Legal Definitions - unfinished business and general orders

"Unfinished business and general orders" refers to items on the agenda of a formal meeting, legislative session, or other structured gathering that require attention but were not fully resolved or addressed during a previous session, or are routine matters scheduled for consideration.

• Unfinished business typically includes motions, proposals, or discussions that were introduced but postponed, tabled, or ran out of time in a prior meeting. These items are carried over to the current agenda to ensure continuity and resolution.
• General orders refers to items that are regularly scheduled for consideration, often on a specific day or at a particular point in the proceedings, or matters that have been specifically designated for future discussion without having been fully introduced yet. They represent the standing agenda items or those specifically set aside for future action.

Here are some examples:

• Imagine a city council meeting where, during the previous month's session, the council began discussing a proposal to build a new community park but ran out of time before a final vote could be taken. At the next council meeting, this park proposal would appear on the agenda under "unfinished business." Additionally, the council's standard procedure includes a dedicated time slot for public comments on non-agenda items at every meeting; this recurring segment would be considered a "general order."

  This example illustrates "unfinished business" with the park proposal, as its consideration was incomplete and carried over from a prior meeting. The public comment period serves as a "general order" because it is a routine, standing item on every meeting's agenda.

• Consider the quarterly board meeting for a non-profit organization. At the last meeting, the board reviewed a complex grant application but decided to defer the final decision and request additional information from the applicant. This grant application would then be listed as "unfinished business" on the agenda for the subsequent board meeting. A "general order" for this board might be the routine approval of the previous meeting's minutes or a standing report from the Treasurer on the organization's financial health.

  Here, the grant application is "unfinished business" because its resolution was postponed and carried forward. The approval of minutes and the Treasurer's report are "general orders" as they are standard, recurring items on the board's agenda.

• In a state legislative session, a bill proposing new regulations for ride-sharing services was debated extensively on the floor but not brought to a final vote before the legislative body adjourned for the day. When the legislature reconvenes the following day, this bill would be placed on the calendar as "unfinished business" from the previous sitting. A "general order" might be the daily period for members to introduce new bills or resolutions, which is a standard, scheduled part of each legislative day.

  The ride-sharing bill exemplifies "unfinished business" because its legislative process was interrupted and needs to be resumed. The daily introduction of new bills is a "general order" as it is a routine, scheduled part of the legislative agenda.