|
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
of the
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES
PROPOSED
NALIT BY-LAWS
July 2003
Article 1: Name
The name of the organization shall be the National Association of
Legislative Information Technology (NALIT) of the National Conference of
State Legislatures (NCSL), hereinafter referred to as the Association.
Article 2: Purposes
1. To promote the exchange of ideas and information on all aspects of legislative
information systems. This includes, but is not limited to, the management
and technical development of these systems.
2. To provide a network of information exchange among persons involved in
providing management and technical support for legislative information
systems.
3. To provide improved communications and foster better relations between
legislative information systems management and staff, and the legislators
and legislative staff they serve.
4. To promote the services of the Association membership on the various committees,
subcommittees, task forces, etc., of NCSL.
5. To enhance the professionalism of the members of the Association through
activities supporting the purposes noted above.
Article 3: Membership
There are three classes of membership in this Association. They
The classes are as follows:
1. General Members: Legislative information systems managers and staff
employed by state government, serving the legislatures of the fifty states
and insular possessions and territories of the United States, are eligible
to be general members.
2. Legislative Members: State legislators serving in the state legislatures
of the fifty states and insular possessions and territories of the United
States, are eligible to be legislative members.
3. Associate Members: Other persons interested in legislative information
systems are eligible to be associate members. This includes legislative
staff of the Canadian provinces and representatives of private vendors.
Article 4: Meeting Meetings of the Members
1. Annual Meeting: The annual meeting shall be held normally
to coincide with the NCSL annual meeting.
2. Professional Development Seminar: The professional development
seminar shall be held annually in the fall.
2. 3. Special Meetings: All meetings,
other than the annual meeting and the professional development seminar,
shall be called special meetings.
3. 4. Notice: Written notice of all meetings
shall be distributed by the NCSL staff contact at least 30 days in advance
of the meeting.
4. 5. Voting - Issues on Association Policy
and Operation: Issues on Association policy and operations brought
up raised at a meeting shall require a majority vote of
the general members present at the meeting before being declared passed.
5. 6. Voting - Other Issues: All other
issues brought up raised at a meeting shall require
a majority vote of all classes of membership the general
members present at the meeting before being declared passed.
Article 5: Executive Committee
1. Membership: The Executive Committee shall be composed of
the officers of the Association, the immediate past Chair, and the Directors.
2. Duties:
a. Work with the Chair in managing the activities of the Association;
b. Provide program suggestions for the annual meeting to the Chair;
c. Provide business-meeting suggestions for the annual meeting to the
Chair;
d. Request by a majority vote of the total Executive Committee, as polled
by the NCSL staff contact, that the Chair call a special meeting of the
Association;
e. Provide suggestions to the Chair with regard to appointing members
or recommending the appointment of the members of the Association to NCSL
committees, subcommittees, task forces, etc., that are considering matters
of interest to the Association;
f. Approve contracts nonfinancial agreements, to
be executed by NCSL, as necessary to conduct the business of the Association;
g. Reserve the right to approve or object to financial agreements,
to be executed by NCSL, as necessary, relating to NALIT meetings and seminars;
h. Adopt policies of a continuing nature in the form of standing
orders;
g. i. Approve Association sponsorship of meetings
and training conferences for legislators and their staff;
h. j. Discuss and review the goals and programs
of the Association and recommend changes as needed, which will be
brought before the membership;
i. k. Discuss and review all standing committee
reports so as to be current on NALIT activity; and
j. l. Resolve questions of membership qualifications.
3. Meetings: The Executive Committee shall hold its meetings upon
the call of the Chair at such time and place as they shall agree upon,
and, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, the meeting may be held
by means of teleconferencing.
4. Notice: Notice of all Executive Committee meetings including
teleconferencing shall be sent by e-mail by the NCSL staff contact,
if possible, at least 30 10 days in advance
of the meeting.
5. Presiding Officer: The Chair shall preside at all meetings
of the Executive Committee.
Article 6: Officers
1. Names and Qualifications: The officers shall consist of
a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and any other officers as may be needed.
Each officer shall be a general member of the Association.
2. Chair: The Chair has the following duties:
a. Prepare the agenda for the annual meeting and special meetings;
b. Preside at all meetings of the Association, including meetings of
the Executive Committee;
c. Exercise general control over the Association's affairs;
d. Represent the Association on the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating
Committee during the term of office;
e. Submit to the NCSL Vice-President recommendations for appointments
to each of the NCSL committees, subcommittees, task forces, etc., involved
in activities related to the purpose of this Association;
f. Work with the NCSL staff contact in planning the Association programs
and activities for the NCSL annual meeting;
g. Accept financial donations and pledges upon approval of
the Executive Committee and NCSL;
g. h. Execute contracts Administer
agreements, as necessary, to the business of the Association after
approval by the Executive Committee;
h. i. Call a special meeting of the Association
after being requested by the Executive Committee;
i. j. Perform such other duties assigned to
the Chair as set forth in the By-Laws of this Association or as requested
by the NCSL Executive Committee; and
j. k. Appoint Association Standing Committees
and delegate responsibilities to other Association members in order to
carry out the duties of the Chair listed here and any other place in the
By-Laws.
3. Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair has the following duties:
a. Preside at all meetings of the Association in absence of the Chair;
and
b. Represent the Association on the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee
during the term of office; and
c. Record the written standing orders of the Association; and
c. d. Such other duties as may be assigned
by the Chair.
4. Secretary: The Secretary has the following duties:
a. Record minutes of all membership meetings;
b. Coordinate, with the NCSL staff contact, activities providing for
information on membership on a timely basis such as lists and directories;
c. Deposit a copy of the minutes of all meetings with the NCSL staff
contact who shall distribute a copy of these minutes to all of the members
of this Association within thirty days of the meeting;
d. Preside at all meetings of the Association in absence of the Chair
and the Vice-Chair; and
e. Solicit articles and items of interest to the membership of the Association
and NCSL; and
f. Work with the NCSL staff contact in publishing and distributing the
Association Newsletter at least twice annually; and
g. Such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair.
Article 7: Nomination, Election and Terms of Officers
1. Nominating Committee: Prior to each annual meeting of the
Association, the Chair shall appoint from the general membership of the
Association a nominating committee consisting of three members and designate
one of the three members as the Chairperson Chair of
the committee.
2. Duties of Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall
compile a slate of nominees for the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary.
3. Election. This slate shall be submitted by the Chairperson
Chair of the Nominating Committee for a vote of the general and
legislative members of the Association at the annual meeting. Nominees
shall be elected by a simple majority of the general members of the Association
present and voting.
4. Terms of Office Officers: The terms
of office officers of the Association shall commence
at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected and shall
continue through the next ensuing annual meeting.
Article 8: Directors
1. Number and Term of Office: There shall be six Directors
and each Director shall serve a two-year term of office. Three directors
shall be appointed each even-numbered year and three directors each odd-numbered
year.
2. Position Number: All Directors have position numbers
to which they are appointed. Directors 1, 3, and 5 shall
be appointed on odd-numbered years, and Directors 2, 4, and 6 shall be
appointed on even-numbered years.
3. 2. Appointment: The Chair for the
ensuing year shall appoint the new Directors to open positions within thirty
days of the close of the annual meeting.
4. 3. Terms of Office: The terms of office
of the Directors shall commence at the close of the annual meeting at which
they are appointed and shall continue two years until the annual meeting.
5. 4. Vacancy: In the event of death,
disability or resignation of a Director, the Chair shall appoint a new
Director to fulfill serve the remainder of the
term of the former Director.
6. 5. Notice of Appointment: Within thirty
days of the close of the NCSL annual meeting, the NCSL staff contact shall
make known to the Association membership the new appointments of Directors.
7. 6. Duties: Each Director has the following
duties:
a. Maintain communications and coordinate Association activities with
states to which they may have been assigned by the Chair;
b. Attend Executive Committee meetings; and
c. Perform other duties as assigned.
Article 9: Vacancies: Officers
1. Chair: In the event of the death, disability
or resignation of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall also serve as the Chair
until the election of a new Chair. In the event of the absence of
the Chair at a meeting, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the
Chair at the meeting.
2. Vice-Chair: In the event of the death, disability or resignation
of the Vice-Chair, the Secretary shall also serve as the Vice-Chair
until the election of a new Vice-Chair. In the event of the absence of
both the Chair and the Vice-Chair at a meeting, the Secretary shall perform
the duties of the Chair at the meeting.
3. Secretary: In the event of the death, disability or resignation
of the Secretary, the Chair shall appoint a new Secretary to fulfill
serve the remainder of the term of the former Secretary.
4. All Officers: In the event of the death, disability or resignation
of all three elected officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary), the NCSL
staff contact shall call a meeting of the existing Directors within thirty
days, and they the existing Directors shall elect
by a majority vote a new Chair, a new Vice-Chair, and a new Secretary
to serve until the election of their successors at the next annual meeting.
Article 10: Standing Orders
1. Purpose: Document the policies, procedures, activities,
or decisions of the Executive Committee.
2. Record of Standing Orders: Standing orders shall be recorded
by a majority vote of the Executive Committee as an addendum to
the By-Laws until repeal or expiration.
3. Expiration Dates: Standing orders shall remain in effect
until amended or repealed by the action of the same or a succeeding
Executive Committee.
4. Permanent Standing Orders: Permanent activities of the
Association that shall be maintained in the standing orders include, but
are not limited to:
a. NALIT Legislative Staff Achievement Awards: Provides
for the selection of annual Legislative Staff Achievement Award Winners.
b. Professional Development Seminar Fund: Provides for monitoring
of and reporting on the Professional Development Seminar Fund which NCSL
has granted to NALIT.
c. NALIT Website: Provides for the development of NALIT website
guidelines and responsibility for maintaining the NALIT website under those
guidelines.
d. Appointment of Standing Committees: Provides for the procedures
to appoint standing committees when necessary.
Article 10 11: Amendment of By-Laws
1. Vote: The By-Laws of the Association may be amended by a
majority vote of the general and legislative members present at any meeting
of the Association.
2. Copy of By-Laws Available: Typewritten copies of any proposed
By-Laws change shall be made available to
all members present, at the next business meeting of the Association, before
a vote on such a proposed change is taken.
Originally adopted 11/12/92; amended 7/20/95; amended 10/12/00;
proposed amendments to be considered 7/26/03.
|
