HOD Resolutions
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Guidelines
for Developing and Submitting Resolutions
to the AAPA
House of Delegates
Topics
·
What are resolutions and who can submit them?
·
What is the proper format for resolutions?
·
When and to whom do I send resolutions?
·
Is the procedure different for bylaws amendments?
·
What happens after a resolution is submitted?
·
Other types of resolutions
·
Helpful hints
What
are resolutions and who can submit them?
What
Are Resolutions?
Resolutions
are defined in the House of Delegates Standing Rules as "expressions
of philosophy or policy governing the Academy." Resolutions
can propose new policy, or they can amend or rescind existing policy.
Although there are several levels of policy, only the following categories
are appropriately decided by the House:
Major Policy: Fundamental issues of mission, typically involving
questions of Academy direction, values, priorities, and philosophies/principles
that guide other decisions. The House of Delegates determines
major policy.
Secondary Policy: These policies, necessary to the overall mission,
entail philosophical decisions that may affect allocation of Academy
resources by the Board of Directors. They often involve activities
and relationships among the Board, House of Delegates, councils, committees,
constituent chapters, and staff departments. The House of Delegates
determines secondary policy.
Supporting Policy: These policies determine how the organization
will deal with issues that support mission-related activities.
They often deal with special projects, special interest groups or caucuses.
The Board of Directors and/or House of Delegates determines supporting
policies.
Resolutions
that do not address policy/philosophical issues of the Academy, or resolutions
that address areas not appropriate to the House of Delegates, will be
ruled out of order and unacceptable unless they can be rewritten as
appropriate policy statements. (See the section on Helpful Hints
for more information on this topic below.)
Who
Can Submit Resolutions?
Resolutions,
except resolutions which propose bylaws amendments, may be submitted
for consideration to the House of Delegates by constituent chapters,
officially recognized specialty PA organizations, the Student Academy,
the Caucus Congress, the Association of Physician Assistant Programs,
standing committees, councils, House ad hoc committees, the Board of
Directors, and Academy and House officers. The official minutes
of constituent chapters, specialty organizations, the Student Academy,
the Caucus Congress, committees, councils, and the Board of Directors
should record the vote on each resolution submitted for consideration
by the House.
What
is the proper format for resolutions?
Title
The
title of the resolution should be as descriptive as possible.
The title "Resolution" is not acceptable. If the resolution
deals with amending or rescinding existing policy, the title should
correspond to the section of the AAPA Policy Manual it addresses.
Example: for a resolution to amend the hardship member category
in section H-A-300.2.0 (membership/member services), the title should
read:
Membership/Membership
Services -- Amending Hardship Category
Policy
Manual Reference H-A-300.2.0
For
bylaws amendment resolutions, the title should include the article and
section numbers of the relevant bylaws policy. Example:
Amendment
to Bylaws, Article III, Section 5: Classes of Membership --
Amending
Definition of Affiliate Membership."
Content
The
first section of the resolution after the title should be the Resolved
portion. This is the part that defines the action that you want
the House of Delegates to take. It should read, "Resolved,
...(requested action, i.e., amend, adopt, rescind, etc.)."
The Resolved portion is incorporated word for word into the AAPA Policy
Manual, so it should be as complete as possible -- it should be able
to stand on its own as a policy statement. The Resolved portion
is not restricted to one sentence, paragraph, or thought. In other
words, you can have the words "...and further resolved..."
and define additional action you wish taken, as long as it is related
to the original intent. However, multiple resolved portions may
end up in different parts of the Policy Manual.
Your
argument in support of your requested action, i.e., the justification
for taking such an action follows the resolved portion. For completeness,
you may want to also include the possible negative implications of this
action as well. If your resolution has any financial or resource
impact, you are urged to include this information as well. Financial
information can be obtained from Bob Johnston, AAPA's Vice President
of Finance and Administration, at the national office. If your
resolution has significant financial impact and you do not note this
in your submitted resolution, it may be added for you by the House Officers.
Amending
or Rescinding
A
Resolved portion to amend or rescind existing policy must refer to the
AAPA Policy by number. The current policy must be written out
in its entirety, and appropriate notated by striking through (striking
through) the language to be deleted and capitalizing (capitalizing)
the proposed addition. If an entire article or section is proposed,
the original article or section must be stated, then struck, and the
proposed article or section inserted directly following it (CAPITALIZED).
Affect
on Other Policy
Review
the current AAPA Policy Manual to ensure that no other policy changes
are necessitated by the proposed resolution. If current policy
needs to be amended or rescinded because of the proposed resolution,
include those proposals along with the original resolution. An
example would be that if you propose to change policy to remove a standing
committee, you should also propose to rescind all policy dealing with
that committee's charges.
Letterhead
Resolutions
submitted by a constituent chapter or specialty PA organization must
be on letterhead stationery, dated and signed by the secretary.
Resolutions submitted by the Student Academy, committees, councils,
the Board of Directors, and House officers, must be on Academy stationery,
dated and signed by the student secretary, the committee or council
chairman, the AAPA secretary, or the House Secretary. Resolutions
submitted by the Caucus Congress must be signed by the Caucus Congress
delegate.
When
and to whom do I send resolutions?
Resolutions
should be sent to the attention of Susan Hoefling, staff advisor, House
of Delegates, c/o the AAPA national office. Resolutions must be
received 60 days prior to the convening of the House (for the 2007 House
of Delegates meeting, no later
than March 26, 2007). You are encouraged to submit your resolutions
as early as possible. This allows the House Officers ample time
to review your resolution(s) for accuracy in format and content, and
also gives them an opportunity to publicize your resolution(s) to the
general membership via the AAPA News and to the delegates via Delegate News.
Is
the procedure different for bylaws amendments?
The
same format is used for bylaws amendment resolutions and non-bylaws
resolutions. Bylaws resolutions must be submitted ninety (90)
days in advance of the House meeting (in 2007,
no later than February 26, 2007).
The
Academy Bylaws have several sections dealing specifically with bylaws
resolutions:
Article
XIX
Section
2: A proposal for the amendment or repeal of Bylaws or adoption
of new Bylaws to be submitted by the House of Delegates shall be initiated
by (a) the Board of Directors, (b) any standing committee, council or
congress, (c) any constituent chapter, (d) officially recognized specialty
physician assistant organization, (e) the Student Academy, (f) the Association
of Physician Assistant Programs, or (g) the collective House officers.
Section
3: Proposed amendments shall be in such form as the
Judicial Affairs Committee may from time to time prescribe and each
amendment shall be filed with that Committee at least three (3) months
prior to the annual meeting of the House of Delegates. The Judicial
Affairs Committee shall be exempt from the three (3) month filing requirement.
Section
4: The Judicial Affairs Committee shall present each proposal
to members substantially in the form presented to the committee with
such technical changes and conforming amendments to the proposal or
existing bylaws as the committee shall deem necessary or desirable.
The proposed amendment shall be printed and distributed to each member
of the House of Delegates at least 30 days prior to the annual House
meeting.
Section
5: Amendments conforming to the above four (4)
sections will require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members present
and voting of the House of Delegates.
Section
6: By an 80% vote of all members present and voting of the House
of Delegates, a proposal to amend the Bylaws may be made and acted upon
at the same meeting without prior notice. An 80% vote of the members
present and voting of the House of Delegates shall likewise be required
for adoption of such amendments.
The
Judicial Affairs Committee's role (section 4 above) is to evaluate the
need for bylaws amendments using these criteria:
·
Does the amendment define the structure of an organization rather than
define the beliefs and philosophy (which is policy)?
·
Does the proposed amendment must conform to the AAPA Articles of Incorporation,
Constitution and Bylaws?
What
happens after a resolution is submitted?
Resolutions
Submitted on Time
Resolutions
submitted by the deadline are published in the House of Delegates Handbook,
which is mailed 30 days prior to the House meeting. Each resolution
is pre-assigned to a reference committee for hearing. Resolution
sponsors are informed of the number of their resolution, to which reference
committee it has been assigned, and the date and time of the reference
committee hearing which will handle the resolution.
Late
Resolutions
Resolutions
not received in the national office by the deadline date must
be presented in person to the Speaker of the House by the opening day
of the House meeting no later than 8:00 a.m. Late resolutions
must be submitted in sufficient quantity for all members of the House
and reference committee members (300 copies on 3-hole paper).
A Resolutions Review Committee consisting of the reference committee
chair and at least one House Officer reviews each proposed late resolution.
This review will consider the importance and timeliness necessitating
a late resolution. The late resolution shall be proposed from
the House floor in the opening session under items of "New Business."
A delegate of the submitting chapter reads only the resolved portion
of the resolution. The Resolutions Review Committee then reports
to the House whether it believes each late resolution should be accepted
for consideration or not. If the House has no objections, the
late resolution is referred to the appropriate reference committee.
If objection is expressed, a two-thirds vote of the delegates present
and voting is necessary for action of the resolution to proceed.
Resolutions
contained within the annual reports of officers of the academy received
after the deadline will be accepted for consideration by the house without
the review process and vote outlined above.
Emergency
Resolutions
Resolutions
not published in the House handbook, nor submitted by 8:00 a.m. on the
opening day of the House may be proposed during "Additional New
Business" on the closing day of the House meeting. Emergency
resolutions require an 80% vote of the delegates present and voting
for consideration. This method is strongly discouraged because
it circumvents the hearings process, and votes are cast with inadequate
data.
Action
at the House Meeting
At
the reference committee hearing, testimony is heard on each individual
resolution. Any Academy member may present testimony. Resolution
sponsors are encouraged to be present to give testimony and answer questions.
The reference committees are charged to research, prior to the House
meeting, any previous actions or documents, and if necessary, call the
authors of the resolution for clarification. At the actual hearing,
the reference committee members may call upon any AAPA member or staff
to testify as needed on an issue. The reference committees are
further charged to make the wisest recommendation(s) based upon the
quality of the arguments rather than on the quantity of the pro
or con testimony. This focus enables the House reference committees
to serve as knowledgeable bodies that enhance policy rather than a mirror
reflecting testimony simply by regurgitating opinions expressed at the
hearing.
At
the completion of the reference committee hearings, the committee prepares
its report. When the entire House reconvenes, the reference committees
present their reports to the House. After hearing the reference
committee recommendation, the House votes to adopt, amend, reject or
refer each resolution. Additional new debate on each resolution
may occur on the floor of the House, although this procedure is discouraged.
After
the House Meeting
Resolutions
adopted by the House of Delegates become Academy policy, and are incorporated
into the AAPA Policy Manual, which is updated after each House of Delegates
meeting. Resolutions, which are referred are reported on by the
group to which it was referred, either during the year in the group's
reports, or at the next House of Delegates meeting, or both. When
the group has a recommendation to adopt, amend, or reject the referred
resolution, it brings the resolution before the House once more for
disposition.
Other
Types of Resolutions
AAPA
Policy H-SR-400.7.1 states, "Resolutions may
further be defined as expressions of congratulations, commendation,
or condolence".
This
type of resolution is very easy to write. It fits into the old
style of presentation: the "whereas and resolved" format.
When it is proposed that some person or group of persons be commended
for actions helpful to the profession, there are specifics that can
be included in the "whereas" sections. The "whereas" statements
lead directly to the "resolved" portions. The "resolved" paragraph(s)
might ask for a specific action on the part of the House of Delegates,
such as a letter or a copy of the resolution to be sent to the parties
involved.
This
same format may be used for resolutions of condolence in remembering
fellow PAs or others who have influenced our profession who have passed
away during the year.
A
sample of this type of resolution is attached.
Helpful
Hints (or, Common Pitfalls)
Keep
these hints in mind while developing your resolution:
·
Resolutions (other than resolutions of commendation or condolence) are
statements of philosophy.
They should stress what the House of Delegates believes,
rather than suggesting action that should be taken. In other words,
the House determines the goal, but does not specify the best course
of action to achieve that goal.
·
Think in terms of the profession, rather than the Academy.
In other words, you should say that "Physician Assistants
should encourage citizens to wear seat belts," rather
than "the Academy should encourage citizens to wear seat belts."
·
Remember, each suggested policy statement should be able to stand on
its own.
·
The House of Delegates does not make fiscal decisions -- the Board of Directors do.
·
The House of Delegates may recommend that the Board of Directors take a specific action, but
it cannot mandate that the
Board do so.
If
you have any questions about your resolution, contact any of the House
Officers, or the staff advisor, Susan Hoefling for guidance. They
will be more than happy to help you.
Sample
Resolution Format
[on
appropriate letterhead]
| Outline |
Sample Language |
| Title
|
Constituent
Chapters, Guidelines for Ethical Conduct |
| A
brief, descriptive title of the resolution |
|
| Resolved
|
Resolved
|
| This
is the portion of the resolution that will be printed in the appropriate
section(s) of the AAPA policy manual, if adopted by the House
of Delegates. |
The
AAPA believes that constituent chapters should adopt a Guidelines
for Ethical Conduct. In an effort to maintain one standard
of ethical behavior for the profession, constituent chapters are
strongly encouraged to utilize AAPA policy H-P-800.2.1,
the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct. |
| Rationale/Justification
|
Rationale/Justification
|
| This
section replaces the old "whereas" portion of the resolution.
This is the appropriate place for:
·
the history of the issue
·
arguments in favor/support
of the position
·
expected positive results/outcome
·
benefit to the profession
|
The
Academy's Guideline for Ethical Conduct is accepted as the standard
of ethical behavior of the PA profession. The Judicial Affairs
Committee believes that all constituent chapters should have procedures
to deal with ethical violations, but they must first have a guideline
for ethics as a standard of professional conduct. Some constituent
chapters have formulated their own code of ethics, but many have
not.
|
| Possible
Negative Implications |
Possible
Negative Implications |
| This
is the place for a discussion of:
·
arguments in opposition
·
conflicts with existing
policy
·
possible negative outcomes
·
conflicts with other groups/organizations,
etc. |
Some
constituent chapters may be resistant to developing procedures
to deal with ethics violations. Also, chapters with established
codes of ethics different from the AAPA's Guidelines for Ethical
Conduct may not want to change. |
| Financial
Impact |
Financial
Impact |
| Cost
to the Academy, if any. This would include both obvious
costs (i.e., travel expenses for a new committee), and not-so-obvious
costs (impact on other resources, i.e., staff). |
None |
| Signature
|
Signature:
[John
Doe] |
| Position
Held |
Position
Held
Chairman,
2006-07 Judicial Affairs Committee |
Sample Resolution
of Condolence
(on
appropriate letterhead)
Memorial
Resolution of Condolence - John C. Doe, PA-C
Whereas,
the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants suffered a great loss with
the death of John C. Doe, PA-C, in October of 2006, and
Whereas,
John Doe exemplified the role of physician assistant to his patients
and peers, and
Whereas,
John Doe was devoted to the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants,
serving as chairman of its Legislative Committee from 1996-99, and as
vice president in 2003-05, and
Whereas,
the kindness and compassion of this gentle man made a difference in
the lives of those he encountered during his lifetime of dedication,
be it therefore
Resolved,
that the House of Delegates of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
recognize John C. Doe's many contributions to his profession and his
community, and be it further
Resolved,
that a copy of this resolution be provided to his wife, Mary, and his
family with deepest sympathy from the members of the American Academy
of Physician Assistants.
