By-Laws
THE ASSOCIATION OF CENTERS FOR THE STUDY OF CONGRESS INC.
[Adopted May 7, 2004; Article VII amended effective July 1, 2006; Article V amended and Article IX added, May 8, 2009; Articles I-VI amended May 20, 2011; Articles IV and V amended May 9, 2013 and September 8, 2021]
ARTICLE I: Name, Location, and Fiscal Year (amended May 20, 2011)
NAME: The name of the organization shall be the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, Inc. (referred to hereafter as “the Association”).
LOCATION: The location of the Association for fiscal purposes shall be the institutional office of the Treasurer. For other purposes, the office of record shall be the institutional office of the President.
FISCAL YEAR: The fiscal year of the Association for purposes of budget and tax reports shall be July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE II: Purposes (amended May 20, 2011)
PURPOSES: The Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC) supports a wide range of programs designed to inform and educate students, scholars, policy-makers and members of the general public about the history of Congress, the legislative process, and current issues facing Congress. It encourages the preservation of material that documents the work of Congress, including the papers of Representatives and Senators, and supports programs that make those materials available for educational and research use.
ARTICLE III: Membership (amended May 20, 2011)
MEMBERS: There are two categories of membership: Institutional and Individual. Institutions meeting at least two of the following criteria are welcome to apply for membership:
The organization has, as a primary mission, the study of Congress.
The organization maintains and makes available the archives of a United States Representative or Senator.
The organization pursues educational initiatives and public programs related to Congress.
INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS: Prospective institutional members shall submit an application, which is subject to approval by the Executive Committee. Each institutional member has one vote regardless of the number of individual members who may represent the voting institution at the annual meeting.
Members may vote either in person or by electronic means. Voting shall be overseen by the Secretary and/or designated members of the Executive Committee.
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS: Individuals who have an interest in the mission of the Association are invited to join but will not be voting members. Individual memberships do not require approval.
DUES: The Association may levy dues and related benefits upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, subject to a majority vote of the eligible membership. Dues will be assessed in January for the calendar year.
ARTICLE IV: Officers (amended May 20, 2011; May 9, 2013; September 8, 2021)
OFFICERS: There shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, all of whom must be representatives of institutional members. No two officers may be from the same institution. Terms shall be for two years. Officers may succeed themselves, but are limited to one consecutive reelection in that office, except for the office of Treasurer. No person can hold more than one office concurrently.
DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT: The President shall preside at meetings of the Association, arrange meetings, set meeting agendas, represent the Association nationally, and, in coordination with the general membership and committees, carry forth Association initiatives.
DUTIES OF THE VICE PRESIDENT: The vice president shall perform the duties of the president in the president’s absence and shall assume the office of president if the presidency is vacant. The vice president serves as chair of the Membership Committee and may perform other duties as assigned by the president.
DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY: The Secretary shall attend all meetings, record all proceedings and votes, give notice of all meetings of the Association, and maintain the Association’s minutes, membership, and legal nonfinancial records.
DUTIES OF THE TREASURER: The Treasurer shall keep all financial books of the Association, deposit and be responsible for all monies of the Association, present financial reports as required by the Executive Committee, and assist with the preparation of the Association’s budget. As insurance against any emergency situation, the Treasurer shall ensure that the President also has online access to the bank accounts of the Association.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS: At least two months prior to the annual meeting in years in which officers are to be elected, the Secretary shall solicit nominations from the membership. The Executive Committee, acting as a nominating committee, shall present a slate of officers to the membership for a vote either at the annual meeting or by electronic means prior to it. If at the annual meeting, a quorum must be present. If electronically, the total number of votes cast must be at least equivalent to a quorum.
REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS: In the event that any officer is unable or unwilling to fulfill the term to which s/he was elected, the Executive Committee will designate one of its members to assume the duties of that officer until such time as an election by the membership can be arranged.
REMOVAL OF OFFICERS: Members may require the removal of any officer by a two-thirds vote.
ARTICLE V: Standing Committees (amended May 8, 2009; May 20, 2011; May 9, 2013; and September 8, 2021)
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers; the chairs of the standing committees appointed by the Association President; the immediate past president; and three ex officio members representing respectively the Center for Legislative Archives of the National Archives, the U.S. Senate Historical Office, and the U.S. House of Representatives Office of History and Preservation. All members of the Executive Committee shall have on file in the Association’s records a signed Conflict-of-Interest Policy. Appointed members may serve no more than two terms of two years consecutively. Ex officio members are afforded the same rights as other members of the committee.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: The Communications Committee is tasked with managing the publicity activities of the Association and maintaining the website and social media platforms.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: The Membership Committee is charged with welcoming new members, new member recruitment, and retention of members.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE: The Program Committee is charged with development of the program for the annual meeting.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: The Scholarship Committee is responsible for advertising, soliciting applications for, and determining the recipients of the Ray Smock Award for first-time attendees to the annual meeting and the Richard Baker Award for scholarship on Congress.
ARTICLE VI: Other Committees (amended May 20, 2011)
COMMITTEES: Committees, working groups, and task forces may be established by the President, Executive Committee, or membership as needed. Each committee shall have a Chairperson, who will in turn be responsible for overseeing the activities of that committee and reporting them to the President and the membership.
ARTICLE VII: Business Meetings
MEETINGS: Meetings of the Association shall be called by the Secretary at the direction of the President. At least one business meeting of the general membership shall be held each year, the location to be determined by the Executive Committee in consultation with the membership.
Members will be informed of the annual meeting with at least two months’ notice when possible. The annual business meeting shall always be a part of the meeting designated as the “annual” meeting. Business meetings may be held on other occasions not designated as the “annual” meeting provided at least two weeks’ notice is given to all members. The Executive Committee and/or the officers of the Association may conduct meetings to handle routine business matters in person or via electronic means at the call of any officer or member of the Executive Committee.
A quorum at the annual business meeting shall be defined as 25 percent of the Institutional membership qualified to vote by virtue of having currently paid-up dues.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments
AMENDMENTS: These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the general membership in response to a written resolution presented by a member.
ARTICLE IX: Dissolution (added May 8, 2009)
DISSOLUTION: In the event of the dissolution of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, its property, funds, and other assets shall be transferred to whatever organization or organizations operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and/or scientific purposes as the executive committee may determine, provided such organization or organizations qualify as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States.