Bylaws of the Salt Lake Democratic Socialists of America
ARTICLE 1. Name.
The Salt Lake Democratic Socialists of America (also, “Salt Lake DSA”, “the Chapter”, or “the Local”) is a local chapter of the national organization, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA is a not-for-profit corporation.
ARTICLE 2. Purpose.
Salt Lake DSA seeks to facilitate the transition to a truly democratic and socialist society. We reject an economic order based on private profit, alienated labor, gross inequalities of wealth and power, racial and sexual discrimination, and violence that defends the status quo.
We envision a social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships. Our conception of socialism is profoundly democratic, rooted in the belief that human beings should be free to develop to their fullest potential and that individual liberties should be carefully safeguarded.
We are working to build a visible socialist presence within the broad democratic left and a strategy for achieving our vision. Our long term goal is to build a mass working class movement capable of making democratic socialism a reality in the United States.
ARTICLE 3. Membership.
Section 1. Membership.
Members of the Salt Lake DSA are individuals who are members in good standing of the National DSA who reside and/or work in the Salt Lake area within the boundaries of the Local. Individuals who have joined National DSA, but do not reside or work within the boundaries of the Local may send a written request for Local membership to the Coordinating Committee. Individuals who are already members or who become members of a different local DSA chapter may not also be members of this Local. It is the responsibility and right of members to approve policies and guidelines for the operation of the Local, elect the Local’s Coordinating Committee, elect delegates to national conventions, and make recommendations on issues, policies, activities, and ongoing efforts pursuant to local or national political goals. Anyone who is a law enforcement officer may not hold membership in the Chapter.
Section 2. Removal of Members.
Members can be suspended or expelled if:
- They are found to have harassed, abused, or otherwise acted violently against another member (including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, or sexual harassment, abuse, or violence);
- They are found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the organization;
- They consistently engage in undemocratic or disruptive behavior;
- They are found to be acting in a concerted manner in the DSA under the discipline or coordination of an outside organization.
Furthermore, members can be expelled if they are found to be a law enforcement officer. A law enforcement officer is considered to be an officer employed by a law enforcement agency such as a police department. This is not inclusive of civilian law enforcement employees who are employed outside of militarized police departments, such as land use code enforcement officers or parking enforcement employees.
In any of these cases, except when a grievance has been brought forth pursuant to Article XVI of these Bylaws, the Local may vote to expel the offending member from DSA. In order for such a finding to be made, another DSA member must formally proffer written charges against the member in question to the Coordinating Committee, which will set the date of a General Meeting for deliberations on the charges. The member in question must receive a copy of the written charges and notice of the meeting a minimum of one (1) week before that meeting takes place. Expulsion of a member requires a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the General Meeting. An expelled member may appeal to the National Political Committee of DSA.
Section 3. Voluntary Donations.
The Local may establish a pledge system of voluntary donations for its members. Payment of local donations is entirely voluntary and not a condition for membership in the chapter.
Section 4. Disavowal Removal.
In the event that a chapter member makes a clear and unambiguous public disavowal of the Salt Lake DSA, whether at a meeting, on social media, or through another venue, a member of the Coordinating Committee will notify such member in writing that the disavowal has been acknowledged, and that they will be removed from the membership list unless they respond within thirty (30) days of receipt of such notice, explicitly stating their intent to stay.
Section 5. Voting Membership Definition.
To be considered a “voting member” of the chapter eligible to cast votes in the chapter, a person must be a current member of the Salt Lake DSA and the National DSA, meeting any other requirements to be a member as defined elsewhere in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE 4. Local Meetings.
Section 1. Local Convention.
The Local will hold a minimum of one (1) Local Convention every year between May 1-15, coinciding with regular elections. All members of the Local will receive three (3) weeks written notice and an agenda of the Local Convention. The Local Convention may set official policy and may adopt an annual budget. In general, it is the highest legislative body of the Local.
No less than fifteen (15) days before a Local Convention, the Coordinating Committee must solicit bylaw amendment proposals from the general membership in writing.
Section 1A. Chapter Priority Campaigns
At the annual local convention (see Article 4, Section 1), DSSL members will decide upon the chapter’s priority campaigns for the following 12 months using a single transferable vote (STV) voting system on priority campaign resolutions introduced by members or the Coordinating Committee. The top priority campaigns will become the chapter’s priorities for the following 12 months after the annual local convention. All previous priority campaign resolutions expire at the annual local convention.
All priority campaign proposals must state the scope, objectives, estimated required time and resources, as well as reasons why the chapter should make this campaign a priority. The Coordinating Committee will provide a template for those wishing to submit priority campaign resolutions.
The maximum number of priority campaigns the chapter may take on at any time will not exceed two, unless at the time of the local convention, DSSL total membership exceeds 2,000 people, at which point the maximum number of annual chapter priorities is 3. In order for a campaign to be pursued the following requirements must be met:
- The top voted campaign must receive a minimum of 50% of the vote.
- The campaign with the second highest amount of votes must receive a minimum of 30% of the vote.
- In the event that a third campaign can be pursued the third campaign must receive a minimum of 10% of the vote.
The chapter will be notified no later than 45 days prior to the annual location convention that campaign resolutions are being accepted. Campaign resolutions must be submitted no later than 7 days prior to the annual local convention.
Section 2. General Meetings.
The Local will hold General Meetings or Local Conventions at least six (6) times annually, the time and place of which will be set in a schedule published and distributed by the Coordinating Committee. The General Meetings will set Local policy, establish priorities, and may include political education discussions.
The Coordinating Committee will write the agenda for General Meetings, requesting contributions from the membership.
Section 3. Special Sessions.
When an urgent and important matter requires deliberation outside the purview of regularly scheduled meetings, the Coordinating Committee or ten (10) individual members may call a Special Session of the Local on five (5) days notice.
Section 4. Expenditures.
Any member may propose the expenditure of chapter funds at a Local Convention, General Meeting, or Special Session. These expenditures will be authorized by majority vote. Any and all expenditures must have a corresponding receipt to be given to the chapter Treasurer(s) within fourteen (14) days of the transaction.
Section 5. Quorum.
A quorum of five (5) percent of the members is required for General Meetings or Special Sessions to transact business. A quorum of five (5) percent of the members, or 80% of the average attendance of the last two (2) Meetings, whichever is fewer, is required for a Local Convention, General Meeting or Special Session to transact business. Should a meeting fail to meet quorum in two (2) consecutive occasions, the Coordinating Committee is permitted to modify this formulation, subject to a majority vote of the members present at the next planned General Meeting.
ARTICLE 5. Coordinating Committee.
Section 1. Composition.
The Coordinating Committee consists of two (2) Co-Chairs, two (2) Co-Secretaries, (2) Co-Membership Coordinators, two (2) Co-Treasurers, one (1) Leftist Liaison to be elected by the membership to assist in the administration of the organization between General Meetings. One (1) Harassment Grievance Officer will be selected from the Coordinating Committee to carry out those duties along with their other position duties. From the Coordinating Committee three (3) officers over the age of 18 shall hold Principal positions on the Board of Trustees for this chapter in addition to their other position duties. The terms of Coordinating Committee Members will run no more than one (1) year, or until the next regular elections.
No more than four (4) of the Coordinating Committee Members elected shall identify as white cis males, unless an insufficient nominees available determination is made. Not all members of the Coordinating committee may identify as the same race or gender, unless an insufficient nominees available determination is made.
After an initial close of nominations, if there are not enough candidates that are eligible to run to meet the diversity requirements, the chapter will exhaust every and all methods currently being used for chapter communications including but not limited to: direct messaging all chapter members via Slack, emailing all members, texting all members, posting on social media and website, discussing at a general meeting, discussing in a coordinating committee meeting, holding a special session meeting about this topic) for chapter communications to alert, notify and educate all chapter members of the potential for an insufficient nominees available determination and provide a one (1) additional nominations period of equal length to the first nominations period before the election can be held.
If after all of these actions, there are still not enough candidates eligible to run to meet the requirements of the bylaws, a determination of insufficient nominees available must be voted on with a simple majority by CorCom in order for an election to proceed. At this point, the nominations committee will add a disclosure on the ballot that the candidate pool will most likely result in a coordinating committee that does not meet the diversity requirements stipulated in the bylaws.
If a determination of insufficient nominees available is made, the election will take place as stipulated by Article 11 Section 1. In addition, the Coordinating Committee shall begin the following process no later than sixty (60) days past the release of the election results and end the process no later than ninety (90) days past the release of the election results;
A1) pass a resolution to address lack of diversity. [Example from national]
A2) draft an actionable plan within or in addition to the resolution to shape chapter priorities dependent on building a diverse working class coalition
B1) draft a report to identify areas of growth, examine chapter culture and bias
C1) present the resolution to the chapter at the next General Meeting after the completion of the resolution.
C2)The portion of the general meeting designated for delivering the report excluding subsequent conversation shall be recorded and made available on the chapter’s communication channels.
Section 2. Duties.
The Coordinating Committee administers the affairs of the Local and oversees the implementation of the decisions of the General Meetings; it may also create policy between Local Conventions. The Coordinating Committee has the power to receive reports of any committee and advise thereon, to set agendas for General Meetings of the Local, to call Special Sessions of the Local, and to act on behalf of the Local on any matter that requires immediate and urgent action. The Coordinating Committee is the regular coordinating body of the Local, and thus subordinate to its Legislative bodies, the General Meeting and the Local Convention.
The Coordinating Committee will be responsible for managing program activities for the Local chapter, for proposing guidelines and policies that will subsequently be voted on by the membership, and for acting on the organization’s behalf between General Meetings.
The Coordinating Committee may also authorize expenditures of chapter funds by majority vote.
In addition to these duties Coordinating Committee officers are beholden to the Leadership Roles and Responsibilities Supplemental
Section 3. Meetings.
The meetings of the Coordinating Committee will be held at the call of the Co-Chairs at intervals determined by a prior Coordinating Committee meeting or the call of any three (3) members of the Coordinating Committee. All members of the Coordinating Committee must be given four (4) days oral or written notice of regular Coordinating Committee meetings, except in emergency circumstances when an urgent and important matter requires deliberation.
All meetings of the Coordinating Committee must be open to all Local members, unless the Coordinating Committee votes to temporarily enter into an executive session to discuss matters of security or private member information. Except in emergencies, the Coordinating Committee must designate an accessible physical meeting space for Coordinating Committee meetings, ensuring attendees can access remote conferencing by phone or internet.
Section 4: Electronic Decision-Making
The Coordinating Committee is authorized to adopt motions asynchronously via electronic means outside the context of a meeting when an urgent or an important matter requires a decision, provided that:
- The motion is put forward with the assent of two (2) Coordinating Committee Members;
- The motion can be adopted only by the assenting votes of a 2/3 majority of the entire Coordinating Committee;
- The motion authorizes an action on behalf of the Local only until it is discussed at the next Coordinating Committee meeting or thirty (30) days, whichever is sooner;
- The motion (whether adopted or not) will be entered into the minutes of the next Coordinating Committee Meeting, in a manner determined by the Secretary;
- The motion does not overturn or contradict existing policy;
- The motion does not involve disciplinary action against any chapter member.
Section 5. Quorum.
A quorum of a majority of the Coordinating Committee is required for the transaction of Coordinating Committee business.
Section 6. Absences
If an Officer or member of the Coordinating Committee misses three (3) meetings in a row or five (5) meetings in a three (3) month time period, with the exception of approved personal leave, their seat will be considered vacated and special elections will be held to fill the vacancy. The Coordinating Committee must notify the member in writing of the termination. Reinstatement of a terminated Coordinating Committee Member requires a written request for reinstatement and a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the General Meeting or the Coordinating Committee.
Section 7. Provisions for a Vacant Coordinating Committee.
Should five (5) or more Coordinating Committee positions become vacant at one time or permanently unable to convene, a new Local Convention and new elections must be held within thirty (30) days. The newly elected Coordinating Committee will begin its term immediately. Regular elections must be held between May 1-15 regardless of the timing of special elections.
If in the event that a new Local Convention cannot be held due to severe and extenuating circumstances such as prolonged emergency, prolonged inability to reach quorum for general meetings or voting, or severe lack of nominees, the Coordinating Committee may elect by unanimous vote to hold the new Local Convention no later than one hundred (120) days from the triggering incident. The new Local Convention will follow all requirements described in these bylaws.
Section 8. Provisions for an incomplete Coordinating Committee due to extenuating circumstances.
In the event that there are insufficient officers to fulfill the basic and necessary duties of the chapter and there are severe and extenuating circumstances described in Section 7, the Coordinating Committee may nominate Interim Officers to fill officer roles as needed. Nominations of Interim officers must be shared in writing with the chapter no earlier than fourteen (14) days before the public Coordinating Committee meeting where members will have an opportunity to speak with the nominee and voice their approval or dissent. The Coordinating Committee will then swear in the nominee with a two thirds (2/3rds) majority vote of the Coordinating Committee officers and the members in attendance of that meeting. The Interim officer will serve a term no longer than one hundred and twenty (120) days or until the next Local convention, whichever comes first.
ARTICLE 6. Officers.
Section 1. Officers and Terms.
The officers of the Local are members of the Coordinating committee and will be the two (2) Co-Chairs, two (2) Co-Secretaries, two (2) Co-Membership Coordinators, and a Treasurer. The term of office will be no longer than one (1) year, or until the next regular elections.
Section 2. Co-Chairs.
The Co-Chairs ensure functional operation of the Local and successful execution of the Local’s goals, policies, and priorities. They serve as liaisons between the Local and the National DSA. The Co-Chairs or their designees preside over meetings of the Local and meetings of the Coordinating Committee. They regularly update the membership on the activities of the Local, the Coordinating Committee, and the National DSA.
Section 3. Co-Secretaries.
The Co-Secretaries are responsible for taking minutes of meetings of the Local and meetings of the Coordinating Committee, as well as collecting minutes taken by other committees of the Local, and will make these available for the membership on a timely basis. The Co-Secretaries ensure that notice of upcoming meetings and other required announcements are disseminated to the membership in a timely manner.
The Co-Secretaries are the primary spokespeople for the Local, and they or their designees are responsible for responding to press inquiries. They coordinate the internal and external communications of the Local and assist committees in matters of internal and external communications. If an Administrative Committee is formed focused on internal & external communication, at least one of the Co-Secretaries will serve as chair.
Section 4. Co-Membership Coordinators.
The Co-Membership Coordinators are responsible for onboarding new members, conducting organizing trainings, membership renewals, and coordinating internal organizing activities of the Local. They are responsible for the keeping and maintenance of a current database of members of the Local. If an Administrative Committee is formed focusing on internal organizing and capacity building, at least one of the Co-Membership Coordinators will serve as chair.
Section 5. Treasurer.
The Treasurers are responsible for the funds and financial records of the Local. All funds collected by the Local are to be turned over to the Treasurers, who will deposit them in a bank account under the name of the Local. The Treasurers maintain and monitor all Local funds. When financial disbursements are made the Treasurers will be responsible for collecting and maintaining a record of all available receipts or documentation of transactions. The Treasurers will prepare and submit the annual required state and federal tax reports and Form 990 no later than April 15th of the year they hold office, or be responsible for choosing and corresponding with an outside tax preparer. The Treasurers will also prepare financial reports or be able to turn over financial records at the request of the Coordinating Committee.If an Administrative Committee is formed focusing on financial management, one of the Treasurers will serve as chair.
Section 6. Leftist Liaison
Leftist Liaison Coordinating Committee Officers are responsible for creating and maintaining professional relationships with other leftist organizations, or organizations that can be worked with toward common goals. The information gathered would be kept in a central and secure location for all CorCom officers to access. Leftist Liaison officers are to assist the Coordinating Committee with day-to-day tasks as needed. Leftist Liaison officers may hold the roles of HGO or Trustee in addition to these previously stated duties.
Section 7. Board of Trustees
The board of trustees for the Salt Lake Democratic Socialists of America shall be composed of any three Coordinating Committee Officers over the age of 18. The Board of Trustees will uphold their fiduciary duty to protect all of the organization’s assets and funds in trust. The Board of Trustees will be added to the chapter financial accounts. If for whatever reason the need arises for the chapter to speak with parties regarding financial or incorporation issues the board of trustees will be the primary point of contact between those parties and the chapter. The board of Trustees must officially register as “Principles/Officers” of the Salt Lake Democratic Socialists of America with the state of Utah within thirty (30) days of taking office.
Day-to-day financial management and the disbursement of funds will be carried out as stipulated in these by-laws by the various committees and general body. The board of trustees will serve as representatives for legal and financial matters requiring the attention of the chapter.
There must at all times be at least three (3) Trustees officially registered with the state of Utah. In the event that a Trustee must relinquish their position on the board another Coordinating Committee officer must fill in the position on the board within fourteen (14) days.
Section 8. Harassment Grievance Officers
The Harassment Grievance Officers (HGO’s) are responsible for keeping the chapter in compliance with resolution 33, accessible here. HGO’s cannot be current members of the chapter leadership positions such as coordinating committee, chairs of committees or working groups, and at least one HGO must identify as something other than a cis male. They are to notify national they are the chapter HGO’s within fourteen (14) days of taking office. They are to build and maintain confidential channels of communication that serve to be the official forms to file internal chapter grievances against harassment. They are to make available any and all resources about the grievance process and the chapter’s harassment policy as well as investigate, and arbitrate any reported grievances within the chapter as laid out in resolution 33. HGO’s are also responsible for attending yearly trainings and to make yearly reports of all grievances filed and determinations made within the year to be given to National no later than January 1st of the new year. HGOs shall investigate and serve as arbiters for grievances made by any members of a Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chapter within the state of Utah.
ARTICLE 7. Committees.
Section 1. Committee Formation.
The Local may establish standing and ad hoc committees for specific organizational functions, political issues, or campaigns, or any other reason approved by the membership. Members who wish to form a committee must submit a statement to the Coordinating Committee that includes
- a committee name;
- a mission statement and objectives;
- the scope of the committee’s work;
- and at least five (5) committee members.
A proposed committee may be created with the approval of the Coordinating Committee or General Meeting. Mission statements for proposed committees may not conflict with these Bylaws or with the charters of existing committees.
Section 2. Membership and Election of Committee Leadership.
Any member is eligible to join a committee, unless specifically restricted from doing so by the committee’s mission statement and objectives. Committees may hold events that are open only to specific groups, so long as committee business is not conducted at such events and the event furthers the committee’s chartered purpose.
After its creation, the committee will hold elections for officers comprising either a committee Chair or two (2) committee Co-Chairs, at the preference of the committee. Other officers may be elected by the committee as needed.
Committee Co-Chairs are beholden to the Leadership Roles and Responsibilities Supplemental as well as these by-laws.
In the event of a vacant officer position, the committee will elect a replacement officer to fill the remainder of the former officer’s term.
Section 3. Committee Powers and Responsibilities.
Committees will act as official organizational organs of the Local in work pertaining to their mission statement and objectives. In executing this work, committees must maintain an updated list of active committee members and provide regular reports and brief meeting minutes to the membership, electronically or at General Meetings.
Committees must hold regular meetings, and they may hold emergency meetings with 24-hour notice.
A committee statement cannot grant a committee authority to take action in contravention of these Bylaws, policy passed by the Coordinating Committee, or policy passed at a General Meeting.
A committee must request approval from the Coordinating Committee or General Membership for expenditures of chapter funds.
Section 4. Recall of Committee Leadership.
Any three (3) committee members may request the recall of a committee officer via written petition to the Coordinating Committee, after which time new committee elections will be held in a timely manner.
Section 5. Modification and Dissolution.
Committees may be dissolved by a majority vote of the General Meeting or the Coordinating Committee. Ad hoc committees are to dissolve upon fulfilling their purpose as established in their mission statement. All other committees will remain active unless formally dissolved. A motion to propose or approve a mission statement modification may also be introduced at a General Meeting.
The member(s) maintaining custody of the committee’s records will provide copies of those records when requested to the Local’s Co-Secretaries.
Section 6. Administrative Committees.
Committees prescribed for the purposes of assisting the officers in the conduct of their duties are considered Administrative Committees. All Administrative Committees are open to the full membership. However, chairs of Administrative Committee may restrict which committee members are able to view personal information of Local members or sensitive financial information or to have access to the public communication tools of the Local. Administrative Committees must meet at least once every three (3) months.
ARTICLE 8. Delegates and Nominees to National, Regional, and State Bodies.
Section 1. Convention.
Local delegates and alternates to the National Convention will be elected by the members of the Local. Elections for the National Convention delegation will be held on the schedule announced by the national organization.
Section 2. National Committees.
In the event that a national committee is being formed and the National DSA asks chapters for nominees to serve on that committee, the Coordinating Committee will notify all members in good standing and request volunteers. The names of all those who volunteer will be forwarded to the National DSA for consideration, or if a limited number of nominees are requested, an election will be held.
ARTICLE 9. Prohibited Activity.
The chapter will not engage in activity prohibited by the IRS guidelines established for 501(c)4 organizations or related Utah law.
ARTICLE 10. Nominations.
Section 1: Nominations Committee.
A Nominations Committee of three (3) chapter members will be elected prior to any Local election by vote of a General Meeting. It will solicit and receive nominations for any elected positions.
Section 2: Nominations Process.
Nominations for Coordinating Committee Members and delegates to the National Convention will be opened no sooner than 10 days before the election. The call for nominations will be announced to members in advance of the General Meeting.
Section 3: Uncontested Positions.
If a position is uncontested, the nominee will be declared elected by acclamation.
ARTICLE 11. Elections.
Section 1: Vote Counting System.
Salt Lake DSA will use ranked choice voting for all Officer and Coordinating Committee positions up for election at scheduled Local Conventions or General Meetings. The Nominations Committee oversees and ensures integrity of election procedures. Voting and tabulation may be conducted electronically.
- For single-seat elections, votes will be counted using the “instant runoff voting” counting system. For multi-seat elections, votes will be counted using the “single transferable vote” counting system in conjunction with any and all quotas in place as stipulated by these by-laws..
- Nothing about the use of ranked choice voting will be seen as in conflict with provisions that ensure certain distributions of membership among the Officers and Coordinating Committee (such as gender, race, geographical area, or other area of concern).
Section 2: Challenges.
Losing candidates will have one (1) week to appeal. After the appeal has been filed, the Nominations Committee will have one (1) week to review the appeal and determine whether the election was properly conducted and decide what remedy, if any, is appropriate. All remedial action must be approved by the General Meeting.
Section 3: Election Dates.
Regular elections must be held between May 1-15 each year, though special elections (e.g., to fill vacancies) may occur throughout the year as necessary.
ARTICLE 12: Vacancies.
In the event of a vacancy of a Coordinating Committee Member position, a special election for the remainder of the vacant officer’s term will be held within sixty (60) days after the opening of the vacancy, unless the remaining term of the former officer is less than two (2) months. Written notice of the special election and solicitation of nominations will be published to all members of the Local no less than two (2) weeks before the date of the special election. A special election may take place at a Local Convention or a General Meeting.
A coordinating committee that previously had no more than four (4) Coordinating Committee members identifying as white cis males should be maintatained when a special election is held, unless an insufficient nominees available determination is made. If the Coordinating Committee was elected with an insufficient nominees available determination, the nominations committee should seek to rectify the imbalance.
ARTICLE 13. Recall.
Members may petition for the removal of a Coordinating Committee Member or for the dissolution of the entire Coordinating Committee. Such a petition requires signatures from at least five (5) percent of the membership and will be delivered to the Coordinating Committee.
The Coordinating Committee may vote to recommend the removal of an Officer or At-Large Coordinating Committee Member.
Upon receipt of a recall petition or a vote to recommend removal, the Coordinating Committee will schedule a recall vote for the next General Meeting or Local Convention, if one is scheduled within the next month. Otherwise, the Coordinating Committee will convene a General Meeting within thirty (30) days. Alternatively, the petition may include a member-led call for a Special Session, at a date and time specified in the petition. In either case, the membership must be issued a written notice about the removal or dissolution vote at least five (5) days in advance.
No Coordinating Committee Members may preside over the vote for their own removal. Coordinating Committee Members may preside over a recall vote as long as they are not the subject of the recall. A petition to dissolve the Coordinating Committee must specify an individual who will preside over the dissolution vote.
A vote to confirm the removal of a single Coordinating Committee Member requires a simple majority; a vote to confirm the dissolution of the entire Coordinating Committee requires a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote.
If the meeting for which the removal or dissolution vote is scheduled fails to meet quorum or is cancelled for unforeseen circumstances, it must be rescheduled within the next thirty (30) days.
ARTICLE 14. Amendments.
Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be submitted in writing. Proposed amendments will be voted on and approved by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote at either a Local Convention or General Meeting.
Proposed amendments submitted for consideration in a General Meeting must be submitted to the Coordinating Committee one (1) month in advance of the meeting date. The Coordinating Committee is required to provide the membership with two (2) weeks’ written notice of proposed amendments being considered at a General Meeting.
Proposed amendments submitted for consideration in a Local Convention must be submitted to the Coordinating Committee fifteen (15) days prior to the Local Convention. The Coordinating Committee is required to provide the membership with one (1) week’s written notice of proposed amendments being considered at a Local Convention.
ARTICLE 15. Rules of the Local.
Section 1. Parliamentary Authority.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised will govern the Local in all cases to which they are applicable, provided that they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Local may adopt.
Section 2. Action Out of Order.
Any action taken by an officer or member of the Local in contravention of these Bylaws is null and void.
ARTICLE 16: Harassment and Grievance Policy.
Section 1. Definition
The chapter is committed to creating a space that is welcoming, inclusive, and safe for all our members. This Article serves to institute the policy written by the Harassment Working Group and passed at the 2017 National DSA Convention known as Resolution 33. This Article should be interpreted as conforming with Resolution 33 wherever reasonable.
Section 2. Code of Conduct
All members of the chapter including leadership shall adhere to the chapter Code of Conduct adopted on May 9th 2021 as well as the Community Agreement.
ARTICLE 17: Officer Pluralism.
No member may hold more than one (1) of any of the following positions simultaneously:
- A position on the DSA National Political Committee;
- A position on the Local Coordinating Committee.
Should a situation arise in which a member holds two such positions against these rules, they must resign one of those positions within five (5) days, although in the case of local positions the member is permitted (but not required) to continue executing the duties of their former office until a replacement is elected.
ARTICLE 18: Electronic Communication.
For the purposes of executing these Bylaws, email and Slack will be considered written communication.
Any provision requiring the publication of information to the membership, or the solicitation of something from the membership, may be fulfilled by sending email to the most up-to-date list of email addresses of the membership or to all members via Slack.
ARTICLE 19. Personal Leave.
Members of the Coordinating Committee may request a temporary leave of absence of up to ninety (90) days, not to exceed ninety (90) days cumulatively. The Coordinating Committee must be notified in writing about the reason for the leave and the estimated length of the absence. The Coordinating Committee can accept the leave of absence by majority vote. If an Officer requests personal leave, the Coordinating Committee may appoint an interim officer who will serve while the officer is absent.
ARTICLE 20. Accessibility.
The Local will ensure that all its meetings, communications, records, and programs are accessible and inclusive; disability is an unacceptable reason to exclude or discriminate against anyone, implicitly or explicitly, directly or indirectly.