Request for information (parliamentary procedure)

In U.S. parliamentary procedure, a request for information is a request directed to the chair, or through the chair to another person, for information relevant to the business at hand. Until the publication of the 11th edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised published in September 2011, this device has been known as the "point of information." The change was made in order to avoid the common misperception that the "point of information" permitted the maker to engage in debate in the guise of "providing information."^[1]

Explanation and use

Point of information (RONR)
Class	Incidental motion
In order when another has the floor?	Yes
Requires second?	No
Debatable?	No
May be reconsidered?	No
Amendable?	No
Vote required	Is not voted on

The information sought in the request generally pertains to the substantive matter under discussion, and therefore the request is distinct from a parliamentary inquiry, which requests information related to parliamentary procedure. If another member responds to the question, then any time he spends doing so is taken out of his allowed time. Accordingly, if a point of information is used to interrupt someone's speech to ask them a question, the chair asks the member if he is willing to be interrupted. A point of information can be used to remind a member of a point to be made in argument or with the intention of rebutting his position, but it must always be put in the form of a question.^[2]

Mason's Manual notes, "If members desire to ask a question of other members, they may do so through the presiding officer, but it is discourteous and a strict violation of parliamentary rules to ask questions directly of a member...If the first reply does not fully answer the question, it is the practice to permit a limited number of further questions to be asked." Further restrictions are that questions addressed to members may be related only to a question before the body; that a question reflecting upon the character or conduct of any member or upon the executive or another official, or inquiring as to what course a member proposes to follow, is not permitted; and that purpose of the question must be to obtain information and not to supply it to the body. Accordingly, a question may not contain statements of fact unless they are necessary to make the question intelligible, and can be authenticated. Nor may a question contain arguments. A question, then, is distinct from debate. A member is entitled to inquire concerning the meaning or purpose or effect of an undebatable motion.^[3]

References

^ Robert, Henry M. (2000). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th ed., p. xxvi
^ Robert, Henry M. (2000). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th ed., p. 294–295
^ National Conference of State Legislatures (2000). Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure, 2000 ed., p. 93–95

Parliamentary procedure

Major concepts	Deliberative assembly Motions Main motion Quorum Session Chair Committee Committee of the whole Dilatory motions and tactics Minutes Second History of parliamentary procedure Principles of parliamentary procedure Voting methods in deliberative assemblies Floor

Subsidiary motions	Postpone indefinitely Amend Commit Postpone to a certain time Limit or extend limits of debate Previous question Cloture Lay upon the table Place upon the table

Privileged motions	Call for the orders of the day Raise a question of privilege Recess Adjourn Fix the time to which to adjourn

Incidental motions	Point of order Appeal Suspend the rules Objection to the consideration of a question Division of a question Consideration by paragraph or seriatim Division of the assembly Motions relating to methods of voting and the polls Motions relating to nominations

Incidental motions (Requests and inquiries)	Parliamentary inquiry Request for information Request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion Request to read papers Request to be excused from a duty Request for any other privilege

Motions that bring a question again before the assembly	Take from the table Rescind, repeal, annul or amend something previously adopted Discharge a committee Reconsider

Legislative procedure	Call of the house Hoist Motion to pass on

Disciplinary procedures	Censure Declare the chair vacant Impeach Naming

Parliamentary authorities	Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (TSC or Sturgis) Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure Riddick's Rules of Procedure Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice Bourinot's Rules of Order Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms Morin code

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Request for information (parliamentary procedure)