NASRA By-Laws

 

2007-2008 BY-LAWS:

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR STATE RELAY ADMINISTRATION BY-LAWS

 

 
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of the corporation shall be the National Association for State Relay Administration (NASRA).
 
ARTICLE II - OFFICE
The principal office of NASRA shall be located at 1602 Rolling Hills Drive, Suite 203, Richmond, Va. The address of this office may be changed from time-to-time as deemed necessary by the officers of the Association.NASRA may also have other offices at such places both within and outside the state of Virginia as the officers or business of NASRA may require.
 
ARTICLE III - PURPOSE
The mission of NASRA is to function as a clearinghouse for state telecommunications relay service administrator topics, issues, standards and policy statements.
 
The purposes of NASRA shall be:
  • To educate its members about regulatory standards and to advocate for regulatory changes when they seem to be in the interest of improved quality and efficiency of TRS.
  • To share information and develop ideal standards about TRSadministration, to share cost-effective ideas and techniques to restrain or reduce the cost of TRS, and to promote ideas about community outreach.
  • To provide representation to other professional, technical and consumer organizations desiring input.
  • To actively examine and advance discussion about issues pertaining to relay service and, when appropriate as determined by NASRAmembers, prepare items for membership review and submit advisory opinions about those issues.
  • To perform other functions as may be deemed appropriate byNASRA members. The Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE IV -MEMBERSHIP

Applications for membership into the Association shall be executed on forms prepared and distributed by NASRA.
 
Membership shall be limited to those individuals, and their staff, who have direct responsibility for the administration or oversight of TRS or electronic data processing for their respective states, state relay advisory council members, and state officials responsible for the management of the relay administrative unit (e.g., Public Service Commission, supervisors and elected/appointed state officials). Membership shall not be denied on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, numerical limitation or disability. All members are eligible to serve on committees if appointed. If a determination is necessary about qualifications for membership and attendance at NASRA meetings, the Officers of the Association of NASRAshall be responsible for performing the necessary background investigation and decision.
 
Membership dues shall be set annually by the Officers of the Association. Dues shall be assessed per state for NASRA business including national meetings and shall accompany the completed application for membership. A dues year shall be defined as July-1 June 30. Dues shall be payable by September 1st each year.
 
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
NASRA shall strive to hold an annual meeting at a date, time and place to be determined by the Officers of the Association. The purpose of this meeting shall be the transaction of business defined in Article III. Other meetings may be scheduled as deemed necessary by the Officers of the Association. Elections also shall be carried out on a bi-annual basis.
 
Meetings shall be conducted pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order and shall provide reasonable accommodation to the known disabilities of individuals planning to attend.
 
A quorum must be present to transact business at the annual meeting. A quorum is defined as a majority of the paid member states present at the time of the business meeting.
 
Approval for actions taken shall be by a majority vote of those in attendance at the meeting.
 
All members of NASRA, regardless of how many representatives a state may have in attendance, shall have the right to a voice during deliberations at all meetings including the annual business meeting. Only authorized members shall have the right to vote, and only one vote per state represented shall be allowed, which vote shall be cast by the person designated to vote by that state.
 
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS
The Officers of the Association shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, who are elected bi-annually, and the Chair of the Conference Committee who is appointed by the elected Officers of the Association. Terms of office begin January 1st. Members may hold only one position at a time during any term of election. In the event one of the officers vacates a position or becomes ineligible, the remaining officers may appoint a replacement officer until the next election. The Officers of the Association shall not be represented by more than one member from a single state.
 
  • The Chair shall be the presiding officer of NASRA and shall have general supervision and direction of NASRA meetings. The Chair shall set the agenda for place and time of meetings, appoint committees as needed, and perform other duties as are necessary.
  • The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is unavailable and shall succeed the Chair in the event the Chair vacates the office between elections.
  • The Secretary shall be responsible for correspondence and communications concerning NASRA business, records of business meetings, and other duties as assigned by the Chair.
  • The Treasurer shall maintain fiscal records of the Association and shall have authority to write checks up to $500 without Officers' approval. Expenditures over $500 require the approval of at least two other officers. The Treasurer shall be given authority to perform other duties assigned by the Chair.
  • The Chair of the Conference Committee shall be responsible for overseeing the planning and organization of the annual meeting.
ARTICLE VII - GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
 The Chair of this Association or any member designated by the Chair may make application to philanthropic organizations, corporations, agencies, groups or persons for grants or contributions of funds or property for carrying out general or specific purposes of NASRA.
 
No application shall be made to, or contribution received from, any person or agency except after a determination of the Officers of the Association that a grant or contribution to the Association would be motivated by the desire to further the purposes of the Association and not to derive personal benefit or privilege to the donor.
 
ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES
A Nominating Committee shall consist of the current Officers of the Association and two other members appointed by the Officers of the Association. They shall make recommendations for officers to be elected at the next annual meeting.
Special committees may be appointed by the Chair as necessary and will serve concurrently with the term of the Chair. Their functions shall be designated by the Chair and the Officers of the Association.
 
ARTICLE IX - CONFERENCE FEES
The Officers of the Association reserve the right to charge a nominal fee to cover any costs incurred by the Association on holding the annual meeting or special meetings.
 
ARTICLE X - ATTENDING THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Attendance at the annual conference shall be limited to:

1. NASRA Members

  • Person directly responsible for the oversight of and/or electronic data processing for relay services and their staff,
  • State relay advisory council members; and
  • State officials responsible for the management of the relay administrative unit (e.g., Public Service Commission commissioners, supervisors and elected/appointed state officials).
  • There will be no limit on the number of individuals who can attend from one State.

2. Speakers

  • NASRA invited speakers may attend all conference functions, with the exception of closed session regardless of when his/her actual presentation is scheduled. NASRA may reimburse speakers for reasonable costs incurred.

3. Sponsors

  • Sponsors are companies or individuals providing relay services or related products and services who financially contribute to the cost of the conference by way of a sponsorship fee. This fee is established by the Conference Planning Committee and may change from year-to-year.
  • Sponsors are limited to sending only three representatives to the annual conference and may attend all activities except all business related activities as determined by the Officers of the Association.

At the request of any voting member, exceptions to Article X may be approved by a majority vote of the executive committee.

Attending the Annual Business Meeting:

Attendance at the annual business meeting shall be limited to NASRAmembers. All members may be seated at the table, regardless of how many representatives a state may have and may participate freely in the deliberations. Only the designated spokesperson for a state may cast that state's vote during the course of any decision item or election.

 

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

The Bylaws of this Association may be amended in accordance with the
procedure set out below only upon affirmative vote of two-thirds of the paid
members in attendance at the annual business meeting.
  • A proposal to amend the Bylaws of the Association shall be honored from any member of the Association.
  • Proposed amendments shall be submitted in written form to the Chair and its format shall be as follows:
  • Name of the person submitting proposal
  • Statement of intent of the proposal
  • Statement of the annual meeting where consideration of the amendment is desired
  • Indication of the article number and specific item in the Bylaws proposed to be amended
  • Statement of proposed amending language

Proposed amendments meeting the above format shall be distributed to all members of NASRA for consideration no less than (30) days before the annual meeting.

A majority of members voting at the annual meeting may make amendments to a proposal to amend the Bylaws by means of a majority vote on each amending proposal.
 
Amending proposals that are passed and adopted by NASRA shall take effect upon the adjournment of the annual meeting where the amendment was considered and adopted, provided an exception to this effect is not otherwise contained in the language of the amending proposal adopted.
 
ARTICLE XII - RETENTION OF PROPERTY INTEREST
All rights, title and interest, both legal and equitable, in and to property of this Association, shall remain in the Association.
 
Any property of NASRA in the possession of trust of a member or employee shall be returned immediately to the Association in the event of his/her death, resignation, suspension or expulsion.
 
ARTICLE XIII - DISSOLUTION
Upon the dissolution of the Association, the Officers of the Association shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, dispose of all the assets of the Association exclusively for the purpose of the Association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Law, as the Officers of the Association shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said court shall determine which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
 

 

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