Legislative glossary
Suspension of rules
Also known as: suspension
Definition
A motion to bypass normal procedure (calendar, debate, amendments) and pass a bill quickly. Usually requires a 2/3 vote: used for bills with broad support.
Why it matters
Suspension of the rules trades scrutiny for speed: a supermajority (typically two-thirds) agrees to skip the normal calendar, debate limits, and amendment process and vote now. It exists for the genuinely uncontroversial, and for end-of-session triage, when the calendar is dying and leadership decides what gets one last fast lane.
In the game
In The Bill to Law Game's final weeks, suspension is sometimes the only road left, if your support is broad enough to clear the two-thirds bar.
Related terms
Comes up alongside