In United States parliamentary procedure , recognition, or assignment of the floor, is the exclusive right to be heard at that time by a member of a deliberative assembly. With a few exceptions, a member must be recognized by the chairperson before engaging in debate or making a motion.[1]
The general rule is that the first member to rise and address the chair after another member has yielded the floor (by sitting down) is entitled to the floor.[2]
Exceptions to this general rule include the following:
If the chair made a mistake in assigning the floor, a point of order may be raised.[4]
Once a member has the floor, that member should not be interrupted unless a rule is being broken or the urgency of the situation justifies the interruption (such as a member raising a point of order).[5]