*Section 4.16. Additions to the Agenda of Regular General Assemblies.
- Non-substantive items related to greetings and similar matters may be admitted to the agenda by a regular General Assembly.
- Not more than six General Assembly Actions of Immediate Witness, (year) may be admitted to the agenda of a regular General Assembly and acted upon.
- A General Assembly Action of Immediate Witness, (year) is one concerned with a significant action, event or development the timing or specificity of which makes it inappropriate to be addressed by a UUA Statement of Conscience pursuant to the Study/Action process.
- The petition to admit such resolutions to the agenda must be signed by 150 delegates from at least 25 congregations in at least five districts. If six petitions or fewer are received, all petitions received that have the requisite level of delegate and congregation support are eligible to be considered for possible admission to the Agenda. In the event more than six petitions are submitted that satisfy the sponsorship requirement, the Commission on Social Witness shall select six from among those which meet the criteria for a General Assembly Action of Immediate Witness, (year) and shall submit those six actions to the Agenda of the General Assembly (along with a tentative designation of scope, i.e., U.S. or Continental) for possible admission.
- The motion to admit each General Assembly (U.S. or Continental) Action of Immediate Witness, (year) ruled eligible is not debatable, but an opportunity for a two-minute statement of advocacy to the General Assembly for each eligible action by one of its sponsors prior to any such motion shall be provided. Admission of a General Assembly (U.S. or Continental) Action of Immediate Witness, (year) shall be by a two-thirds vote.
- During the General Assembly, a mini-assembly shall be held during which each admitted action shall be discussed and amendments shall be accepted in writing. All such amendments shall be made available in writing to the General Assembly. The Commission on Social Witness shall finalize each General Assembly ( U.S. or Continental) Action of Immediate Witness, (year), and the chairperson of the Commission on Social Witness, in consultation with the moderator of the General Assembly, the parliamentarian and legal counsel , shall prioritize unincorporated amendments for consideration by the General Assembly.
- Adoption of a General Assembly (U.S. or Continental) Action of Immediate Witness, (year) shall be by a two-thirds vote.
- Actions submitted pursuant to this Section 4.16(b) must be in writing and filed with the Chair of the Commission on Social Witness or the Commission's designee by the deadline established by the Commission and announced at the opening session of the Assembly.
- Responsive Resolutions may be admitted to the agenda of a regular General Assembly and acted upon.
- A Responsive Resolution is a resolution made in response to a substantive portion of a report by an officer or committee reporting to a regular General Assembly.
- Adoption of a Responsive Resolution shall be by two-thirds vote.
Last updated on Friday, September 18, 2009.
