Robert's Rules of Order (9781541751095) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781541797710
Publisher: Hachette
Published: 2020-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

Length and Number of Speeches

43:8 Maximum Time for Each Speech. In a nonlegislative body or organization that has no special rule relating to the length of speeches (2), a member, having obtained the floor while a debatable motion is immediately pending, can speak no longer than ten minutes unless he obtains the consent of the assembly. Such permission can be given by unanimous consent (4:58–63), or by means of a motion to Extend Limits of Debate (15), which requires a two-thirds vote without debate.

43:9 When a member’s time is exhausted, the chair rises and—if the member does not immediately conclude his remarks—calls his attention to the fact by an appropriate signal, or by interrupting him if necessary. The chair may appoint timekeepers to provide assistance in fulfilling this responsibility. If it appears that a minute more will afford sufficient time for the member to conclude more gracefully, the chair can ask unanimous consent to extend the member’s time for a short period, or any member can do so.

43:10 Rights in regard to debate are not transferable. Unless the organization has a special rule on the subject, a member cannot yield any unexpired portion of his time to another member, or reserve any portion of his time for a later time—that is, if a member yields the floor before speaking his full ten minutes, he is presumed to have waived his right to the remaining time.4 If a speaker yields to another member for a question (Request for Information, 33:6–10), the time consumed by the question is charged to the speaker.

43:11 A committee chairman or reporting member is not considered to be debating when presenting or reading the committee’s report, but he is bound to obey the assembly’s rules relating to debate in any speech made by him in support of the motion offered on behalf of the committee.

43:12 Number of Speeches on the Same Question per Member per Day. Unless the assembly has a special rule providing otherwise, no member can speak more than twice to the same question on the same day—except that in the case of an Appeal (24), only the presiding officer can speak twice (the second time at the close of the debate), all other members being limited to one speech. Merely asking a question or making a brief suggestion is not counted as speaking in debate; nor is the making of a secondary motion counted as speaking in debate,5 so long as in making the motion the member makes no comment on the then-pending question. It will be seen from this rule that if debate on a pending motion is continued at the next meeting, and if that meeting is held on the same day, members who have already made two speeches on a question are not allowed to speak on it again without the assembly’s permission. But if the next meeting is held on another day, all members have their right to debate entirely renewed with reference to that question.

43:13 Under this rule, each debatable motion is a separate question with respect to members’ rights to debate it.

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