Bylaws of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Political Action Committee

Article I Name

The name of this Committee is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Political Action Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee or ASHA-PAC.

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Article II Organization

A. Principal Office and Address. The principal office of the Committee shall be at 2200 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850.

B. Definition of Organization. The ASHA-PAC is a voluntary, nonprofit and unincorporated Committee of individual speech-language pathologists and audiologists. It is not affiliated with any political party and it is not affiliated with or a subsidiary of any other political action committee, or of any other national, state, or local speech-language-hearing association. The Committee operates as a separate, segregated entity of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (hereinafter, the Association), which may defray all costs and expenses incurred in the establishment and administration of the ASHA-PAC.

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Article III Purposes

The Central Purposes of the Committee are:

1. To influence or attempt to influence the nomination or election of individuals to national office in order to promote the interests and needs of the speech-language pathology and audiology professions and of persons with disabilities.

2. To raise funds in order to influence the nomination or election of such individuals.

3. To encourage speech-language pathologists and audiologists to understand the institutions and procedures of government and the public issues acted upon by governmental officials that affect the professions and those they serve.

4. To promote the interests of the professions and of those they serve by facilitating the participation of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in the political process.

5. To do all of the above in order to promote public policies that result in accessible and appropriate services in the areas of education and health care, in the training of qualified personnel to deliver these services, and in research that leads to more effective and quality services and benefits to persons with communication disorders.

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Article IV Contributions

A. Contributions may be solicited from and made by any members or employees of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and members of their families, and other individuals as allowed by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended.

B. All contributions to the ASHA-PAC shall be voluntary and no contribution to the Committee may be solicited or secured by force, intimidation, financial reprisal, as a condition of employment, or by any other means prohibited by federal election laws and regulations.

C. Contributions to candidates and other political expenditures made by the ASHA-PAC shall be in strict compliance with the methods and limitations prescribed by law.

D. All contributions to the ASHA-PAC shall be maintained as a separate segregated fund in one or more designated depositories. All contributions to the Committee shall be used as expenditures to carry out the purposes of the ASHA-PAC as set forth in Article III and for no other purpose, including administration of the Committee.

E. Policies and decisions concerning political expenditures or distribution of all contributions by the Committee shall be the responsibility of the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors or its designees.

F. No contribution shall be accepted and no expenditure shall be made at a time when there is a vacancy in either the office of Chair or Treasurer of the Committee.

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Article V Board of Directors

A. Duties and Responsibilities. The ASHA-PAC shall be governed by a Board of Directors that shall have general responsibility for carrying out the policies and activities of the Committee, advocating for participation by members of the Association in the PAC, assuring consistency with Association policies, and assuring compliance with federal laws and regulations. Consistent with Article III, the Board shall develop guiding principles for the expenditures of ASHA-PAC funds, including the selection of candidates for public office to receive contributions. The Board shall retrospectively review all political contributions to ensure compliance with the guiding principles. All contributions must be approved by the Treasurer. The Board of Directors will be notified of all political contributions made by the Treasurer.

B. Composition. The Board of Directors shall have seven members, consisting of two members of the ASHA Board of Directors: the Executive Director who shall serve as Treasurer, and the Vice-President for Government Relations and Public Policy who shall serve as Board liaison; and five members of the Association, including one seat designated for an individual who has been a member of ASHA for no more than five years at the beginning of their term on the PAC Board. Members shall be selected based on experience and active participation in federal legislation and political advocacy, with priority given to individuals who participate in ASHA grassroots activities and ASHA-PAC.

C. Selection and Terms. Members of the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors shall be chosen by majority vote of the ASHA Board of Directors. The ASHA Board of Directors shall also designate the Chair and Chair-Elect of the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors. Directors' terms shall commence on January 1 of the year of their appointment and shall expire on December 31 of the last year of their appointment. Directors' terms shall be for 4 years, with the exception of the member representative who shall serve a two-year (2) term.

D. Removal and Vacancies. Members of the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors may be removed by a majority vote of the ASHA Board of Directors at any time for any reason or without cause. If a vacancy occurs as a result of removal, resignation, or for any other reason, a replacement shall be chosen by the ASHA Board of Directors at the earliest possible time and shall serve for the remainder of the term.

E. Chair. The Chair shall be the presiding officer of the Committee. The Chair shall convene the meetings of the PAC Board and shall preside at such meetings. The Chair will typically serve in the third year of their 4-year term, unless otherwise designated by the ASHA Board of Directors.

F. Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect will become Chair immediately should that position become vacant. The Chair-Elect will typically serve in the second year of their 4-year term, unless otherwise designated by the ASHA Board of Directors.

G. Immediate Past Chair. The Immediate Past Chair shall serve to coordinate the ASHA-PAC fundraising activities during the ASHA annual convention in the fourth year of their term, unless otherwise designated by the ASHA Board of Directors.

H. Treasurer. The Treasurer is responsible for all contributions made to and expenditures made by the ASHA-PAC. The Treasurer is responsible for filing all reports with the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service as required by law; for maintaining records and accounts of Committee activities; for recording all contributions made to the Committee and for depositing all contributions in a separate account as required by law; for collecting and disbursing funds in accordance with these Bylaws, the policies of the PAC Board of Directors, and federal law; and for performing such other duties as may be assigned by the PAC Board of Directors or required by an Assistant Treasurer who was Treasurer in case of vacancy or absence in that position.

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Article VI Meetings

A. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the PAC Board of Directors shall be called by the Chair with the concurrence of two other members of the PAC Board or upon written request of a majority of PAC Board members.

B. Quorum. Four PAC Board members shall constitute a quorum necessary for conducting activities of the PAC Board.

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Article VII Annual Audit and Report

There shall be conducted an annual financial audit of the Committee's books and records by an independent accounting firm selected by the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors. The ASHA-PAC shall adhere to the investment policies and financial operations practice of ASHA. An annual report of the activities of the ASHA-PAC shall be made to the ASHA Board of Directors and shall be available to the members of the Association.

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Article VIII Amendments to Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the ASHA-PAC Board of Directors, provided that all members of the Board receive written notice of proposed amendments at least 30 days prior to the meeting at which such amendments are to be considered. Any changes in these Bylaws may not take effect until ratified by a majority of the ASHA Board of Directors.

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Article IX Dissolution

The Committee may be dissolved by a majority vote of the ASHA Board of Directors. In the event of such dissolution, all funds contained in the ASHA-PAC depository, after payment of all lawful obligations, shall be disbursed to political committees or candidates at the discretion of the ASHA Board of Directors.