  I do not at all consider such a presentation as taking part in debate.

Edited to add: I have also seen experts and department heads respond to questions from council members during debate in the form of a request for information. I do not consider that to be participating in debate, either, but simply as responding to a request for information from a member of the assembly. 

Edited November 11, 2023 at 05:59 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph and edited first sentence

[Josh Martin]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:36 AM, Richard Brown said:

I disagree that this sounds like debate. In meetings such as city council meetings, I have seen countless instances of an expert or city department head addressing the city Council, either before or after the proposed ordinance or resolution has been introduced, in the way of providing background or context, or the reason for the proposal. That almost always takes place prior to the council members actually beginning to debate the motion (ordinance, resolution, proposal, whatever).  I do not at all consider such a presentation as taking part in debate.

Edited to add: I have also seen experts and department heads respond to questions from council members during debate in the form of a request for information. I do not consider that to be participating in debate, either, but simply as responding to a request for information from a member of the assembly. 

One important thing to consider in this matter is that bodies of that nature quite frequently have their own rules on this subject, and that such rules take precedence over RONR.

Nonetheless, I concur that if such a presentation is to be made while no motion is pending, a majority vote is sufficient.