Proposed changes to the
Independent American Party
Constitution and Bylaws

The following changes were formally proposed by the National Committee at their business meeting 3 August 2002, at Salt Lake City, Utah.  These proposals will be presented for ratification by the National Committee at their next business meeting, tentatively scheduled for January 2003. The following also includes one item that was formally ratified, and several items that were temporarily suspended. The National Committee acted as the National Convention in proposing changes to the IAP Constitution.

Summary of changes and reasons:
1.    Renaming of Areas [of states] to Regions (for a more descriptive term). Assigning states to specific regions (to make it official).
2.    Renaming of officer titles (for more flexibility in selecting officers according to leadership skills).  Providing for auxiliary officer positions (to fulfill needs). Phasing out of two officer positions (to reduce from 7 officers to 5).
3.    Deleting of obsolete provisions (to cleanup documents).
4.    Altering means of notification for meetings (for more flexibility).
5.    Allowing National Committee business by email (to provide for lack of a quorum).
6.    Altering eligibility for Official State Party status (account of lack of ballot-qualified states).
7.    Providing for filling of Executive Committee vacancies (for when positions are not filled by elections). Reducing frequency of meetings (for practicality)

A.  Proposed changes to IAP national Constitution:

(1) Article VII. Executive Committee 
    [B: change Areas to Regions; exclude officers in allocations]

(Section) B. Area Regional Representation. The National Committee shall assign State Parties to geographical Areas Regions, with an approximately equal number of State Parties per Area Region. Each Area Region shall have near proportionate representation on the Executive Committee (excluding National Officers), based on the number of Official State Parties in the Area Region.

(2) Article IX. National Officers  
    [A: restructure officer positions]

(Section) A. Titles. The National Officers shall consist of a National Chair, National Vice Chair, one or more National Vice Chairs, National Secretary, National Treasurer, and other national officers as determined by the National Committee.

(3) XII. Adoption 
    [A, B: delete obsolete provision]

(Section) A. Establishment. This Constitution shall be established upon majority vote of the National Committee.

(Section) B. Interim Provision. Contrary to the provisions of Article XI. this Constitution may be amended or revised by majority vote of the National Committee at any time within one year of its establishment.

B.  Ratified change to IAP national Bylaws:

(1) Article VI. National Committee  
    [F: provide for lack of quorum]

(Section) F. Quorum. A quorum for all National Committee meetings shall consist of at least one-half of all Representatives of record, or else at least one-half of the National Officers plus a minimum of one Representative from at least one-half of the State Parties. If short of a Quorum, members in attendance may still conduct business, provided that any business not relevant to the time frame of the meeting must be ratified by a majority of the National Committee Representatives of record via postal or electronic communication before the business can take affect.

C.  Suspended parts (for six months) of IAP national Bylaws:

(1) Article III. Membership, 
         Section A. Standards (for Official State Parties).  
    [A-2: alter Official Party eligibility]

(Paragraph) 2. Activity. The State Party shall be politically active in that it has ballot qualification in its state or the District of Columbia; fields candidates for federal, state and local office; carries out a public relations or voter education campaign.

(2) Article VII. Executive Committee.  
    [A: remove obsolete part; allow appointments; alter eligibility] 
    [B: reduce  frequency of meetings]

(Section) A. Membership, Areas. The National Officers shall be Members-at-Large on the Executive Committee. State Parties shall be organized into geographical Areas, and shall caucus and elect additional Members to the Executive Committee. Area Members on the Executive Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Area caucus that elected them. Initially, there shall be one geographical area, and its number of Members on the Executive Committee shall be two. The National Officers may fill vacancies of Region Members by appointment, until a proper election can be held. Each Member of the Executive Committee must be a Member of an Official or Associate State Party and must abide by the IAP Constitution, Bylaws and Executive Committee Rules.

(Section) B. Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet quarterly, in person, at Regular meetings for the purpose of conducting IAP business and affairs. It shall meet at other times in Special meetings, either in person or by suitable electronic means, when called by at least two of the National Officers, or by majority vote or petition of the Executive Committee.

(3) Article VIII. National Officers.  
    [A: alter officer titles] 
    [F: suspend Assistant Secretary officer position]
    [H: suspend Assistant at Large officer position]

(Section) A. Titles, Eligibility, Accountability. The National Officers shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, and Assistant at Large. Each National Officer must be a Member of an Official or Associate State Party. All actions of the National Officers are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee and National Committee

(Section) F. Duties of Assistant Secretary. The National Assistant Secretary shall assist the National Secretary in his or her duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair or Secretary; assume the duties of the Secretary in his or her absence; perform other related functions.

(Section) H. Duties of Assistant at Large. The National Assistant at Large shall assist the National Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer in their duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair or Vice Chair; perform other related functions.

D.  Proposed changes to IAP national Bylaws:

(1) All Bylaws Article headers (and references to same) 
    [All: change Articles to Sections]

<Change all occurrences of the word "Article" that refers to Articles in the Bylaws, to the word "Section".>

(2) Article V. National Convention  
    [D: alter means of meeting notification]

(Section) D. Notices. The National Secretary shall cause notices to be sent by First Class mail via postal or electronic means to the Chair of reach recognized State Party, and to each Delegate and Alternate of record, no less than thirty days prior to any scheduled meeting. A quorum for National Convention meetings shall consist of all Delegates present at the scheduled meeting.

(3) Article VI. National Committee  
    [D: alter means of meeting notification]

(Section) D. Notices. The National Secretary shall cause notices to be sent by First Class mail via postal or electronic means to the Chair of each recognized State Party, and to each Representative and Alternate of record, no less than thirty days prior to the scheduled meeting except in the case of a bonafide emergency.

(4) Article VII. Executive Committee.
    [A: change Areas to Regions; allow appointments; alter eligibility] 
    [B: assign states to regions]
    [C: alter frequency and calling of meetings] 
    [D: alter means and time of meeting notification]

(Section) A. Membership, Areas Regions. The National Officers shall be Members-at-Large on the Executive Committee. State Parties shall be organized into geographical Areas Regions, and shall caucus and elect additional Members to the Executive Committee. Area Region Members on the Executive Committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Area Region caucus that elected them. Initially, there shall be one geographical area, and its number of Members on the Executive Committee shall be two. The National Officers may fill vacancies of Region Members by appointment, until a proper election can be held. Each Member of the Executive Committee must be a Member of an Official or Associate State Party and must abide by the IAP Constitution, Bylaws and Executive Committee Rules.

(New Section). B. Regions. There shall be four geographical regions as follows:

1. East. The Eastern States region shall consist of Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia.

2. Midwest. The Midwestern States region shall consist of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

3. South. The Southern States region shall consist of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

4. West. The Western States region shall consist of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

(Section) B. C. Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet quarterly, twice annually in person, at Regular meetings for the purpose of conducting IAP business and affairs. It shall meet at other times in Special meetings, either in person or by suitable electronic means, when called by at least two half of the National Officers, or by majority vote or petition of the Executive Committee.

(Section) C. D. Notices, Accountability. The National Secretary shall cause notices to be sent by First Class mail via postal or electronic means to all Members of the Executive Committee, no less than two weeks thirty days prior to the scheduled meeting except in the case of a bonafide emergency. All actions of the Executive Committee are subject to the approval of the National Committee.

(5) Article IX. National Officers  
    [A: alter officer titles] 
    [B: set duties of new officers]
    [C: provide for auxiliary officers] 
    [D, E: alter Secretary & Treasurer duties]
    [F, G, H: delete assistant officers] [I, J: exempt auxiliary officers from term, vacancies, etc.]

(Section) A. Titles, Eligibility, Accountability. The National Officers shall consist of a Chair,; Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, and Assistant at Large and two or more Vice Chairs, ranked as 1st Vice Chair, 2nd Vice Chair, etc. Each National Officer must be a Member of an Official or Associate State Party. All actions of the National Officers are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee and National Committee

(Section) C. Duties of Vice Chair Chairs. The National Vice Chair Chairs shall assist the Chair in his or her duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair; assume, according to rank, the duties of the Chair in the absence or incapacity of the Chair; perform other duties specified in these Bylaws; perform other related functions.

(New section) D. Auxiliary Officers. The National Secretary, National Treasurer, and other individuals, as needed, shall serve as ex-officio officers to the National Officers, Executive Committee, National Committee, and National Convention. They shall not have any vote nor be counted as part of a quorum in those bodies while acting solely in their capacity as auxiliary officers. They shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Executive Committee.

(Section) D. E. Duties of Secretary. The National Secretary shall notify Members of meetings; maintain minutes of meetings and other non-financial records; maintain a database of National Officers, National Committee Representatives and Alternates, National Convention Delegates and Alternates, other Committee Members, and State Party officers; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair; assume the duties of the Chair in the absence or incapacity of both the Chair and Vice Chair; perform other duties specified in these Bylaws; perform related functions.

(Section) E. F. Duties of Treasurer. The National Treasurer shall account for the receipt and expenditure of all IAP funds; meet requirements of the Federal Election Commission; maintain all financial records; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair; assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary; perform other duties specified in these Bylaws; perform other related functions.

(Section) F. Duties of Assistant Secretary. The National Assistant Secretary shall assist the National Secretary in his or her duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair or Secretary; assume the duties of the Secretary in his or her absence; perform other related functions.

(Section) G. Duties of Assistant Treasurer. The National Assistant Treasurer shall assist the National Treasurer in his or her duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair or Treasurer; assume the duties of the Treasurer in his or her absence; perform other related functions.

(Section) H. Duties of Assistant at Large. The National Assistant at Large shall assist the National Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer in their duties; perform other appropriate duties assigned by the Chair or Vice Chair; perform other related functions.

(Section) I. G. Term, Election, Removal. The National Officers (excluding auxiliary officers) shall serve for two-years or until their successors are elected. They shall be elected by the National Committee at its first Regular Committee meeting in odd-numbered years. They may be removed at any time by two-thirds vote of the National Committee.

(Section) J. H. Vacancies. Vacancies in the National Officer positions (excluding auxiliary officers) shall be filled by special election at the next meeting of the Executive Committee. Such election may be ratified or new elections held at the next meeting of the National Committee.

6) Article XII. Adoption  
    [A, B: delete obsolete provision]

(Section) A. Establishment. These Bylaws shall be established upon majority vote of the National Committee.

(Section) B. Interim Provision. Contrary to the provisions of Article XI, these Bylaws may be amended or revised by majority vote of the National Committee at any time within one year of their establishment.