Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure
Encyclopedia
Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...
is to club groups. Gleaned from court decisions and legislative precedents, salted by practical experience, it is...[used] by legislatures throughout the U.S. and its territories. Adopted by the parliament of India and Pakistan."
The Manual covers motions, procedures, vote requirements, etc. applicable to legislatures. It includes the rules of order, principles, precedents, and legal basis behind parliamentary law.
The author, Paul Mason (1898-1985), was a scholar who worked for the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
. He is best known for writing Constitutional History of California in 1951 and Manual of Legislative Procedure in 1935.
The National Conference of State Legislatures
National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
(NCSL) was assigned copyright ownership by Paul Mason prior to his death. The NCSL assigned the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) the task of editing and maintaining the manual for future printings. In 1984, the ASLCS created the Mason's Manual Revision Commission consisting of ASLCS members. It is responsible for editing and revising the manual to keep pace with the modern challenges and developments in parliamentary procedures.
The most recent edition is the 2010 edition.