Bylaws
Article One
Name - The name of the organization is the Leadership Staff Professional Association (LSPA) of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
Membership - The general membership will consist of legislative staff of the 50 states and the insular possessions and territories of the United States of America who wish to develop leadership skills, including but not limited to persons designated as leadership staff by legislative leaders, legislative office chiefs of staff and managers, personal staff to legislators, and staff to legislative committees. A person's eligibility for membership or tenure on the Executive Committee shall cease upon separation of employment with the legislature. Any other person may be granted membership upon approval by majority vote of the the Executive Committee.
There shall be no dues or membership fees.
Purpose - The purposes of LSPA are: to provide a national forum for recognition of the contributions of staff to the legislative process; to provide a forum for legislative staff to develop leadership skills that increase effectiveness and professionalism of legislative staff; to provide support for legislative staff in leadership roles and prepare legislative staff for leadership roles; to offer a forum for discussion of how legislative staff can better serve legislators, the legislature, and the public; and to enhance communications among legislative staff members of the 50 states and the insular possessions and the territories.
Article Two
Meeting of Members - The Annual Business Meeting shall be held at such time and place normally to coincide with the Annual Professional Development Seminar. Adequate notice of the Annual Business Meeting shall be provided to the general membership at least thirty days prior to the Annual Professional Development Seminar.
Article Three
Executive Committee - The Executive Committee shall be composed of up to 13 members: a Chair; a First Vice-Chair; a Second Vice-Chair; up to nine Directors, elected by the membership at the preceding Annual Business Meeting; and the Immediate Past Chair. The Officers of the Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Chair, the First Vice-Chair, the Second Vice- Chair, and the Immediate Past Chair. All former Executive Committee members who are employed by the legislature shall be designated as non-voting ex-officio members. Any NCSL staff officer or past NCSL staff officer, or present staff member of the NCSL Executive Committee shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee if they so desire.
The Chair shall preside over meetings of the Executive Committee and the membership and be responsible for the general management and control of the business and affairs of LSPA. The Chair is an ex-officio member of all standing committees. The First Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair. The Second Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair and the First Vice-Chair. The NCSL staff member assigned to LSPA shall provide administrative assistance.
Meetings/Quorum of the Executive Committee - The Executive Committee shall meet 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. A vacant position on the Executive Committee shall not be included in the determination of a quorum for the purposes of transaction of business.
Powers and Duties - The Executive Committee shall have the power to select a site for the Annual Professional Development Seminar, prepare the agenda for the Annual Professional Development 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 Business Meeting, the Chair shall appoint from the general membership a nominating committee of five members, one of whom shall be the Immediate Past Chair, 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. If any member of the nominating committee is unable or unavailable to serve in this role, the Chair shall appoint a replacement 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 up to nine Directors.
No later than 90 calendar days prior to each Annual Business Meeting, the nominating committee shall distribute to the general membership 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 and contact information of the chair for the nominating committee. 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 Business Meeting provided 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 shall commence at the close of the Annual Business Meeting at which they are elected and end at the close of the next Annual Business Meeting at which their successors
are elected or they are elected to a subsequent term. No Director may serve more than three consecutive terms as a Director. An Executive Committee member may serve as an Officer immediately following the completion of a term or terms as a Director but may not serve as a Director immediately following the completion of a term or terms as an Officer. Upon completion of service on the Executive Committee, a non-voting ex-officio member must wait one year before being eligible to serve on the Executive Committee, except that they may serve additional consecutive terms if there is a vacancy on the Executive Committee that is unable to be filled from the general membership.
Article Five
Vacancies - In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the First Vice-Chair shall assume the office and responsibilities and serve as Chair for the balance of the term. Filling the balance of the term of Chair does not preclude eligibility to be nominated for a full term as Chair.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of First Vice-Chair, the Second Vice-Chair shall assume the office and responsibilities and serve as First Vice-Chair for the balance of the term. Should the Second Vice-Chair be unwilling or unable to fulfill the office and responsibilities of First Vice- Chair, the Chair shall submit to the remaining members of the Executive Committee a name for nomination to assume the office and responsibilities and serve as First Vice-Chair for the balance of the term. The nomination shall be approved by a majority vote of the voting members of the Executive Committee at a special meeting to be called by the Chair. Should the nomination of the Chair not be approved, he or she shall make a second and any subsequent nominations until the Executive Committee approves the nomination with a majority vote.
Filling the balance of the term of First Vice-Chair does not preclude eligibility to be nominated for a full term as First Vice-Chair.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Second Vice-Chair, the Chair shall submit to the remaining members of the Executive Committee a name for nomination to assume the office and responsibilities and serve as Second Vice-Chair for the balance of the term. The nomination shall be approved by majority vote of the voting members of the Executive Committee at a special meeting to be called by the Chair. Should the nomination of the Chair not be approved, he or she shall make a second and any subsequent nominations until the Executive Committee approves the nomination with a majority vote. Filling the balance of the term of Second Vice-Chair does not preclude eligibility to be nominated for a full term as Second Vice-Chair.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Immediate Past Chair, the Chair shall submit to the remaining members of the Executive Committee the name of a former Chair for nomination to assume the office and responsibilities and serve as Immediate Past Chair for the balance of the term. The nomination shall be approved by majority vote of the voting members of the Executive Committee at a special meeting to be called by the Chair. Should the nomination of the Chair not be approved, he or she shall make a second and any subsequent nominations until the Executive Committee approves the nomination with a majority vote.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of a Director on the Executive Committee, the Chair may submit to the remaining members of the Executive Committee a name for nomination to assume the office and responsibilities and serve as Director for the balance of the term. The nomination shall be approved by majority vote of the voting members of the Executive Committee at a
special meeting to be called by the Chair. Should the nomination of the Chair not be approved, he or she shall make a second and any subsequent nominations until the Executive Committee approves the nomination with a majority vote. If the Chair is unable to submit a name for nomination from the general membership, the Chair may submit the name of a former Executive Committee Member, regardless of whether they are otherwise required to wait a year before being eligible to serve on the Executive Committee. Filling the balance of the term of Director does not preclude eligibility to be nominated for three consecutive full terms as Director.
Article Six
Amendments of Bylaws - These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the member states, insular possessions, and territories present at any Annual Business Meeting. Proposed amendments shall be available in writing and distributed to all members present at the Annual Business Meeting.
Article Seven
The Leadership Staff Professional Association is part of the legislative staff division of the National Conference of State Legislatures. All matters not covered by these Bylaws or the Bylaws of NCSL shall be governed by Masons Manual of Legislative Procedure.
History
- Amended September 1997, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Amended October 2001, Overland Park, Kansas
- Amended October 2004, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Amended September 2007, Anchorage, Alaska
- Amended September 2010, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Amended October 2012, Madison, Wisconsin
- Amended September 2014, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Amended August 2017, Boston, Massachusetts
- Amended August 2019, Nashville, Tennessee