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Motions in Committee
To Adjourn
- It is privileged and not debatable.
- A chairman cannot unilaterally adjourn. A majority vote of the Members is needed.
To Recess
- It is privileged and not debatable.
- A chairman cannot unilaterally declare an extended recess or recess a meeting while business is pending. Unanimous consent or a majority vote is needed.
To Lay on the Table
- It is not debatable and kills the bill. It can be used for final adverse disposition of a matter without debate. It can be used on a bill, amendment, or certain other motions. If an amendment is laid on the table, the underlying bill is also laid on the table.
- The bill or amendment can be resurrected by unanimous consent, by carrying a motion to reconsider the vote on the motion to table, or by marking up a new bill.
To Postpone Indefinitely
- It is debatable and kills the bill. It opens the merits of the bill to debate. It is unamendable.
- As with the motion to lay on the table, the bill can be resurrected by unanimous consent, by carrying a motion to reconsider the vote on the motion to postpone, or by marking up a new bill.
To Postpone to a Day Certain
- It is debatable within narrow limits only. The merits of the bill cannot be discussed. It applies to the whole bill. It is amendable.
- It may not specify the hour.
To Refer
- It is narrowly debatable. The merits of the bill cannot be discussed.
- The full committee may refer a bill to a subcommittee.
To Dispense with the First Reading of the Bill
- It is privileged and nondebatable.
- The first reading is dispensed with either by unanimous consent, or by motion if printed copies of the bill are available.
To Amend
- Amendments are debatable and are amendable in two degrees.
To Limit Debate on Amendments
- It is debatable.
- If adopted, it allows debate to be ended at a time certain on the bill, section, or amendment under consideration.
Previous Question
- It is not debatable. It cuts off all further debate on the pending bill or amendment. If the bill is open to amendment at any point, has been read or considered as read in its entirety, the previous question can be moved on the bill. This cuts off all further debate on the bill.
- If the previous question is moved on an amendment, it cuts off all further debate on that amendment.
To Reconsider
- It is debatable only if the underlying motion was debatable. It allows the committee to review its action on a given vote. It must be offered on the same or succeeding meeting day as the vote that is to be reconsidered.
- It must be made by a Member who voted with the prevailing side on the matter to be reconsidered.
