2010 legislation
Both clubs and districts are entitled to submit legislation to the Council on Legislation. There are two types of legislation: enactments, which seek to change the constitutional documents (the RI Constitution, the RI Bylaws, and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution); and resolutions, which do not seek to change the constitutional documents. (Please note, the Recommended Rotary Club Bylaws are not considered part of the constitutional documents, and may only be changed by RI Board action.)
Detailed information about proposing legislation can be found in article 7 of the RI Bylaws and in Chapter 10 of the 2007 Manual of Procedure.
What’s new for the 2010 Council?
The 2007 Council made a number of changes to the legislative process for the 2010 Council, including changing the deadline to receive legislation (31 December 2008), the deadline for amendments, the definition of defective legislation, and the number of recommended legislative items per district. Further information on these changes can be found below and in What’s New for the 2010 Council.
Deadline for submitting legislation to the 2010 Council
The deadline to submit legislation to the 2010 Council on Legislation has passed.
Enactments
Proposals to amend the RI Constitution, the RI Bylaws, or the Standard Rotary Club Constitution are known as enactments.
Resolutions
Resolutions do not seek to change the RI constitutional documents but instead express an opinion or makes a rcommendation to the RI Board. If the resolution would require or request an administrative act that is within the discretion of the RI Board or the general secretary, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee may determine that it is defective and, therefore, recommend that it not be transmitted to the Council. If this situations applies, perhaps the issue may be better handled through a memorial to the Board. The RI Board hears memorials at every meeting, and there may be a more rapid response through this action than by submitting a resolution.
A memorial to the Board is a petition to the Board for action on a specific matter. In many cases where amending the constitutional documents is not necessary, the proposer’s purpose can be more efficiently and quickly accomplished by a memorial. Memorials to the Board should be clearly labeled as such and sent to RI Headquarters in Evanston. See Bringing matters to the RI Board for more information.
Board examination
The RI Constitution and Bylaws Committee, acting on the Board’s behalf, examines the texts of all proposed legislation, advises the proposer of any defects in the proposal, and recommends, where feasible, corrective action.
If proposed legislation is not duly proposed, the RI Board may direct that it not be transmitted to the Council. If proposed legislation is defective, the RI Board may direct that the proposal not be transmitted to the Council. In both cases, proposers are informed and have the opportunity to ask the Council to overrule, by a two-thirds vote, the RI Board’s determination.
Where substantially similar legislation is proposed, the RI Board may recommend compromise legislation. If the proposers do not agree to the compromise, the RI Board may nevertheless direct that an alternate that best expresses the objective of the similar proposals be transmitted to the Council.
If the RI Board determines that a proposed resolution is “not within the framework of the program of RI,” it will not be transmitted to the Council. The proposer will be so informed and have the opportunity to ask the Council to overrule, by a two-thirds vote, the RI Board’s determination.
Amendments
Proposers may deliver to the general secretary amendments to their proposed legislation no later than 31 March 2009, unless this deadline is extended by the RI Board (the Constitution and Bylaws Committee acting on its behalf).
Publication
No later than 30 September 2009, the general secretary distributed 10 copies of all duly proposed legislation to each governor, one copy to all members of the Council and all past directors, and one copy to the secretary of any club that requests it. The proposed legislation is also posted on this Web site.
Statements of support and opposition
A club, a district conference, the RIBI General Council or RIBI Conference, the Council on Legislation, or the RI Board may provide a statement commenting on any item of legislation (whether enactment or resolution) proposed to the Council. These statements may support, oppose, or comment on proposed legislation and must be limited to one side of a sheet of standard-size business stationery. Statements must be submitted to the general secretary no later than two months before the opening of the Council (25 February 2010). The general secretary will then transmit the statements to all members of the Council.
Contact information
The general secretary
c/o Council Services Section
Rotary International
1560 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201 USA
Fax: 847-556-2123
E-mail: councilservices@rotary.org