- Notice of Intent to Make a Motion (NITMAM) accepted (5 weeks) following the posting of Second Draft Report
- NITMAMs are reviewed and valid motions are certified by the Motions Committee for presentation at the NFPA Technical Meeting
- NFPA membership meets each June at the NFPA Technical Meeting to act on Standards with “Certified Amending Motions” (certified NITMAMs)
- Committee(s) vote on any successful amendments to the Technical Committee
Reports made by the NFPA membership at the NFPA Technical Meeting
Following completion of the Public Input and Public Comment stages, there is further opportunity for debate and discussion of issues through the NFPA Technical Meeting that takes place at the NFPA Conference & Expo® each June.
Notice of Intent to Make a Motion (NITMAM). A NITMAM may be filed by anyone not satisfied with the work of the Committee and who meets the requirements of 4.5.3.5( c ) or 4.5.3.6 of the Regulations. A NITMAM is a proposed amending motion for NFPA Membership consideration and debate at the NFPA Technical Meeting. These motions are attempts to amend the Committee’s recommended text published as the Second Draft. The NFPA Technical Meeting provides an opportunity for the NFPA Membership to amend the Technical Committee Reports (i.e. the Committee’s or Panel’s work) on each proposed new or revised Standard.
Before making an authorized motion at an NFPA Technical Meeting, the submitter of the motion must file, in advance of the session and within the published deadline, a NITMAM. The Motions Committee appointed by the Standards Council reviews all notices and certifies all deemed proper in accordance with the Regulations. The Motions Committee can also, in consultation with the submitters of the motion, clarify the intent of each motion and combine motions that are dependent upon one another so made in one single motion at the NFPA Technical Meeting. A Motions Committee report is published in advance of the NFPA Technical Meeting listing all certified amending motions. Only Certified Amending Motions and proper Follow-Up Motions (motions which have become necessary as a result of previous successful amending motions) are permitted at the NFPA Technical Meeting. Standards receiving no NITMAMs move directly to Standards Council for issuance (see Step 4).
The detailed rules regarding amending motions that can be made and who can make them are set forth in NFPA’s Regulations and NFPA Technical Meeting Convention Rules. Please consult and be familiar with these if you wish to bring an issue before the membership at an NFPA Technical Meeting.
Which Amending Motions are Certified? The motions allowed by NFPA rules are those that propose amendments to the text of a Standard based on published Second Revisions, Public Comments, and Committee Comments. Allowable motions include motions to accept Public Comments in whole or part; motions to accept Committee Comments in whole or in part, to reject a Second Revision (change accepted by the Committee) in whole or part and can include the related portions of First Revisions. In addition, under certain specified instances, motions can be made to return an entire NFPA Standard to the Committee, if successful, Standard will not be issued and will be returned to the Committee to continue its work.
Who Can Make Amending Motions? Those authorized to make motions are also regulated by NFPA rules. In the case of a motion to accept a Public Comment or an Identifiable Part of a Public Comment, the maker of the motion is limited by NFPA rules to the original submitter of the Comment (or his or her duly authorized representative). In all other cases, anyone can make these motions. For a complete explanation, NFPA rules should be consulted.
Action on Motions at the NFPA Technical Meeting. In order to make a Certified Amending Motion at the NFPA Technical Meeting, the maker of the motion or his or her designated representative must sign in before the Technical Meeting begins. The presiding officer for the Technical Meeting opens the floor to motions on the Standard from the list of Certified Amending Motions as sequenced by the Motions Committee. Debate and voting on each motion proceeds in accordance with NFPA rules. The NFPA membership is not required to make or speak to a motion. Voting is limited on motions made to NFPA members who joined at least 180 days prior to the session and are registered for the Technical Meeting. At the close of debate on each motion, voting takes place and the motion requires a simple majority vote to carry. Successful amending motions must then be confirmed by the responsible Technical Committee by ballot.