At meetings conducted under parliamentary procedure, you may hear references to a “friendly amendment.” Despite how common the term has become, Robert’s Rules of Order barely addresses the concept—and did not mention “friendly amendments” at all until the 10th Edition, published in 2000.
The current Robert’s describes a friendly amendment as “an amendment offered by someone who is in sympathy with the purposes of the main motion, in the belief that the amendment will either improve the statement or effect of the main motion, presumably to the satisfaction of its maker, or will increase the chances of the main motion’s adoption” Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (12th Edition) 12:91. For organizations that follow Sturgis or the AIP Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, the intent behind friendly amendments is the same.
Unfortunately, “friendly amendments” are often misunderstood and misused. Used improperly, it’s assumed that if a member proposes a friendly change and the original maker agrees, the motion is automatically amended. Wrong! Once a motion has been stated by the chair, it belongs to the assembly—not the maker—and cannot be changed unilaterally.
Properly used, a friendly amendment is simply a way of adopting a noncontroversial amendment by unanimous consent. A member may suggest an amendment they believe will be acceptable to the maker of the original motion. If the maker agrees, the chair should ask the body, “Is there any objection to the proposed amendment?” If no one objects, the amendment is adopted. If anyone objects, the amendment must go through the normal process of a formal proposal, a second, and debate.
Friendly amendments can be a helpful timesaver for changes that are truly noncontroversial. However, the “friendly” part means friendly to the entire assembly, not just the original maker of the motion.
Jim Slaughter is an attorney, Certified Professional Parliamentarian, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and past President of the American College of Parliamentary Lawyers. He is author of four books on meeting procedure, including two updated for the latest Robert’s Rules: Robert’s Rules of Order Fast Track and Notes and Comments on Robert’s Rules, Fifth Edition. Both books have been selected as “Editor’s Picks” by Publisher’s Weekly. Many free charts and articles on Robert’s and meeting procedure can be found at www.jimslaughter.com.