BY-LAWS

LEADERSHIP STAFF SECTION

(As amended October 2007)

ARTICLE ONE

Name - The name of the organization is the Leadership Staff Section of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Membership - The general membership will consist of persons designated as leadership staff by legislative leaders of the fifty states and the insular possessions and territories of the United States of America. Each individual state legislatures definition of leadership staff shall be applicable when determining membership. A person's eligibility for membership or tenure on the Executive Committee shall cease upon separation of employment with the legislature. There shall be no dues or membership fees.

Purpose - The purposes of this Section are: to provide a national forum for recognition of the contributions of leadership staff to the legislative process; to enhance communications among staff members in the 50 states and the insular possessions and the territories; to increase effectiveness and professionalism of legislative staff; and to offer a forum for discussion of how legislative staff can better serve their elected legislators and the public.

ARTICLE TWO

Meeting of Members - The Annual Meeting of the Section shall be held at such time and place normally to coincide with the Annual Training Seminar of the Section.

Adequate notation of the meeting shall be provided at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE THREE

Executive Committee - The Executive Committee shall be composed of a chair, first vice-chair, a second vice-chair and nine directors, elected by the membership at the preceding Annual Meeting, and the immediate past chair. All Executive Committee members who are employed by a state legislature, upon the completion of their term, shall be designated as ex-officio voting members for two years following the end of their term on the Executive Committee. If there is more than one ex-officio voting member from the same state, voting is limited to one vote for that state. After the two-year period, all past chairs or executive committee members of the Section, other than the immediate past chair, who are employed by a state legislature shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Executive Committee. Any NCSL staff officer or past NCSL staff officer, or present staff member of the NCSL Executive Committee, if serving as leadership staff in his or her state legislature, shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

The Chair shall preside over meetings of the executive committee and the membership and have the general management and control of the business and affairs of this Section. The Chair is an ex-officio member of all standing committees of the Section. The First Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the chair. The Second Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the first vice-chair. The NCSL staff member assigned to the section shall provide administrative assistance to the Section.

Meetings of the Executive Committee - The Executive Committee of this Section shall hold its meeting upon the call of the chair at such time and place as he or she shall designate. A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

Powers and Duties - The Executive Committee shall have the power to select a site for the annual training seminar, prepare the agenda for the annual training seminar, call special meetings of the full membership, execute contracts subject to approval of the NCSL Executive Committee, appoint subcommittees and special committees, and manage training programs.

ARTICLE FOUR

Nomination, Election and Terms of Office - Not later than 120 calendar days prior to each Annual Meeting of the Section, the chair shall appoint from the general membership of the Section a nominating committee of five members, one of whom shall be the immediate past chair of the Section who will serve as chair of the nominating committee. If the immediate past chair is unable or unavailable to serve in this role, the chair shall appoint the nominating committee chair from among the general membership of the Section. The nominating committee shall compile a slate of nominees for the offices of chair, first vice-chair, second vice-chair and nine directors of the Section. No later than 90 calendar days prior to each Annual Meeting of the Section, the nominating committee shall mail to the general membership of the Section a notice that announces the opening of nominations for candidates to the Executive Committee, describes the general conditions and responsibilities of Executive Committee service and lists the name, address, and phone number of each nominating committee member. Insofar as possible, consideration shall be given to providing reasonable gender, racial, ethnic, partisan and geographic balance among the list of nominees submitted by the nominating committee, provided that nothing herein shall require the establishment of any quota. The slate of nominees shall be submitted for vote of the membership at the Annual Meeting of the Section provided, however, that additional nominations may be made from the floor by the general membership. Election to the office of chair, first vice-chair or second vice-chair requires a majority vote of the member states, insular possessions, and territories present and voting. Election to the office of director requires a plurality vote of the member states, insular possessions, and territories present and voting. Each state, insular possessions, and territory shall have one vote for each position to be elected. The terms of officers of the Section shall commence at the close of the Annual Meeting at which meeting their successors shall be elected. No member other than an officer shall be allowed to serve more than three consecutive one-year terms.

ARTICLE FIVE

Vacancies - In the event of a vacancy in the position of the chair, the first vice-chair shall assume the office, duties and responsibilities of the chair. In the event of a vacancy in the position of both the chair and the first vice-chair, the second vice-chair shall assume the office, duties and responsibilities of the chair. In the event of a vacancy in the position of the second vice-chair, the Executive Committee, by majority vote may choose from among its members a chair. In the event of a vacancy in the position of the first vice-chair, second vice-chair or one or more of the members of the Executive Committee, the chair, with the approval of the majority of the remaining members of the Executive Committee, may fill the vacancy of the unexpired term and three one-year terms. In the event of a vacancy in the position of the immediate past chair, the chair, with the approval of a majority of the remaining members of the Executive Committee may appoint a former chair of the Executive Committee as a voting member of the Executive Committee to complete the term of the immediate past chair.

ARTICLE SIX

Amendments of By-Laws - These By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the member states, insular possessions, and territories present at any Annual Meeting of the Section. Proposed amendments shall be available in writing and distributed to all leadership staff at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE SEVEN

The Leadership Staff Section is part of the legislative staff division of the National Conference of State Legislatures. All matters not covered by these By-Laws or the By-Laws of NCSL, Masons Manual of Legislative Procedure shall govern.