Rule 9.10.  Previous question and previous question on the entire subject matter

A.  The form of the motion for the previous question shall be: "I move the previous question."  This motion shall be applicable to any outstanding subsidiary motion or amendments, if any.  This motion shall be applicable to the main motion pending before the House when there are no subsidiary motions or amendments.  The motion is undebatable.  When adopted its effect shall be to put an end to debate and to bring the House to a vote on the outstanding subsidiary motion or amendments or the main question, as the case may be.

B.  The form of the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter shall be: "I move the previous question on the entire subject matter."  This motion shall be applicable to the main motion pending before the House when there are subsidiary motions or amendments.  The motion shall be undebatable.  When adopted its effect shall be to put an end to all debate on any amendment or on the main question and to bring the House immediately to a vote:

(1)  Upon subsidiary motion, amendment or amendments.

(2)  Upon the main question.

C.  Immediately following the offering of the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter, or the motion for the previous question, and before the motion is adopted or rejected, the Clerk of the House shall inform the House as to whether or not he has amendments on his desk which members have handed to him for the purpose of proposing said amendments to the instrument under debate and shall also name the authors of any such amendments.

D.  The motion for the previous question and the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter shall require the approval of a majority of the members present for adoption.

E.  Adoption of either motion shall have the effect of ending debate; however, the proponent of each motion or amendment upon which debate has been closed, or a member or members designated by him, shall have the right to close the debate.  The closing speech or speeches on each motion or amendment shall be limited to a total of fifteen minutes.

F.  All incidental questions of order, which arise after the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter, or the motion for the previous question, has been made and which are to be decided prior to the main question, shall be decided without debate, whether they are appealed or not.

G.  If the motion to postpone is pending at the time the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter, or the motion for the previous question, is adopted, the effect of the adoption of the motion for the previous question on the entire subject matter, or the motion for the previous question, shall be only to bring the House to a direct vote on the motion to postpone.

H.(1)  The motion for the previous question is not in order when offered by a member who has made a motion subject to debate nor is the motion in order when offered by a member at the conclusion of speaking on the motion under debate.

(2)  If there are members in opposition to the main motion who have requested recognition to speak at the time the motion for the previous question is made, the motion for the previous question shall be out of order unless at least one member in opposition to the main motion has been recognized to speak.

Mason's Manual:  Sec. 131 and 345-352

HR 3, 1973; HR 4, 1978; HR 10, 1984; HR 45, 1998, eff. May 20, 1998; HR 70, 2005, eff. June 14, 2005.