New England Delegation to the AMA

Rules for New England Delegation to AMA

NAME

• The name of the organization shall be the New England Delegation to the American Medical Association.

OFFICERS AND DUTIES

• The elective officers shall be: Chair and Vice Chair.
• The term of office shall be two years and shall be limited to one term. It shall extend from the Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates until their successors are elected.
• The term of office shall be two years and shall be limited to one term. It shall extend from the Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates until their successors are elected.
• Elections will be held during the Fall meeting of the delegation and be from a slate submitted by the Committee on Nominations, plus nominations from the floor. Elections shall be by ballot unless there is but one candidate for an office, then a voice vote may be taken.
• Rotation of the Chair among the six states shall occur. Nomination default shall automatically pass this privilege to the next state in rotation. The rotation is as follows: Vermont; Connecticut; Massachusetts; Maine; Rhode Island; New Hampshire.
• Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall serve as the official head of the delegation. The Chair shall preside at all caucuses of the delegation. The Chair shall arrange for administrative direction and secretarial function.
• Duties of the Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall serve in the absence of the Chair.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

• The Chair may appoint an individual to serve as Executive Staff to assist with administrative duties of the Delegation.
• Executive Staff will be responsible, under the direction of the Chair, for securing arrangements for all of the meetings of the New England Delegation.

CAUCUSES

• Delegation caucuses will be convened by the Chair.
• The Delegation will meet in conjunction with the Annual and Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association House of Delegates and in conjunction with the Fall and Spring meeting of the Council of New England State Medical Societies. Emergency meetings may be convened by notice from the Chair.
• The agenda for the Fall and Spring meetings shall be distributed by first class mail to the members approximately one month prior to the meeting.
• Attendance at caucuses, breakfast and luncheon meetings shall be limited to New England delegates, alternate delegates, society executives, section representatives, specialty society delegates and alternates, Council members, state presidents and presidents-elect, and constitutional officers. Invitation to others to attend may be extended only through the Chair.
• For special meetings of the delegation, those present in the room will be limited to delegates and alternate delegates residing in New England, as well as New England state executives, presidents and presidents-elect.

COMMITTEES

• Committee on Nominations. It shall consist of six physician members, one from each New England state, elected by their respective delegations. It shall submit its nominations for officers at the Fall meeting of the New England Delegation
• Political Candidates Committee. It shall consist of six physician members, one from each New England state, elected by their respective delegations. The Delegation chair will serve as committee chair. It shall submit its recommendation for candidates for AMA office/committees. As a guideline, the Delegation will give a maximum of three years of support for a candidate for elected or appointed office.
• Other committees such as may be necessary for the conduct of business shall be appointed from time to time as appropriate by the Chair.

VOTING

• Delegates and alternate delegates credentialed to the AMA House of Delegates and residing in New England may vote on motions made during a caucus.
• The New England Delegation will commit to voting as a delegation on issues when there is a two-third majority of the delegates. Dissenters are bound to vote with the majority or abstain.
• The New England Delegation will endorse and support a candidate when approved by a two-third majority of the delegates present and voting at a regularly scheduled meeting.
• Proxy voting is not permitted.
• Those present for a vote will constitute a quorum.
• Members of the New England Delegation, who also represent other groups in the AMA House of Delegates, will, when speaking in support or dissent of an issue, clearly indicate their alliance with that group or as an individual.
• When the New England Delegation takes a position on an issue, a member of the Delegation will be designated to speak to the issue at the Reference Committee or on the floor of the House of Delegates.
• When a resolution, which is amended on the House floor subsequent to position determination by the New England Delegation, each chair, will quickly poll the delegates and alternates present from their respective state, and state chairs, or designees, will briefly caucus as to the new developments.

RESOLUTIONS

• All resolutions and proposed actions to be passed must receive a two-third majority of the delegates present in order to be endorsed by the New England Delegation.
• Executive staff shall solicit and distribute proposed resolutions from delegates and alternate delegates for the Fall and Spring meetings of the Delegation.

FINANCE

• Expenses incurred by the New England Delegation during the Annual and Interim Meetings of the American Medical Association House of Delegates will be charged to each New England State medical society using the following formula: each state medical society will be responsible for the meals ordered by the delegates and guests from their organization; all other expenses will be paid by the state medical societies in proportion to the size of their AMA membership. This proportionate sum shall be decided as necessary from year to year.
• The Fall and Spring meetings of the Delegation, held in conjunction with the Council of New England State Medical Societies, will be paid for by the Council of New England State Medical Societies.