Guidelines For The AARC’s House Of Delegates Resolutions Process
The following guidelines have been developed to assist members of the House of Delegates (HOD) in the preparation of a resolution for presentation to the House of Delegates. It is an expectation that both the Delegate and Alternate Delegate be familiar with these guidelines. Resolutions accepted for consideration by the HOD must meet standards described in the following guidelines.
- Purpose of Resolutions
Resolutions approved by the House of Delegates reflect majority opinions of that body and offer direction on issues the HOD considers important to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). The resolution process enables House participation in the governance of the AARC. - Appropriate Issues as Resolutions
- Issues appropriate for consideration as resolutions can pertain directly to the AARC and its affiliates or they may deal with issues external to the Association. Issues covered by resolutions should be compatible with the AARC’s Strategic Plan. Exceptions may be made if the intent of the resolution is to change or redirect that Plan.
- Resolutions that have been considered without approval in an earlier session are not appropriate for reconsideration as resolutions unless events have occurred that are likely to change the disposition of that resolution. Issues that can be dealt with at various levels of the AARC (ie BOD, HOD Officers, AARC Executive Office) may not be appropriate for the HOD’s resolution process. If action on an issue can be achieved through a direct approach to the person or committee involved, that method should be tried first.
- The Process of Considering a Resolution
- The Resolution Form
Resolutions must be submitted to the chairperson of the Resolutions Committee. Forms are available on the AARC.org website. All sections of the resolutions form, with exception of the "Action" Summary, must be completed prior to being accepted for presentation to the HOD.- Resolution Number—Each resolution is assigned a number associated with an indexing system by the HOD Secretary. The number designates the category, year and numerical order of the resolution during the session. Beginning in 1993, resolutions will be put into the AARC’s computer files and can be retrieved according to category and year.
- Resolution Statement—This statement describes the issue to be considered. It should clearly describe the action(s) sought. The resolution should include who is responsible for carrying out the resolution and under what time lines.
- Executive Summary- The Executive Summary should be a brief narrative summarizing what you are requesting, emphasizing the primary outcomes and results of implementing your resolution. It should be one paragraph, not exceeding 4-5 sentences. This should be written last after completion of the resolution form. Outcomes: Identify the desired outcome of the resolution in one or two sentences. Strengths: Identify how the positive impact of implementation of this resolution. Include 4-5 objectives that are directly tied to the AARC mission, vision and values. For example, some components of the AARC vision/mission statement that may be utilized are: Professional Excellence; Advocacy for the RT; Advocacy for the patient, their families, and the public regarding RT issues; and Advancing the science and practice of respiratory care. Link each objective, in a sentence or two, how the resolution will address each component of the vision/mission statement. Weaknesses: Discuss problems that may possibly occur because of this resolution. Spend some time thinking this through before it reaches the HOD floor. Consider unintended consequences. For example, in the sample Resolution, an unintended consequence of making RRT the minimum entry level into the profession is a workforce shortage, where there are not enough RRTs to hire and other professions take over RT work.
Opportunities: Identify additional and potential benefits from this Resolution. - Potential Barriers: In bullet point form, identify problems that could prevent the success of this Resolution. Provide additional detail if necessary.
- Financial Impact: Include Total Cost Estimate, 1 Year Cost Estimate, Recurring Expenses and Payback (if resolution has revenue implications, how long (in months/years) it will take for the resolution to pay for itself. Identify any other resources required, including Volunteer time and Executive Office time devoted to the implementation of the Resolution. Include Tracking/Outcomes by identifying how success will be identified and how outcomes will be measured and who will be accountable to measure them.
- Impact of Resolution—This section identifies any group, office or organization that will be impacted by the resolution. Contact with individuals that would be affected by the resolution may be critical in some cases prior to presentation of the resolution. The Secretary of the House will contact the author of a resolution if discussion with those affected by the resolution is needed. The resolution’s author is then expected to make this contact prior to the resolution’s consideration in the House.
- Relationship of Resolution and the AARC’s Strategic Plan—In this section the author is required to associate the resolution with a specific area of the AARC’s Strategic Plan or to deny any association with the Plan. Most resolutions will be able to be assigned to a part of the AARC’s Strategic Plan. A resolution that redirects the AARC’s Strategic Plan should be considered and prepared carefully by the author(s). In general, information about complicated or controversial resolutions should be published in the AARC Record prior to the HOD session during which the resolution would be considered.
- Resolutions Committee’s Recommendation—This section cites acceptance of the resolution for consideration at a HOD meeting and includes the date of the session at which the resolution will be considered. In the case that critical information is missing from the resolution, this section will note deficiencies that must be corrected prior to consideration of the resolution in a House meeting.
- Action Regarding Resolution—Space has been provided on this form for notation of the outcome of the resolution’s consideration. The official status of the resolution, however, is recorded in the House minutes.
- Who May Submit Resolutions
Resolutions may be submitted by a Delegate, Alternate Delegate or an Affiliate. Typically, resolutions are recommended by the Affiliate and authored by its Delegate or Alternate Delegate. Delegates, Alternate Delegates and/or Affiliates may join in any number to sponsor a resolution. A primary author should be identified for communication purposes on every resolution. In the case that no primary author is identified, the first listed name will be considered the primary author. - Timelines and Schedule for Processing Resolutions
Deadlines for accepting resolutions will be announced several months prior to the date. The deadline for the next HOD meeting’s resolutions will be communicated in the HOD Secretary’s written and verbal reports. It will also be published in the Secretary’s report in the AARC Record at least twice prior to the deadline. Resolutions accepted for consideration at a HOD meeting will be mailed to Delegates and Alternate Delegates six weeks (42 days) prior to the HOD meeting during which they will be considered. Deadlines for resolutions have been set at the minimum times needed for each step of the preparatory process. Financial impact information should be completed by the deadline for submitting resolutions. Late resolutions will be accepted only as emergency resolutions (see E., Emergency Resolution Process). A resolution’s author will be notified if the resolution has not been accepted for any reason. - Consideration of a Resolution on the House Floor
A first reading of the resolutions to be considered during a HOD meeting will be done near the beginning of that session. Reports from the AARC’s executive office staff, AARC officers and committee chairs follow this reading. Those giving reports may be asked by the delegations for information they may need for consideration of the resolutions. At a designated place on the agenda, the House Speaker invites the House to consider the Resolutions. Consideration of the Resolutions follows Robert’s Rules of Order. The author of the resolution then summarizes the resolution, its purpose and supporting information. Delegations may address the issue either pro or con under regular House Rules. - Emergency Resolution Process
A late resolution may be classified as an emergency resolution by the Executive Committee of the House of Delegates or by a majority vote of the HOD if the subject of the resolution demands immediate attention. The resolution should be submitted to the HOD Speaker or to the HOD Secretary on an official form. If the resolution has a financial impact, it may not be considered without that information. - Completing the Resolutions Process
Resolutions approved by the HOD which seek action outside of the House of Delegates are forwarded to the Board of Directors by the HOD Speaker. A resolution will not be considered by the BOD until it has been approved by the HOD. The Board of Directors may then act to carry out the resolution, with or without changes, or to postpone, table or deny the resolution. If the resolution is denied, the House may request a representative from the Board to come before the House for the purpose of explaining the decision taken by the Board. It is understood that this session be informational and courteous. To reconsider a resolution that has been denied by the Board, the HOD must reintroduce, then reapprove the resolution at a subsequent meeting. With HOD approval, the resolution will be returned to the BOD. The BOD’s action on the House’s resolutions will be reported in the AARC Record following the BOD meeting at which they were considered. The resolutions and the accompanying BOD decisions will be contained within or attached to House minutes. - Resources
Resources for developing resolutions include the House Officers, especially current and past HOD Secretaries, and other Delegates and Alternates. AARC Officers and Board Members, Committee Chairs and Executive Office Staff are also sources of information. All are listed in the AARC’s Officiary.
- The Resolution Form
- Composition and Role of the Resolutions Committee
- The chair and members of this committee are appointed by the HOD Speaker for one year terms. HOD Officers are ex-officio members of the committee and during a HOD meeting, function as the committee.
- The committee is charged to review resolutions submitted to the HOD for compliance with these guidelines. It is the committee’s responsibility that resolutions brought to the HOD floor are clear and contains adequate information for responsible consideration by the HOD.