Chapter 6: Subsidiary Motions - 13. Commit or Refer

The purpose of the motion to Commit or Refer is to send a pending question to a committee so that...

• it may be delayed

• they can amend it and take action without permission from the assembly

• the question may be carefully investigated and put into better condition for the assembly to consider

• they can Lay it on the Table during informal discussions at a committee meeting

The chief advantage of committee is that they allow greater freedom of debate on motions. This means that members can speak...

• three times on each topic

• only two times, but as long as they wish

• on motions even after they are adopted

• as many times as they wish

Which of the following is a variation of the motion to Commit?

• to "consider informally"

• to "go into a committee of the whole"

• to "go into a quasi committee of the whole"

• all of the above

The term recommit is applied to a motion...

• that proposes to refer a question a second time

• if the original motion to refer is lost

• that a special committee can adopt to postpone their work indefinitely

• none of the above

The subsidiary motion to Commit (or Refer) takes precedence over the motion to...

• Amend

• Lay on the Table

• Recess

• Limit Debate

The motion to Refer to a Committee can be applied to...

• Point of Order

• Main Motions

• All Secondary Motions

• Privileged Motions

The motion to Commit (or Refer)...

• need not be seconded

• is not debatable

• can be applied to main motion with any amendments that may be pending

• may be proposed when another member has the floor provided debate has not begun

One of the rules concerning the subsidiary motion to Commit (or Refer) is that...

• debate can extend only to the desirability of committing the main question

• is in order when another member has the floor

• it doesn't need to be seconded

• a two-thirds vote is required for it to be adopted

If the main question is be handled by a special committee (select or ad hoc), the subsidiary motion To Commit (or Refer) may specify the...

• number of committee members

• method of selection

• names of the members

• all of the above

Which of the following are examples of binding instructions which may be included in the motion to Commit?

• when the committee should report

• how the committee should consider the question

• if the committee should employ an expert consultant

• all of the above