Bylaw Renewal

STEPS TO UPDATING BYLAWS 

Bylaws must be adopted by the unit or council and approved by New York State PTA every three years for the unit or council to remain in good standing. Don’t be intimidated by bylaws. Follow these steps and you’ll be done before you know it. 

• The Bylaws Wizard link is located on the NYS PTA website Bylaws/Procedures - NYS PTA 

• Form a bylaws committee of 3-5 members including the chair. Use experienced people on the committee as well as newer members. Form the committee early so that the members can attend a region or state bylaws workshop.

 • The chair should: a. Secure a copy of the most recent state approved bylaws. The president and secretary should have official copies signed by the State Bylaws Coordinator. b. Consult executive board members for possible changes. Bylaws should reflect the way your unit or council operates. c. Make a copy of the existing bylaws and any recommended changes for every member of the committee so they can be reviewed prior to the meeting. 

• The committee members should review the existing bylaws and consider any recommendations submitted by the executive board or membership.

 • Bylaws should: a. Meet the needs of the unit or council. The intent must be clear. b.Not give detailed instructions for carrying out each provision. Detailed instructions are better handled in unit or council procedures that can be modified at the local level. These procedures, after adoption, complement the bylaws by defining how the unit or council operates. 

• As information is entered into the Bylaws Wizard, appropriate data or sections of text are added to the bylaws document. When you finish the Bylaws Wizard, a draft of your bylaws will be emailed to the address provided and the document will be automatically submitted electronically for approval. 

• Review the bylaws document that was generated and emailed to you as soon as you receive it. If you find anything that needs to be changed or corrected, please contact your Region Bylaws Chair and they will make the changes for you in the system. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE WIZARD A SECOND TIME TO AVOID DUPLICATE RECORDS. 

• Bylaws should be completed in the Bylaws Wizard for review by the Region Bylaws Chair prior to the adoption by the membership. The membership must receive 30 days’ notice of a meeting at which they will vote on any proposed changes or, if there are none, the proposed re-approval of the existing bylaws. a. Unit proposed bylaws are submitted to all members and must be approved by 2/3 vote of members present and voting at a general membership meeting. A quorum must have been established. b. Council proposed bylaws are approved via an instructed vote. They must be submitted to all member units and approved by 2/3 vote of members present and voting at the member units’ general membership meetings, a quorum having been established and 30 days’ notice of the vote having been given. Once all units have held their vote, the vote on the bylaws is held by the council. A 2/3 vote of member units is required, one vote per unit. • Once the bylaws are adopted, the President and Secretary must sign the cover page and add the adoption date. Make a copy for your records and then mail or email the signed cover page to your Region Bylaws Chair. This should be done as soon as possible after the adoption by your unit. THE COMPLETED BYLAWS WILL NOT BE APPROVED UNTIL THE SIGNED COVER PAGE HAS BEEN RECEIVED! 

• The Region Bylaws Chair will review the bylaws and once region approved, the bylaws will then be available electronically for the State Bylaws Coordinator to review and approve. Any questions or issues will be addressed during this process before state approval is given.

 • Do not make additional copies for distribution until the state approved bylaws are received via email. Bylaws become effective on the date of approval by the State Bylaws Coordinator. Any changes made from the previous bylaws do not take effect until fully executed and approved by the NYS PTA Bylaws coordinator.

 • Once your bylaws are approved by the State Bylaws Coordinator, you will automatically receive the approved document via email. It will be sent to the contact entered in the Wizard submission. This is your official document, and a copy should be placed in both the President’s and Secretary’s binders. 

• Units can make additional paper or electronic copies for members as appropriate and may place a copy on file in the school office and/or library. Councils should provide a set of approved bylaws to each member unit. 

• Bylaws are valid until the expiration date shown on your bylaws cover sheet and the expiration date is also listed in your unit information on MemberHub. Bylaws can be reviewed and renewed at any time. However, every three years they must be renewed, whether revised or not. 

• Important Reminder: If your new bylaws have included a change in membership dues amounts, these amounts will be updated in your MemberHub Store by the NYS Bylaws Coordinator on the date of approval. The new dues do not take effect until final approval of your bylaws. Changes in mandated articles and sections are voted upon by delegates at the National PTA and New York State PTA conventions and automatically become part of your current bylaws. Unit or council members should be made aware of changes in mandated sections.

Questions?  Email northeasternbylaws@gmail.com