Editing Committee (section)

==Formal procedures==
[[File:Perustuslakivaliokunta 1918.jpg|thumb|Meeting of the {{ill|Constitutional Law Committee of the Finnish Parliament|fi|Perustuslakivaliokunta}} ({{langx|fi|Perustuslakivaliokunta}}) at the [[House of the Estates]] in Helsinki, [[Finland]] in 1918. The chairman of the committee, [[K. J. Ståhlberg]], at the left end of the table with his back to the camera.]]
When a committee is formed in a formal situation, such as committees in legislatures or for corporate bodies with by-laws, a chairman (or "chair" or "chairperson") is designated for the committee.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 175}}</ref> Sometimes a vice-chairman (or similar name) is also appointed.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 176}}</ref> It is common for the committee chairman to organize its meetings. Sometimes these meetings are held through [[videoconferencing]] or other means if committee members are not able to attend in person, as may be the case if they are in different parts of the country or the world.

The chairman is responsible for running meetings. Duties include keeping the discussion on the appropriate subject, recognizing members to speak, and confirming what the committee has decided (through voting or by [[unanimous consent]]). Using ''[[Robert's Rules of Order]] Newly Revised'' (RONR), committees may follow informal procedures (such as not requiring [[Motion (parliamentary procedure)|motions]] if it is clear what is being discussed).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief|last = Robert III|first = Henry M.|publisher = Da Capo Press|year = 2011|isbn = 978-0-306-82019-9|location = Philadelphia, PA|page = 162|edition = 2nd|url = http://www.robertsrules.com/inbrief.html|display-authors = etal|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170816005654/http://robertsrules.com/inbrief.html|archive-date = 16 August 2017}}</ref> The level of formality depends on the size and type of committee, in which sometimes larger committees considering crucial issues may require more formal processes.

Minutes are a record of the decisions at meetings. They can be taken by a person designated as the secretary. For most organizations, committees are not required to keep formal minutes.<ref name=":0" /> However, some bodies require that committees take minutes, especially if the committees are public ones subject to [[Freedom of information laws by country|open meeting laws]].

Committees may meet on a regular basis, such as weekly or more often, or meetings may be called irregularly as the need arises. The frequency of the meetings depends on the work of the committee and the needs of the parent body.

When the committee completes its work, it provides the results in a report to its parent body. The report may include the methods used, the facts uncovered, the conclusions reached, and any recommendations.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert III|2011|p = 164}}</ref> If the committee is not ready to report, it may provide a partial report or the assembly may discharge the committee of the matter so that the assembly can handle it. Also, if members of the committee are not performing their duties, they may be removed or replaced by the appointing power.<ref name=":5">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 177}}</ref> Whether the committee continues to exist after presenting its report depends on the type of committee. Generally, committees established by the [[bylaws]] or the organization's rules continue to exist, while committees formed for a particular purpose go out of existence after the final report.

=== Commit (motion) ===
{{infobox motion
| name = Commit (RONR)
| class = S
| in order = No
| seconded = Yes
| debatable = Yes, although debate on the motion must be confined to its merits only, and cannot go into the main question except as necessary for debate of the immediately pending question.
| amendable = Yes
| voterequired = Majority
| reconsidered = Yes, if a committee has not begun consideration of the question. A negative vote on this motion can be reconsidered only until such time as progress in business or debate has made it essentially a new question.
}}
In [[parliamentary procedure]], the motion to '''commit''' (or '''refer''') is used to refer another motion—usually a main motion—to a committee.

A motion to commit should specify to which committee the matter is to be referred, and if the committee is a special committee appointed specifically for purposes of the referred motion, it should also specify the number of committee members and the method of their selection, unless that is specified in the bylaws.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 171}}</ref>

Any proposed amendments to the main motion that are pending at the time the motion is referred to a committee go to the committee as well.<ref name=":5" />

Once referred, but before the committee reports its recommendations back to the assembly, the referred motion may be removed from the committee's consideration by the motion to discharge a committee.

=== Recommit ===
In the [[United States House of Representatives]], a motion to recommit can be made with or without instructions.  If the motion is made without instructions, the bill or resolution is simply sent back to the committee. If the motion is made with instructions and the motion is agreed to, the chairman of the committee in question will immediately report the bill or resolution back to the whole House with the new language.  In this sense, a motion to recommit with instructions is effectively an amendment.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lynch|first1=Megan S.|title=The Motion to Recommit in the House of Representatives|date=6 January 2016|publisher=Congressional Research Service|location=Washington, DC|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44330.pdf|access-date=31 January 2018|archive-date=28 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328220838/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44330.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Variations for full assembly consideration ===
In ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'' (''RONR''), the motion to commit has three variations which do not turn a question over to a smaller group, but simply permit the assembly's full meeting body to consider it with the greater freedom of debate that is allowed to committees. These forms are to go into a [[committee of the whole]], to go into a quasi-committee of the whole, and to consider informally. Passing any of these motions removes the limitations on the number of times a member can speak.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 168}}</ref> ''[[The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure]]'' has informal consideration, but does not have "committee of the whole" or "quasi committee of the whole".<ref>{{cite parl |title=TSC |pages=232, 233, 236}}</ref>

=== Discharge a committee ===
{{infobox motion
 | name = Discharge a committee (RONR)
 | class = B
 | inorder = No
 | seconded = Yes
 | debatable = Yes; debate can go into question in the hands of the committee.
 | amendable = Yes
 | reconsidered = Negative vote only
 }}In ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the motion to '''discharge a committee''' is used to take a matter out of a committee's hands before the committee has made a final report on it. A committee can use this motion to discharge a subcommittee.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|pp = 310–311}}</ref>

The vote required is a [[majority vote]], if the committee has failed to report at the prescribed time or if the assembly is considering a partial report of the committee.<ref name=":6">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Robert|2011|p = 312}}</ref> Otherwise, it requires a majority vote with [[previous notice]]; a [[two-thirds vote]]; or a [[majority of the entire membership]].<ref name=":6" />

Under ''The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure'', the assembly that has referred a motion or a matter to a committee may, by a majority vote, withdraw it at any time from the committee, refer it to another committee, or decide the question itself.<ref>{{cite parl |title=TSC |pages=57}}</ref>