Amendments to Bylaws Committee?

[Patriot]

Does Roberts Rules of Order cover how amendments to the bylaws should be handled? Here is the scenario - our organization has conventions, and amendments are submitted by the various units. Typically, those are typed by the secretary and all presented on the floor. However, for the first time in known history, the amendments are being sent to the "Rules" committee, which in our bylaws is a committee for convention rules, and that has been what that committee has always handled. Do we have a rule in Roberts that explains the proper process for this? I thought I read it at one time in Section 59, but just can't find it.

[Joshua Katz]

The rule in RONR covers how to pass amendments, but does not prescribe that they pass through any particular committee. You say it's always been handled one way and now another, but what do the bylaws say about their amendment? If nothing, then the organization has no right to restrict the ability to present an amendment on the floor.

[Richard Brown]

Agreeing with Mr. Katz, the method of amending your bylaws should be described in the bylaws themselves. In the rare event it is not covered, RONR does indeed have default provisions for how to amend the bylaws if your own rules are silent. Essentially it requires previous notice of the proposed amendment and a 2/3 vote. It is covered in section 57 of RONR (12th edition) and consists of eight pages.

[Josh Martin]

On 4/20/2024 at 3:14 PM, Patriot said:

Does Roberts Rules of Order cover how amendments to the bylaws should be handled?

Yes. The procedures for amendments to the bylaws are discussed in great detail in RONR (12th ed.) Section 57.

On 4/20/2024 at 3:14 PM, Patriot said:

Here is the scenario - our organization has conventions, and amendments are submitted by the various units. Typically, those are typed by the secretary and all presented on the floor. However, for the first time in known history, the amendments are being sent to the "Rules" committee, which in our bylaws is a committee for convention rules, and that has been what that committee has always handled.

Well, for starters, why are these amendments being sent to the Rules Committee to begin with, if this has never been done before? Were the organization's rules recently amended to provide for this? Did someone recently uncover a statement in the rules that these amendments are supposed to be sent to that committee, that had previously been ignored?

On 4/20/2024 at 3:14 PM, Patriot said:

Do we have a rule in Roberts that explains the proper process for this? I thought I read it at one time in Section 59, but just can't find it.

The process for amending the bylaws generally is discussed in RONR (12th ed.) Section 57.

RONR does not discuss how a "Bylaws Committee" would work for a convention, but generally I am inclined to think it would function in a manner comparable to a Resolutions Committee, the duties of which are discussed in 59:67-83, although some of what is said there will not be applicable, and there also other considerations such a committee will need to take into account. In the long run, your organization may wish to adopts its own rules on this matter, if this is the intended process for handling amendments to the bylaws in the future.

There is, of course, the threshold question of whether this committee is supposed to be considering these amendments to begin with, and the fact that this is being done this way "for the first time" certainly makes me skeptical on that point.

Edited April 21, 2024 at 02:49 PM by Josh Martin

[Patriot]

Thank you all! I was able to find a clear explanation of how it is to be handled - ie, it is not to be sent to a committee, but directly to the floor of the convention, in our bylaws. I will be emphasizing this with our organization.