Renewing a Motion
It's the chair's responsibility to make certain that the motion that a member wants to renew has a difference in the wording or the time or circumstance. Of course, a withdrawn motion can be proposed again. The chair should listen carefully to the motion being made verbally, or should read the motion if it's in writing, to verify that the renewed motion has been changed as the member maintains it has.
Resolutions Can Be Renewed, Too
A member might want to renew a resolution; if so, the resolution should have changes in wording or time or circumstance. If a list of resolutions was proposed and failed to get an affirmative majority vote, it might be that one resolution is what made the whole list fail. The discussion prior to voting may make it clear which resolution was not liked, or a check of other members may reveal this information. Then, a member could present the list again, leaving out that one bothersome resolution. This way, the motion will be changed enough to make it again, and it may have a better chance of being adopted.
Making the Motion
To make a motion to renew, a member should use the same procedure that would be used to propose a new motion (“I move that [we do X]” and so on). The chair should make certain that another member makes a motion to second, and that there is debate, if it's desired. Then a vote should be taken. A majority vote in the affirmative is required for adoption.
ESSENTIAL
Be observant. Watch nonverbal messages that people are sending during meetings. Smiles and nodding signal agreement or approval, while frowns and shaking heads show disagreement or disapproval. These cues can help give you information that may make you — and your motions — more successful.
What Are You Trying to Do?
What if a member who isn't well versed in Robert's Rules — or who chooses to bend them to what he wants them to be — tries to ram a motion through by saying that it's been reworded, when, really, it sounds like the same old motion? The chair — or a member, if the chair doesn't notice — needs to call this to the attention of the membership. Someone might also try to renew a motion to reconsider or rescind that has been voted down, and that attempt needs to be rejected as well unless the motion has been substantially changed.
If a member has raised a point of order or a question of privilege and the chair has ruled against it, it can be raised again only if an appeal is successful and the chair's decision is reversed. If the chair's decision is sustained, however, a point of order or a question of privilege can't be made again during the meeting.
FACT
No motion can be renewed while the vote on it can be reconsidered. It would be redundant to waste time making another motion while the original one can be reconsidered with a vote.
