Learning & PO Tools

This is not to be confused with Constitutional Amendment resolutions as a type of legislation. This pertains to amending part of the text of any legislation already being debated in a round.

Steps:

1. Legislators move personal privilege to submit to the PO written amendments, or legislators may submit an amendment without moving personal privilege prior to a round convening or during a recess.

2. Anytime after the authorship/sponsorship speech, the legislator may move to amend. The PO — who may first consult with the parliamentarian — will announce if the amendment is germane (relevant to the legislation at-hand without changing its intent) and will read contents to the chamber; or, they may rule it dilatory (changing the intention of the legislation) and the process stops.

3. A one-third second vote of all members is required to debate the amendment. Legislators may move to lay on the table or call previous question on the amendment at any time after the amendment is moved and seconded.

4. If a speech on the amendment is recognized, the first is a sponsorship speech, and speaker recognition is on basis of precedence/recency; the author of the amendment is not guaranteed the sponsorship speech. The sponsor speaker accepts responsibility for mechanics of the amendment and yields to two minutes of questioning.

5. All amendment speeches receive a score and count towards precedence/recency. Speeches should focus on the amendment itself, and how it affects the original outcome of the legislation. A majority vote is necessary for the chamber to adopt the amendment. 

6. If the amendment carries (passes), further debate should consider the legislation as amended.

The PO determines voting methods on questions before the chamber. 

1. Final votes on legislation, amendments, and motions to appeal chair require a recorded vote, and vote totals are based on total number of legislators in the chamber (not just present and voting). A majority of the total is required for passage; therefore, a PO may cast a vote following count of colleagues. Only aye votes cast count toward passage in those cases.

2. Voice voting (or informal counting by visual means for online competition) is acceptable for all other votes, but a recorded vote must be taken if any legislator calls for a division of the chamber; however, roll call votes are prohibited. The chair determines whether the chamber agrees with the motion/question using number of legislators present in the chamber at the time of the vote. Because of this system, the PO must track the number of legislators in the chamber at all times.