House rules specifically prohibit the House Committee on Rules from reporting a special rule that would prevent the motion to recommit from being offered on initial passage of a bill or joint resolution. Types of Motions to Recommit

Motions to recommit are characterized as being of two types. If adopted by the House, it returns the underlying measure to committee. The other type of motion to recommit, offered much more frequently, includes instructions and must contain language directing that the legislation be reported "forthwith," meaning that if the House adopts such a motion, the measure remains on the House floor, and the committee chair (or designee) immediately rises and reports the bill back to the House with any amendment(s) contained in the instructions of the recommittal motion. Potential Procedural Effects of the Motion to Recommit

A motion to recommit may have several procedural effects. Additionally, the motion to recommit might seek to send the bill to a committee to which it was not referred due to jurisdictional issues. Potential Political Effects of the Motion to Recommit

As described below, the motion to recommit underwent fundamental changes in 1909 with the stated purpose of giving the minority the right "to have a vote upon its position upon great public questions." This seems to imply that the motion was intended to have not only procedural effects but also political ones, allowing Members to go on record as supporting or opposing a specific policy, an opportunity that may be important for demonstrating their policy preference to constituents that might not otherwise occur in the absence of the motion. A motion to recommit may combine several proposed amendments, providing the opportunity to package together a set of views as a way to create a comprehensive public record to emphasize the minority party's differences from the platform of the majority. Prior to 1909, however, it operated differently than it does today, and priority in recognition for the offering of the motion to recommit was not reserved for a Member opposed to the measure. This solidified the motion as a "minority right." These arguments led the House to amend its rules.
The motion to recommit provides a final opportunity for the House to affect a measure before passage, either by amending the measure or sending it back to committee.
The motion to recommit is often referred to as "the minority's motion," because preference in recognition for offering a motion to recommit is given to a member of the minority party who is opposed to the bill. The stated purpose of giving the minority party this right was to allow them to "have a vote upon its position upon great public questions." House rules protect this minority right, as it is not in order for the House Committee on Rules to report a special rule that would preclude offering a motion to recommit a bill or joint resolution prior to its initial passage.
Motions to recommit are of two types: "straight" motions and motions that include instructions. A Member offering a "straight" motion to recommit seeks to send the measure to committee with no requirement for further consideration by the House. A Member offering a motion to recommit with instructions seeks to immediately amend the underlying bill on the House floor.
A motion to recommit may have various procedural effects, including amending an underlying measure, sending it to one or more committees, providing additional time for its consideration, or potentially disposing of the legislation. Due to its inclusion of policy language, the motion to recommit might also have political effects, such as allowing Members to go on record as supporting or opposing a specific policy and creating a comprehensive public record to emphasize the minority party's differences from the platform of the majority.
This report provides an overview of House rules and precedents governing the motion to recommit and describes procedural and political effects of the motion. This report will be updated to reflect any changes in House rules governing the usage of the motion to recommit.