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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	729
Proposal	Bylaws Amendment: Article III Committees
Presenter	Steering Committee
Floor Manager	Darryl Moch
Phase	Closed - Adopted
Discussion	10-21-2013 - 11-03-2013
Voting	11-04-2013 - 11-10-2013
Presens Quorum	Two Thirds of Active Accredited States/Caucuses
Consens Quorum	Two Thirds of Yes and No Votes

Background

This new proposal to overhaul Article III has been in process informally with BRPP (Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures) and includes new wording on the addition of members from states without state parties to committees.

GPUS receives regular inquiries from potential volunteers all over the country through our website. At the same time, many GPUS committees are understaffed, and thus limited in how well they can execute their missions. Expanding the pool for committees should result in bringing more dedicated members into the party, and in more productive committees.

Proposal

This proposal amends existing Article III Committees in the following ways

- Reformats the text into the Article/Section/Sub-section formatting the party has switched to since 2007.

- Integrates terminology regarding mission statements and committee rules from #392, which was passed by the NC in 2009 and established Article VI of the GPUS Rules and Procedures.

- Establishes that advisors and observers may come from states in which there is no accredited state Green Party, in order to increase the volunteer pool for committees

- Clarifies that no single person may serve as a committee member on the same committee on behalf of a state party and a caucus simultaneously.

- Establishes a term length of two years. Clarifies how committee appointments are to be communicated to the GPUS. Clarifies that state parties and caucuses can establish their own term limits, and retain the right to recall their own appointees. Clarifies that appointment process is expected to be fair, open and transparent.

- Clarifies that internal committee leadership elections shall be conducted by Instant Run-Off Voting and Ranked Choice Voting.

- So that some committee work may continue even when membership is very low, amends "No committee shall have fewer than five states represented" to "To be considered active for the purposes of submitting proposals to the National Committee, a committee must have members from at least five states"

- Eliminates the debate over whether current bylaws language allows National Committee members to 'self-appoint' themselves to committees, or whether appointment rests only with the state party or caucus, by deleting this text "Delegates to the NC shall automatically be eligible to serve on committees by virtue of their position" and replacing it with "Any member of an accredited state Green Party or caucus may be appointed by that state party or caucus to serve on a committee, whether they are a National Committee member or not."

- Establishes that the National Committee may establish recommended membership criteria and experience for any committee.

- Codifies into this Article about Committees, the proxy practice of no more than 2:1 that the National Committee has utilized for Annual National Meeting for many years, that the party already has codified in writing for the same practice in the GPUS Convention Rules http://www.gp.org/documents/convention-rules/index.shtml#05-06

- Eliminates text regarding representation on committees which has not been followed for many years: "when voting, vote by state with each state casting one vote. The NC or the SC may, in their reviews of the work of a committee, allow a committee to waive the one state, one vote rule and replace it with a one member, one vote standard." - and in its place, clarifies that each committee member has one vote, regardless of the appointing state or caucus, without any special vote to make it so.

- Addresses the situation where a committee may have had a Mission Statement approved, but not yet Committee Rules, clarifying that it can meet, but not elect officers nor sponsor proposals to the NC, until it has committee rules to do so

- Provides that committees can establish 'special rules as it deems advisable to govern the conduct of internal Committee business, including for the appointment of advisors and observers, which are not inconsistent with the Rules of the Committee or the Bylaws or Rules and Procedures of the GPUS; and must report all such adopted special rules to the Steering Committee and National Committee upon passage'

PROPOSAL

This proposal will replace the current "Article III: Committees" of the GPUS Bylaws.

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEES

Section 3-1 Authority

3-1.1 The National Committee shall establish standing committees in order to carry out its work and may create other kinds of committees according to need. The Steering Committee shall facilitate, coordinate and assist the activities of standing and ad-hoc committees as provided in 4-2.7.

3-1.2 To establish a new committee, a Mission Statement describing each committee’s general mission and duties and responsibilities must be approved by the National Committee by a two-thirds vote.

3-1.3 In conjunction with or after the establishment of a new committee, the National Committee shall approve Committee Rules, that will guide each committee's internal operations and decision-making. Until the adoption of such Rules a Committee may meet, but may not conduct internal committee elections nor make proposals to the National Committee.

Section 3-2 Membership

3-2.1 A Committee Member shall be entitled to participate in the decision making process of the Committee, including the discussion and vote on any question before the committee.

3-2.2 Each committee may have up to three members from each state Green Party and caucus, unless otherwise specified by the National Committee in a committee's Committee Rules. To be considered active for the purposes of submitting proposals to the National Committee, a committee must have members from at least five states.

3-2.3 The National Committee may establish recommended membership criteria and experience for any committee.

3-2.4 Any member of an accredited state Green Party or caucus may be appointed by that state party or caucus to serve on a committee, whether they are a National Committee member or not. National Committee members are strongly encouraged to seek appointment to serve on at least one GPUS committee.

3-2.5 No person may serve as a committee member as defined in 3-2.1 on behalf of a state party and a caucus simultaneously.

3-2.6 All committee members must be appointed according to written, democratically derived state party or caucus rules that provide for a fair, open and transparent appointment process.

3-2.7 Each committee appointment shall be communicated in writing, addressed to the Secretary of the party and to Co-Chairs of the relevant committee, either (a) by the Co-Chair or (b) such other officer of the National Committee delegation or governing committee of the party or caucus as may be responsible for that task, consistent with the rules of such Party or Caucus.

3-2.8 The length of term of committee membership shall be two years, effective once an appointment is reported to and acknowledged by the GPUS Secretary, with a grace period of two months. To serve an additional term, a committee member must be re-appointed according to the process in 3-2.6.

3-2.9 State parties and caucuses may establish term limits for their own appointments.

3-2.10 A state party or caucus may recall or remove a member, or otherwise terminate a committee appointment, if done according to democratically derived state party or caucus rules that provide for fair, open and transparent process.

Section 3-3 Co-Chairs

3-3.1 All committees shall have two co-chairs who serve staggered two-year terms, unless otherwise specified by the National Committee in the Committee Rules. Committees are urged to provide for gender balance and geographic diversity among the co-chairs and other officers serving the Committee.

Section 3-4 Internal Elections

3-4.1 All committees shall conduct internal elections by Instant Run-Off Voting and Ranked Choice Voting consistent with Article 7 of the GPUS Rules and Procedures, related to Preference Voting Rules for Steering Committee Elections.

Section 3-5 Advisors and Observers

3-5.1 Committees shall have the discretion to name advisors and observers, according to the process described in their Committee Rules, after thirty days notice to the Party with jurisdiction over the proposed Advisor's state of residence. Any member of an accredited state party may serve as a committee advisor or observer. Committee members shall consider objections made by the State Party to the appointment of such advisors and observers. Committees may also consider appointing individuals as advisors and observers from states in which there is not an accredited state party.

3-5.2 Advisers shall enjoy limited participation in committee deliberations as determined by the Committee Rules and/or as part of the conditions of their appointment. Observers may observe committee deliberations on its listserves, teleconferences and in-person meetings, but not participate in committee discussions unless requested by the committee.

3-5.3 The term of advisors and observers may be either one or two years at the discretion of the committee and there are no term limits. Terms are effective once an appointment is reported to the GPUS Secretary.

Section 3-6 Duties and Responsibilities

Each committee shall have the duty and responsibility to

3-6.1 Carry out its mission, duties and responsibilities as described in its Mission Statement and follow the procedures described in its Committee Rules.

3-6.2 Report to the National Committee at the Annual National Meeting, either orally, in writing or both, and at any other intervals as requested by the National Committee.

3-6.3 Participate in the periodic review of its Committee Rules, as conducted by the Committee on Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures.

3-6.4 Propose such amendments to its Committee Rules for approval by the National Committee as are necessary to fulfill its mission, duties and responsibilities.

3-6.5 Provide new committee members with training and orientation in its Committee Rules.

Section 3-7 Committee Rules

The Committee Rules adopted by the National Committee for each Committee shall establish and codify:

3-7.1 Procedures for internal decision-making, including the consideration of proposals, appointments, nominations and elections, by conference calls, email, web pages and/or in-person meetings;

3-7.2 The responsibilities of each Committee officer;

3-7.3 The process for establishing sub-committees, as necessary to the fulfillment of the Committee's mission;

3-7.4 Guidelines for member participation, with an emphasis on promoting participation in committee work and decision-making and protecting the ability of a Committee to raise quorum for the conduct of Committee business;

3-7.5 Procedures by which minority opinions on committee business that relate to the workings of the GPUS may be conveyed to the National Committee.

Section 3-8 Special Rules of a Committee

3-8.1 Each Committee shall have the discretion to adopt such special rules as it deems advisable to govern the conduct of internal Committee business, including for the appointment of advisors and observers, which are not inconsistent with the Rules of the Committee or the Bylaws or Rules and Procedures of the GPUS; and must report all such adopted special rules to the Steering Committee and National Committee upon passage

Resources

IMPLEMENTATION / TIMELINE / RESOURCES
Upon the passage of this proposal, the Outreach Committee will implement this system for new potential volunteers contacting GPUS. As time allows, the committee will also reach out to potential volunteers who contacted us over the past year.

References

http://www.gp.org/documents/bylaws.shtml#03

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