Standing Committees

[Guest SGW]

Thanks in advance for your responses:

1) Can the Chair instruct a standing committee to review a subject and make recommendations on her own initiative, or should this come from the assembly?

2) Can a standing committee choose to review a subject and make recommendations on its own initiative (if the subject falls under its charge in the Bylaws) or should this come from the assembly? If it can do so:

a) does the committee need to vote to review the topic, or can the committee chair decide?

b) should the committee prioritize items that have actually been referred to it from the assembly over items that it takes up on its own initiative (if the assembly has set no deadline for the items it has referred)?

3) If a standing committee has been asked to make recommendations on a subject on which no motion or resolution was pending and the committee recommends that no action be taken, does the committee need to provide an explanation to the assembly for why it has made that decision?

[Josh Martin]

27 minutes ago, Guest SGW said:

1) Can the Chair instruct a standing committee to review a subject and make recommendations on her own initiative, or should this come from the assembly?

The latter. The assembly’s chairman does not have the power to instruct committees, unless the organization’s rules do provide.

27 minutes ago, Guest SGW said:

2) Can a standing committee choose to review a subject and make recommendations on its own initiative (if the subject falls under its charge in the Bylaws) or should this come from the assembly?

The former. A committee may choose to review a subject and make recommendations on its own initiative.

30 minutes ago, Guest SGW said:

a) does the committee need to vote to review the topic, or can the committee chair decide?

Any member of the committee, including the chairman, can bring up the topic. No vote is required.

31 minutes ago, Guest SGW said:

b) should the committee prioritize items that have actually been referred to it from the assembly over items that it takes up on its own initiative (if the assembly has set no deadline for the items it has referred)?

RONR has no specific rules on this matter. Personally, I think it is probably a good idea for the committee to prioritize items referred to it by the assembly, but this is not strictly required.

33 minutes ago, Guest SGW said:

3) If a standing committee has been asked to make recommendations on a subject on which no motion or resolution was pending and the committee recommends that no action be taken, does the committee need to provide an explanation to the assembly for why it has made that decision?

The committee is not required to provide an explanation, but it is generally a good idea to do so.

[Guest SGW]

Thanks very much!