The General Assembly is governed by the Book of Order and the Manual of the General Assembly, which includes the Standing Rules of the General Assembly.

Find the Manual under the Resources tab in PC-Biz. Be sure to read:

• Pages 4–5 of the Manual for an introduction to the Values Present at General Assembly
• Pages 90–92 for Standards of Ethics for Commissioners and Advisory Delegates

Although you as a GA commissioner or advisory delegate should be open to your presbytery colleagues and to all sides of an issue, you do not come with instructions from those who elected you.

• Advisory delegates are full members of their assigned assembly committees.
• In plenary meetings, advisory delegates have voice but not vote, and are not eligible to make motions.
• In plenary, advisory delegates are polled on most motions before commissioners vote so that commissioners have the benefit of their advice in their own decision-making.

• Meetings of councils, as required by the Book of Order, are "conducted in accordance with the most recent (currently, the 12th) edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised [RONR] … Councils may also make use of processes of discernment in their deliberations prior to a vote as agreed upon by the body." [G-3.0105]
• The principles of RONR are intended to protect the rights of all parties: while the majority rules, the rights of the minority to be heard are safeguarded. Presbyterians believe that we make better decisions together, listening to the voice of the Spirit through one another's voices. It's not just fairness that leads us to guard the rights of those who might be in the minority – they may be speaking for God.

Assembly committees also operate by RONR.

Here are some basic rules of decorum for members of assemblies:

• Address the Moderator.
• Confine your remarks to the pending question (be germane). The Moderator may remind speakers who lose track of which motion is on the floor.
• Do not impugn other members or their motives (generally, do not use names).
• You cannot speak against your own motion.
• You may not speak a second time until everyone who wishes has spoken.
• Honor time limits.

For the work of your committee, you can expect to participate in:

• Group-building activities
• Worship and prayer
• Approving an agenda proposed by the leadership team
• Listening to open hearing testimony
• Considering every item of business referred for action
  • Most will result in a recommendation to be considered in plenary.
  • Some (such as approval of minutes) may be final actions of the committee.

Items referred to committees may include:

• Reports from standing and special committees of the General Assembly
  • With recommendations
  • For information only, including minutes
• Overtures from synods and presbyteries
• Commissioners' Resolutions
• Synod minutes

• Approve
  • With amendment and/or comment
• Disapprove
  • With comment
• Answer by an alternate resolution (adoption of new text)
• Refer (to a named agency)
  • With comment
• Answer by action taken on a related item in the same committee

Sometimes the committee may agree to a period of discussion outside the regular process of deliberation through motions and formal debate, prior to voting on a recommendation.

Options include:

• Quasi consideration of the whole
• Informal consideration
• Recess and discussion in small groups

When the Moderator recognizes you, you will be unmuted. When you speak, you will always be expected to identify yourself – name, role, and presbytery.

The last pages of A Guide to Parliamentary Procedure in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – found in the Resources tab – chart the most common motions and shorthand rules for their use; you might want to print those pages for quick reference.

Most motions are adopted by a majority (more than half) of those voting; when the requirement is for a 2/3 vote, it is generally a motion to restrict the rights of a member of the body (such as cutting off debate), or to alter a previous action (such as suspending the rules).

Chart #1, the 13 ranking motions, shows the hierarchy of motions that are in order when other motions are pending (on the floor). The main motion is at the bottom of the chart, and thus lowest ranking; a main motion (which brings business before the body) is not in order while any other motion is on the floor. Lower-ranking motions are not in order whenever a higher-ranking motion is pending – for example, if a motion to limit debate is on the floor, it is in order to move to take a recess, but not vice versa. If a motion to postpone to a definite time is on the floor, it is not in order to move to amend the main motion; but it would be in order to move to amend the motion to postpone (for example, to a different time).

When several motions are pending, the last one made must be disposed of first, until the body works its way back in reverse order to the main motion.

Amendments

Perhaps the most common subsidiary motion is to amend. A motion to amend must be germane – it cannot introduce a new subject – and may take several forms: to insert or add; to strike out; and to do both (strike out some words and insert/add others).

It is in order to move to amend a proposed primary amendment to a main motion, but a further level of amendment is not in order until the secondary amendment ("amendment to the amendment") has been disposed of.

There is no such thing as a "friendly amendment," however welcome it may be to the maker of the main motion. Once a motion has been made, seconded, and stated by the moderator, it belongs to the body and any amendments must be moved, seconded, and voted upon.

Substitute Motion

A motion to amend by replacing a whole paragraph, or a whole motion, with different wording, or involving words that are not consecutive, is a substitute.

Here's the process used to consider substitute motions. After the substitute is made:

1. Perfection of the main motion – any amendments are made until the motion is in final form
2. Perfection of the substitute motion
3. "Shall the substitute become the main motion?"
4. Debate on the merits of both motions (no amendments in order)

Once it is decided whether the substitute becomes the main motion, another vote is taken to approve or disapprove that motion.

Commit/Refer & Modify Debate Motions

The motion to commit (refer) is used when the mover believes that the issue warrants further study or refinement that's not possible right away. Motions to refer should be clear about what committee (already existing, or special) will consider the matter, its task or charge, and when it shall report.

Unless other stipulations are made in the action adopted, special committees [K.1] are appointed by the GA [Co-]Moderator[s]. When matters are referred to committees by the GA, the action often comes by way of a main motion, sometimes with special instructions to the committee.

The Standing Rules [F.5.a] limit speeches in plenary to two minutes, but the body by a 2/3 vote can modify debate by setting further time limits on individual speeches, the number of speeches, the total time for further debate, or the hour by which a vote will be taken. Time limits on speeches beyond two minutes can also be extended by suspending the rules – but with the press of business, that's usually not the desire.

Calling the Question

Many love the motion to call or move the previous question – to close debate immediately and proceed to a vote. A 2/3 vote is required to approve such a motion, end debate, and proceed to vote on a motion on the floor. According to our Standing Rules [F.5.a(2)], the previous question may be applied only to the immediately pending motion. It is important that the body have an opportunity to debate all motions, and particularly the main motion – which may not receive as much attention and time as the amendments that are debated first.

The Book of Order [F-3.0205] stipulates decisions "following opportunity for discussion and discernment," so the moderator does have discretion if in their judgment this motion is being used to cut off debate prematurely.

Sometimes someone is recognized to move the previous question when it's evident that no one wishes to continue debate; in those instances, the motion actually takes up more time because the moderator has the discretion to move directly to a vote without it.

The moderator should in every instance be clear, after a motion for the previous question is made, whether the subsequent vote is on closing debate or on the motion on the floor before the previous question was moved.

Postponing Motions

It's common for people to move to table a motion when they really intend the effect of the motion to postpone to a particular time. The undebatable motion to lay on the table is properly used only when something of immediate urgency has arisen, and the motion does not specify a time when the matter will be taken up again.

The debatable and amendable motion to postpone definitely is usually more appropriate – for example, to postpone until after something else has happened in the session, more information can be gathered, or to a specific hour.

The General Assembly does not have the option to postpone an item of business (IOB) past its final adjournment, as all IOBs must be disposed of in some manner.

Other Motions

You may wish to make a motion that is not related to a particular IOB. Examples when you might wish to do that:

• Raise a Question of Privilege: Interrupt the current business for an urgent matter – for example, to request that the assembly pause for prayer before taking a vote ("question of privilege affecting the assembly")
• Parliamentary Inquiry: To ask how to accomplish something unrelated to current business – though you may be able to accomplish this more efficiently by speaking to a parliamentarian
• Suspend the Rules: In order to do something not allowed by the rules
• Call for the Orders of the Day: Require the assembly to conform to its agenda

The maker of a motion has the privilege of first debate, but not the last word. The moderator will try to alternate speakers pro and con.

It is the responsibility of the moderator to ensure that all members are clear about what's being voted on – generally by stating the question (repeating the motion) when it is first made and seconded, or indicating the proper words in PC-Biz. Sometimes it's also necessary to go into more detail to explain the effects of a proposal.

If you are confused about parliamentary procedure, or it seems that others are, or if things are moving too quickly, do not be afraid to make a parliamentary inquiry, raise a point of order, ask for clarification, or request information. "Moderator, please explain the effect of that motion…"

Except for actions requesting constitutional change, all recommendations made by assembly committees by a 3/4 vote are placed on the assembly plenary consent agenda to be considered as the first order of plenary business following committee meetings; constitutional items about which the committee recommends disapproval by a 3/4 vote are also eligible for the consent agenda. The purpose of the consent agenda is to save precious time for IOBs that require more debate.

Any commissioner can remove any IOB from the consent agenda for discussion. When the consent agenda comes up in the docket, time will be allowed for commissioners to remove items; note the IOB name and number and it will be removed, to be placed on the docket for consideration in a later plenary business meeting. [F.5.b]

Clarifications

Business can move rapidly, but you have the right to ask the moderator to explain the effect of the proposal so that everyone is clear before the vote is taken. The moderator will make every effort to ensure that no one gets lost or overlooked.

Protests

If you vote against a motion which prevails, you may file a written protest with the Committee on Bills and Overtures; it will be included in the Minutes if the Committee decides it is decorous and respectful. The protest forms are available in PC-Biz under the Resources tab.