• One will provide voting seats on the council for each of the following four national ethnic minority psychological associations: American Association of Asian Psychologists, Association of Black Psychologists, Society of Indian Psychologists and National Latino/a Psychologists Association. (At its February 2008 meeting, the council voted to send this bylaw amendment back to the membership for a vote following an educational campaign.)

• A second will give voting privileges to the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS)member of the Board of Directors.

• The third is a housekeeping amendment that adds "territory" or "territorial" throughout relevant sections of the bylaws.

The council also voted not to send pro/con statements with any of the proposed amendments.

APA will send the ballot to the membership with the Apportionment Ballot on Oct. 31.

Below are the proposed bylaws amendments; bracketed text is to be deleted and underlined text is to be added.

New voting seats on the council

The first proposed bylaws amendments will provide a voting seat on the council for each of the four National Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations. If approved, the terms for the Council representatives would begin Jan. 1.

Note that adding these seats would be outside the regular council representation apportionment process; no current or future division or state/provincial/territorial associations would be at risk for losing their seat(s) due to the addition of these new seats.

ARTICLE V: COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES

1. Council shall be composed of Representatives of Divisions, Representatives of State and Provincial Psychological Associations, members of the Board of Directors, the Officers of the Association (the chief staff officer shall serve without vote), [and] the APAGS Representative and one Representative from each National Ethnic Minority Psychological Association (the Asian American Psychological Association, the Association of Black Psychologists, the National Latina/o Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists).

5. Council Representatives of a Division [or], a State/Provincial Association, or the Asian American Psychological Association, the Association of Black Psychologists, the National Latina/o Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists shall be members of [the Division or State/Provincial Association] their respective constituencies and Members of the Association, and shall be elected for a period not to exceed three years. If during that three-year period the Division or State/Provincial Association is allocated fewer seats, the Division or State/Provincial Association shall recall the appropriate number of Representatives. The term of office of the recalled member is thereby terminated.

6. Each APA Fellow, Member, and voting Associate member shall choose the Division(s) or State/Provincial Association(s) through which he/she elected to have his/her interest represented on Council by allocating, at the time of the annual dues statement, a total of ten (10) votes to the Division(s) and/or State/Provincial Association(s) through which he/she wishes to be represented the following year. However, only Fellows, Members (or voting Associate members) of the Divisions or State/Provincial Associations so designated will be allowed to nominate and elect their Council Representatives. The Representatives of each of the National Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations shall be designated by their respective Association.

8. A Council member who has served for six consecutive years shall not be eligible for election or appointment for a period of one year as a Representative from any Division, State/Provincial Association, National Ethnic Minority Psychological Association, or coalition.

ARTICLE XVI: NATIONAL ETHNIC MINORITY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS

1. As provided in Article V.1, the Asian American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, National Latina/o Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists shall each have one voting representative serving on the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association.

2. Each of these National Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations shall exercise such control over its members so that membership in such Association shall not imply membership in the American Psychological Association.

3. The American Psychological Association shall not be responsible for the acts or omissions of these National Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations, except as specifically authorized by these Bylaws or other duly promulgated rule of Council.

Note: Subsequent sections to the Bylaws will be renumbered.

New voting privileges

The second proposed bylaws amendment will provide a vote on the Board of Directors for the APAGS Representative to the Council of Representatives who currently serves as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

Note that the Chair of APAGS has served as a voting member of the council and a non-voting member of the Board of Directors since 2003. (Relevant Bylaw amendments were approved by the membership in 2002).

ARTICLE VII: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Past-President, the Recording Secretary, the Treasurer, the Chief Staff Officer (without vote), the APAGS Representative to the Council of Representatives [(without vote)], and six others elected by a preferential ballot by those Members and from those Members holding seats on Council during the year immediately preceding the election. Directors not serving ex officio shall serve for staggered terms of three years. All members of the Board of Directors shall serve until their successors are elected and qualify.

Housekeeping change

The third proposed bylaws amendment adds the words "territory" or "territorial" to the relevant sections of the Bylaws.

Note that Article XIII, Section 1, of the APA Bylaws currently states: For the purposes of organization, the District of Columbia, the territories and commonwealths of the United States, and the provinces of Canada are to be regarded as the equivalent of states.

The proposed revisions are housekeeping changes to add "territory" or "territorial" throughout wherever "states/provinces", "state/provincial" or similar language is currently found in the APA Bylaws. "Province" is being added in two places where it was inadvertently left out when housekeeping changes to add "province" were approved by the membership.

ARTICLE IV: POWER AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES

4. Upon petition of .50% of the Members in good standing at the time of the petition's filing with the Recording Secretary or upon vote of any Division or State, [or] Provincial, or Territorial Psychological Association, any matter of legislation may be brought to the attention of Council, which shall vote upon it at its next meeting.

ARTICLE V: COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES

1. Council shall be composed of Representatives of Divisions, Representatives of State, [and] Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations, members of the Board of Directors, the Officers of the Association (the chief staff officer shall serve without vote) and the APAGS Representative. In the event that any Representatives of a given Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association cannot be present, Council will seat one member as an Alternate Representative for that meeting, provided such member is an officer of or has been designated in advance by that Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association. Representatives shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualify, except that a Representative who has been elected to the Board of Directors shall continue to be a member of Council after the expiration of his/her term as Representative, and after the election and qualification of his/her successor as Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association Representative, until the expiration of his/her term as a member of the Board of Directors.

3. Representatives to Council shall be elected from Divisions and State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations, but need not necessarily be elected from every Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association.

5. Council Representatives of a Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association shall be members of the Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association, and Members of the Association, and shall be elected for a period not to exceed three years. If during that three-year period the Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association is allocated fewer seats, the Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Association shall recall the appropriate number of Representatives. The term of office of the recalled member is thereby terminated.

6. Each APA Fellow, Member, and voting Associate member shall choose the Division(s) or State/Provincial/Territorial Association(s) through which he/she elected to have his/her interest represented on Council by allocating, at the time of the annual dues statement, a total of ten (10) votes to the Division(s) and/or State/Provincial/Territorial Association(s) through which he/she wishes to be represented the following year. However, only Fellows, Members (or voting Associate members) of the Divisions or State/Provincial/Territorial Associations so designated will be allowed to nominate and elect their Council Representatives.

7. The number of Representatives from Divisions and State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations shall be 162. The 162 Representatives will be divided into 2 pools, one for State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations and one for Divisions. The percentage of the 162 seats for State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations shall correspond to the percentage of total apportionment votes allocated to State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations and the percentage of the 162 seats for Divisions shall correspond to the percentage of total apportionment votes allocated to Divisions.

Each Division shall be allocated one seat from the Division Pool and each State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association shall be allocated one seat from the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association Pool. The awarding of additional seats allocated to each Pool shall be based on the percentage of allocated votes received by a Division or State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association and calculated as follows:

1.5% to less than 2.5% ... 1 additional seat

2.5% to less than 3.5% ... 2 additional seats

3.5% to less than 4.5% ... 3 additional seats

etc.

Additional seats will be allocated to those units in a Pool entitled to additional seats in the following manner. The unit with the highest percentage in the Pool will receive the first additional seat and an additional seat will be assigned to other units entitled to one or more additional seats in descending order of their percentages. If, after all units in a Pool entitled to one or more additional seats have received one additional seat, there remain units that are entitled to two or more additional seats, and if the seats allocated to the Pool have not been exhausted, the unit in the Pool with the highest percentage will receive a second additional seat and a second additional seat will be assigned to other units entitled to two or more additional seats in descending order of their percentages. This process shall be continued until either all additional seats allocated to the Pool have been assigned or until all units in the Pool entitled to additional seats have been assigned all of the seats to which their percentages of allocated votes entitle them.

If, after all units in a Pool have been assigned the additional seats to which they are entitled by virtue of their percentages, there remain seats allocated to a Pool which have not been assigned, those remaining seats shall be assigned to the units in the Pool in the order in which the units came closest to being awarded another seat as a result of the allocated votes.

8. A Council member who has served for six consecutive years shall not be eligible for election or appointment for a period of one year as a Representative from any Division, State/Provincial/Territorial Association, or coalition.

9. Any group of State,[or] Provincial, or Territorial Psychological Associations or Divisions may, by mutual agreement, associate themselves as a unit for Council representation. Wherever the terms State,[and] Provincial, or Territorial Psychological Association and/or Division are used in this article, they refer to such coalitions as well as to individual State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations or Divisions.

ARTICLE VII: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the President-elect, the Past President, the Recording Secretary, the Treasurer, the chief staff officer (without vote), the APAGS Representative to the Council of Representatives (without vote) and six others elected by a preferential ballot by those Members holding seats on Council during the year preceding the election and from those Members holding seats on Council representing Divisions or State, [and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations during the year immediately preceding the election. Directors not serving ex officio shall serve for staggered terms of three years. All members of the Board of Directors shall serve until their successors are elected and qualify.

ARTICLE VIII: OFFICERS

9. The Board of Directors shall nominate a Member of the Association to Council for confirmation as chief staff officer who shall be the administrative officer of the Association and Director of the Central Office. The chief staff officer's official title shall be determined by the Board of Directors. The chief staff officer shall be responsible for the staff, their hiring, training, performance, and termination. The chief staff officer shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors and Council or as may be prescribed in these Bylaws. Confirmation of the chief staff officer shall be by a two-thirds vote of those Council members voting. The chief staff officer shall be confirmed for a term not to exceed five years and may be reconfirmed. During this term the chief staff officer shall not hold any other office within the Association or any of its Divisions or State,[or] Provincial, or Territorial Psychological Associations.

ARTICLE X: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

4. Forty-five days after mailing a final ballot, the Election Committee shall close the election and shall make a preferential count of the election ballot. Tie votes shall be resolved by lot. The Election Committee shall also secure reports from the Divisions and from the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations of the results of all elections conducted by them. The election results shall be reported by the Election Committee to the Board of Directors and Council within thirty days after the ballot closes.

ARTICLE XI: BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

7. The Policy and Planning Board shall consist of not fewer than nine Members of the Association, three of whom shall be elected each year and each of whom shall serve for an initial term of not less than three years. The Policy and Planning Board shall be selected to represent the range of active interests within the Association. No person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms. The Policy and Planning Board's function shall be the consideration of current and long-range policy. As a continuing body, it shall recommend to the Members, Board of Directors, and Council such changes in existing policy and such extensions or restrictions of the functions of the Association, its Divisions, or State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations as are consonant with the purposes of the Association. The Policy and Planning Board shall report annually by publication to the membership. It shall review the structure and function of the Association as a whole in every fifth year and

ARTICLE XIII: STATE,[AND] PROVINCIAL, AND TERRITORIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS

1. A State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association may, upon vote of Council, be affiliated with the American Psychological Association, provided that ten or more of its members are Members of the American Psychological Association. Continuing affiliation shall depend upon the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association's conforming to the purposes and stated policies of the Association. For the purposes of organization, the District of Columbia, the territories and commonwealths of the United States, and the provinces of Canada are to be regarded as the equivalent of states. In areas where there are relatively few psychologists, an organization extending beyond state boundaries may be affiliated, so long as it does not include an area in which there is a State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association.

2. A State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association shall be representative of all the scientific and professional interests of psychologists within the state/province/territory. Its name should be the name of the state/province/territory, followed by the words "Psychological Association." Its objectives shall fall within the scope of those specified in Article I of these Bylaws, and its membership shall not be restricted on any basis other than psychological interests and qualifications or place of residence or work. The term State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association, as used in these Bylaws, shall mean a State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Association affiliated with the Association.

3. Each State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association shall exercise such control over its membership that membership in the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association shall not imply membership in the American Psychological Association.

4. In the event that Council finds that the conditions of affiliation are not being fulfilled by a State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association or that its affiliation is no longer in the best interest of the American Psychological Association, the principal officers of the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association shall be so informed and the affiliation may thereafter be terminated by a two-thirds vote of Council.

5. In matters of mutual concern to the State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations and the Association, it shall be the responsibility of the American Psychological Association to encourage and assist the State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association in taking responsible action and, when advisable, to formulate standards of uniform practice that will guide the State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations. It shall be the responsibility of each State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association to keep the Association and other State,[and]Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations adequately informed of actions affecting the welfare of psychologists beyond its own state boundaries.

6. The Association shall not be responsible for the acts or omissions of its State,[and] Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association Affiliates, except as specifically authorized by these Bylaws or other duly promulgated rule of Council.

ARTICLE XVI: CENTRAL OFFICE

1. The Association shall maintain a Central Office for the promotion of the objectives of the Association, its Divisions, and State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Associations. The Central Office shall be established at such a place and with such facilities and functions as Council may direct. The chief staff officer shall be the Director of the Central Office. He/She shall report annually on the operations of the Central Office to the Board of Directors, to Council, and by publication to the membership.