Article I. Name, Purposes, Objectives

Article II. Membership

Article III. Fees, Dues, and Assessments

Article IV. Governance

Article V. Officers

Article VI. Standing Committees

Article VII. Journal Board

Article VIII. Professional Standards Board

Article IX. Assistive Technology Standards Board

Article X. Development Board

Article XI. Board on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Educational Programs (CoA-RATE)

Article XII. Elections

Article XIII. Conduct of Business

Article XIV. Financial Management

Article XV. General

Article XVI. Amendments

Article XVII. Establishment and Dissolution

Bylaw Sections

Introduction

RESNA bylaws (updated June 2024) are listed below by Article Number. 

Article I. Name, Purposes, Objectives

Section 1.01 Name: The name of the organization shall be the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. The organization will be known as RESNA in all official publications.

Section 1.02 Purpose: The purpose of RESNA shall be to contribute to the public welfare through scientific, literary, professional and educational activities by supporting the development, dissemination, and utilization of the knowledge and practice of rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology in order to achieve the highest quality of life for all citizens.

Section 1.03: Objectives: To achieve this purpose, the objectives of RESNA shall be:
(a) To provide consultation and coordination concerning matters of interest to the membership of RESNA.
(b) To foster liaison between the disciplines involved in the field of rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology, and to relate developments in others areas of science, technology, and service delivery.
(c) To promote training and developments of pertinent professional workforce.
(d) To serve as a forum for the development of standards, terminology, and guidelines.
(e) To plan and conduct scientific, technical, and educational meetings, programs and activities which may be held in conjunction with other related organizations; however, RESNA will retain full control of financial and program management of its programs and activities.
(f) To publish and disseminate information.
(g) To stimulate and encourage relevant research.
(h) To establish and maintain programs of professional certification, educational evaluation and approval, and accreditation of educational facilities in rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology.
(i) To conduct such other activities as are necessary for the fulfillment of its purpose.
 

Article II. Membership

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Section 2.01 Member Categories: The Board of Directors shall establish categories of membership, definitions of who is qualified to be in each category, and any discounts in dues and other fees associated with each category, as suits the needs of the organization. 

Section 2.02 Fellow: The title "RESNA Fellow" may be conferred by the Board of Directors on those members of RESNA who have made long term and substantial contributions to the field of rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology as well as significant contributions to RESNA. The title “RESNA Honorary Fellow” may be conferred by the Board of Directors to non-members who have promoted issues and demonstrated leadership highly relevant to the field of rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology and who have encouraged the independence of individuals with disabilities. Honorary fellowship may also be conferred on non-members of RESNA who have contributed to the accomplishments of the objectives of RESNA, or who have performed special services for RESNA.

Section 2.03 Member Rights: Any individual member shall be entitled to all customary rights and privileges, including election to any office and voting in any election and on any issue raised at a regular or special meeting of RESNA.

Section 2.04 Member Groups: Member Groups may organize themselves into groups representing special interest areas of rehabilitation engineering and rehabilitation and assistive technology. Membership in RESNA is a pre-requisite for leadership of these member groups.

Section 2.05 Termination: of membership may occur under the following conditions:

Article III. Fees, Dues, and Assessments

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Section 3.01: Dues for members are payable upon becoming a member and renewed thereafter at the onset of the subsequent membership term.

Section 3.02: Dues, fees, and assessment amounts shall be established by a two-thirds majority of the voting members present at a meeting of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.03: All membership privileges shall be suspended during periods of delinquency of more than thirty (30) days.
 

Article IV. Governance

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Section 4.01 Headquarters: RESNA shall maintain a headquarters office located within the United States.

Section 4.02 Management: The management of RESNA shall reside in the Board of Directors and others, as specified herein. It is the function of the Board to determine objectives, purpose, and official policy of the organization and to implement the same.

Section 4.03 Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and directors of RESNA. 

Section 4.04 Duties and Powers of the Board of Directors:
(a) To exercise its legal and constitutional authority and responsibility in the direction and conduct of the affairs of RESNA, including the initiation and establishment of policy, in order to promote and attain the objectives of RESNA.
(b) To engage in business activities including, but not limited to the entering of contracts, leases, and other legal documents, the purchasing and sale of real and personal property, the pledging of the assets of RESNA as security, and the transacting of all other affairs of RESNA not otherwise provided for.
(c) To engage in long-term and strategic planning to guide the work of RESNA.
(d) To adopt rules and regulations covering members of all categories which might supplement those in the Bylaws.
(e) To fix fees, dues, and assessments for all categories of membership.
(f) To employ administrative and technical personnel as the Board may consider necessary to support the activities of RESNA.
(g) To create all committees, and to approve the President's appointments of Chairs to these committees.
(h) To propose the creation of Specialty Boards which are more self-governing than Committees and which may be semi-autonomous in aspects of their operations. The establishment of such Boards shall require a revision of these Bylaws and ratification by the membership. Specialty Boards may establish their own Policies and Procedures document, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
(i) To create advisory groups and councils as may be necessary for effective liaison with other organizations and the community.
(j) To report to the Society annually its work and activities, including a financial statement, and such interim reports as are necessary and advisable. This annual report and any such interim reports as are necessary and advisable, will be presented at the Annual Business Meeting.
(k) The Board may remove an officer, director, or member for due cause by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4.06 Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of RESNA shall be the calendar year. 

Section 4.07 Annual Budget: The annual budget for the succeeding fiscal year shall be presented for Board approval at a meeting of the Board, following distribution of such budget to the Board at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date.

Section 4.08 Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall be charged with carrying out policies of the Board between administrative meetings and to present programs, policies, and issues to the Board for consideration and/or approval.

Article V. Officers

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Section 5.01 Designation of Officers: The officers of RESNA shall be an elected President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, and Secretary; and a Treasurer appointed by the President, with the Executive Director serving as Secretary when needed but not as an officer. 

Section 5.02 Terms of office: shall be two years (beginning August 1) following the election. A portion of a term filled on an interim basis, as identified in this section, shall not be considered as a term of office.
(a) The President-Elect and President shall serve no more than one successive term in each office and the Secretary and Treasurer shall serve no more than two successive terms in each office.
(b) All officers and the member at large, are voting members of the Executive Committee.

Section 5.03 President: The President shall be the principal officer of RESNA.

Section 5.04 President-Elect: The President-Elect shall have previously been a member of the Board of Directors and shall have served at least one year as an elected officer or director.

(a) The Secretary is considered a voting member of the Board.
(b) In the event of the Secretary's death, inability, or refusal to act, a Secretary shall be appointed by the President for the remainder of the term with the concurrence of the Board.

Section 5.06 Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have previously been a member of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be nominated by the President, with the approval of the Board. The Treasurer, under the direction of the Board of Directors, shall have general supervision of the fiscal affairs of RESNA and other records required by law.

Section 5.07 Executive Director: There shall be an Executive Director, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee with the approval of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall be the chief executive and operating officer of the society, with responsibility for the management and direction of all operations, programs, activities and affairs of the society, including employment and termination of employment, and the determination of compensation of members of the staff and supporting personnel, functioning within the framework of policy aims and programs as generally determined by the Board of Directors and with the concurrence of the Executive Committee. 

Article VI. Standing Committees

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Section 6.01 Committees: 
(a) Permanent standing committees are: Finance and Governance. 
(b) The Board of Directors has discretion to create, modify, or disband other committees that provide important services to the membership. These services include, but are not limited to, enhancing the value of membership; supporting Special Interest Groups and Professional Specialty Groups; providing educational opportunities through conferences and other mechanisms; monitoring and responding to regulatory and government policy issues; promoting the organization and represented professions; and supporting the interests of researchers and practitioners.
(c) With the exception of the standing committees, the Chair of each committee, with the approval of the Board, shall be appointed by the President and serve one year. The Chair of each committee shall be a member of RESNA. A Chair whose term of office has expired shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed and is ready to serve. A committee Chair is limited to serving no more than four successive terms.
(d) A majority of all committee members shall be members of RESNA. Unless stated otherwise in these Bylaws, members of committees shall be appointed by the respective committee Chairs. The term of office of all committee members shall be one year and is renewable.
(e) Excluding the permanent standing committees, all Officers, including the Executive Director, are ex-officio members of all committees without vote.
(f) The President or Board may establish short-term Task Force groups or longer lasting Ad Hoc Committees to address particular needs or concerns.
(g) All committees with business to conduct or information to report shall meet and report in writing to the Executive Director, President, or Board of Directors at least once per year prior to the annual business meeting, or as otherwise directed by the President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors.
(h) The work of the committees shall be informed and guided by an Organizational Guidelines Manual maintained and kept current by the Executive Director and office staff in consultation with the President, Executive Committee, and committee chairs. Significant modifications to these guidelines for all or individual committees shall be approved by the Board. This document shall be available to the Membership in an easily accessible manner. 

Section 6.02 The Finance Committee:
The Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer as Chair, the President-Elect, two Board members, and up to two additional members, (with an overlap of the prior Treasurer for the first year of a new committee). The Finance Committee shall:
(a) Receive, review, and make recommendations to the Board on all financial statements and the annual budget to be presented to the Board at administrated meetings, including budgets relating to Grants, Contracts, Operations, Committee activities, and the Specialty Boards described in Articles VII through X herein.
(b) Make recommendations to the Board regarding financial policies and affairs of RESNA.
(c) Be responsible for reviewing any audit of RESNA records as required by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.03 The Governance Committee: shall consist of the Immediate Past President as Chair, the President-Elect, the Treasuruer, two Board members selected by the Chair, chairs of the main committees established under section 6.01(b), and one member-at-large selected by the Chair.
The Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing matters relating to board nominations, elections, awards, bylaws, and ethics. In particular, the Committee shall:
(a) Oversee Board nominations and conduct elections as described in Article XII and the Organizational Guidelines Manual.
(b) Administer RESNA’s program for special recognition, honors, and awards; overseeing the nominations process and reviewing and recommending nominees to the Board. It shall establish and recommend to the Board criteria and procedures for these awards.
(c) Oversee and manage any proposed amendments to the bylaws in accordance with Article XVI.
(d) Oversee and enforce RESNA’s Code of Ethics. It shall also make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding procedures to process claims of violations and any changes in the organization's Code of Ethics.
(e) Unless otherwise noted, the work of the Committee shall be guided by the organization’s Organizational Guidelines Manual.
 

Article VII. Journal Board

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Section 7.01: The Chair of the Journal Editorial Board shall be Editor-in-Chief of the Assistive Technology Journal, and shall be appointed by the President and ratified by the Board of Directors. The Chair of the Journal Board shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors, or until the Chair decides to resign, whichever comes first.

Section 7.02: The Chair shall appoint an Editorial Board to coordinate review of manuscripts submitted to the Journal

Section 7.03: The Chair may appoint advisors to the Editorial Board at their discretion.

Section 7.04: The Chair shall submit at least one annual report to the Board of Directors. Additional reports may be requested by the President, Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors. 

Section 7.05: The Chair shall submit an annual budget with justification for each line item and projections of revenues and expenses for review by the RESNA Finance Committee and approval by the Board of Directors. 

Article VIII. Professional Standards Board

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Section 8.01: The RESNA Board of Directors shall establish a Professional Standards Board (PSB) to govern the organization’s professional certification programs.

Section 8.02 Responsibilities: To ensure that the PSB has the greatest possible autonomy in decision-making over essential certification activities, PSB activities shall include, but not be limited to: 

• selection of PSB members;
• participation in selection of certification staff;
• setting eligibility standards for exam(s) and for renewal(s);
• design, administration, and maintenance of exams;
• development of new certification programs, or termination of existing programs, with the approval of the RESNA Board of Directors when market and/or stakeholder research indicates the need; 
• marketing the certifications to increase visibility and number of certificants;
• establishing sound annual budgets and managing expenses to meet budgets approved by the RESNA Board of Directors;
• creating operational policies and procedures that are submitted to the RESNA Board of Directors for review and comment;
• setting of fees for exams, retakes, and renewal that are submitted to the RESNA Board of Directors for approval;
• serving as the final decision-making body for adjudication of certification, appeals, and all disciplinary action;
• maintaining a registry of certified service providers;
• abide by NCCA or other appropriate accreditation standards.

Section 8.03 Composition: The PSB shall be comprised of twelve to fifteen members. At least eight members shall possess current RESNA certification, and each RESNA certification program shall be represented by at least one member who has achieved and maintains the respective credential. With the exception of the consumer members, if the member does not hold a current certification, then they must be RESNA members. At least one member shall be a registered member of the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS). Efforts shall be made to assure the major subspecialty areas within assistive technology are represented, with the sole exception of consumer members. Two members shall be appointed to represent consumers, and such consumer members shall be representative of the consumers of services provided by assistive technology providers, and shall not derive their income from, or have an immediate family member who derives their income from the assistive technology industry. One member shall be a member of the RESNA Board of Directors serving on the PSB ex officio without vote; this member must be a member of the Board of Directors at the time of appointment to and throughout their appointment term on the PSB.

Section 8.04 Appointment Authority: The PSB shall appoint new members by a majority vote of all voting members of the PSB. Members are appointed for a three-year term, and members may be reappointed for one additional three-year term. A partial term to which a member may be appointed to fill a vacancy shall not count toward the otherwise total allowable six-year term for any given member. Membership terms shall be staggered so that less than half are scheduled to expire in any given year. PSB members may not be removed except upon majority vote of all voting members of the PSB.

Section 8.05 Officers: PSB Offices are held by PSB members during the course of their term. The PSB shall determine the appropriate number, title and role of PSB officers to carry out the responsibilities of the PSB. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of all voting members of the PSB annually. 

Section 8.06 Committees: The PSB may form standing and special committees, task forces, workgroups and/or panels as the PSB deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities effectively. Appointment authority for such committees shall rest entirely with the PSB.

Section 8.07 Meetings: The PSB shall meet no less than twice annually with at least one in-person meeting. Business of the PSB and/or any committees, task forces, workgroup and panels of the PSB may be conducted in -person, by teleconference or other electronic means.

Section 8.08 Quorum and Vote:A majority of all voting members of the PSB shall constitute a quorum for taking formal action. Formal actions may be approved by simple majority of voting members present except when conducting business electronically when a majority of all voting members is required for approval. 

Section 8.09 Budget: The RESNA Board of Directors shall annually allocate sufficient resources and funds to support the PSB in carrying out its responsibilities effectively. The PSB shall submit an annual budget with justification for each line item and projections of revenues and expenses for review by the RESNA Finance Committee and approval by the RESNA Board of Directors.

Section 8.10 Reporting: The PSB shall submit at least one annual report to the Board of Directors. Additional reports may be requested by the President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors.
 

Article IX. Assistive Technology Standards Board

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Section 9.01: The Assistive Technology Standards Board (ATSB) shall participate with the American National Standards Institute, the International Standards Organization and other individuals, associations and organizations to develop standards for assistive technology products and processes.

Section 9.02: The Chair of the ATSB shall be appointed by the President and ratified by the RESNA Board of Directors each year to serve a one (1) year term.

Section 9.03: The Chair of the ATSB shall appoint a Vice-Chair. who shall be ratified by the ATSB at its annual meeting.

Section 9.04: The RESNA Executive Director shall appoint the Secretariat, who shall be ratified by the ATSB.

Section 9.05: RESNA membership is not a requirement for participation on the ATSB.

Section 9.06: The Assistive Technology Standards Board shall be governed by “RESNA Standards Organization’s Policies and Procedures” which is incorporated into these Bylaws by reference.

Section 9.07: The RESNA Board of Directors must approve any changes that may be made from time to time to these policies and procedures.

Section 9.08: The Assistive Technology Standards Board shall submit an annual report to the Executive Director or President. Additional reports may be requested by the President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors.

Section 9.09: The ATSB shall submit an annual budget with justification for each line item and projections of revenues and expenses for review by the RESNA Finance Committee and approval by the Board of Directors.
 

Article X. Development Board

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Section 10.01: The purpose of the Development Board (DB) is to support the mission and future development of RESNA with resources derived from all fund-raising activities . The Development Board may make recommendations to the Board of Directors on the allocation of all funds raised, but the final decision is determined by the RESNA Board of Directors. 

Section 10.02: The Chair of the DB shall be appointed by the President and ratified by the RESNA Board of Directors every 2 years. 

Section 10.03: The DB Board shall be comprised of voting and non-voting members.  The voting members shall include: The Chair; RESNA Immediate Past President; RESNA Treasurer; the three RESNA Fellows; and other individuals as appointed by the DB Chair.  Voting members may be non-members of RESNA to broaden our fundraising network and add expertise with respect to fund raising, financial investment, etc. Non-voting members include the RESNA President and RESNA Executive Director.  All DB appointments shall be approved by the RESNA Board of Directors. DB terms shall not be limited. However, a DB member can be removed by a 2/3rds majority vote of the DB.

Section 10.04: A majority of all voting members of the DB shall constitute a quorum for taking formal action. Formal actions may be approved by simple majority of voting members present except when conducting business electronically, when a majority of all voting members is required for approval.

Section 10.05: The DB may form standing and special committees, task forces, workgroups, and/or panels or other entities as the DB deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities effectively and to foster activities consistent with RESNA’s mission. 

Section 10.06: The DB shall meet no less than twice annually. Business of the DB and/or any committees, task forces, workgroups and panels of the DB may be conducted in-person, by teleconference, or other electronic means. 

Section 10.07: The DB Chair, or designate, will present an annual report to the RESNA Board of Directors. Additional reports may be requested by the President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors. The annual report shall include:

(a) the activities undertaken and completed by the DB; 
(b) the assets and liabilities, including trust funds, of the DB and related foundations or funds (e.g. Founders Fund) as of the end of the fiscal year; 
(c) the principal changes in the assets and liabilities of the DB including trust funds, during such fiscal year; 
(e) the revenue or receipts of the DB both restricted and unrestricted to particular purposes, during such fiscal year; 
(f) the expenses and disbursements of the DB for both general and restricted purposes, during such fiscal year;
(e) planned fundraising and program development activities. 
 

Article XI. Board on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Educational Programs (CoA-RATE)

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Section 11.01: The RESNA Board of Directors shall establish a Board on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Educational Programs, which shall operate as the Committee on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Education(CoA-Rate). The CoA-Rate will govern the organization's academic program accreditation program.

Section 11.02 Purpose: The purpose of the CoA-RATE is to promote the highest levels of professional competence of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology practitioners through the:

• development and promotion of professional preparation standards;
• encouragement of excellence in educational program development;
• accreditation of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology professional preparation programs

Section 11.03 Responsibilities: 
(a) To ensure that the CoA-RATE has autonomy in decision-making over essential accreditation activities, CoA-RATE activities shall include, but not be limited 

• selection of CoA-RATE members;
• participation in selection of RESNA Office academic program accreditation staff;
• setting eligibility standards for accreditation and for renewal;
• design, administration, and maintenance of the review process;
• marketing the accreditation program to increase visibility and number of accredited academic programs;
• establishing sound annual budgets and managing expenses to meet budgets approved by the RESNA Board of Directors;
• creating operational policies and procedures that are submitted to the RESNA Board of Directors for review and comment;
• setting of fees for initial accreditation application and renewal;
• serving as the final decision-making body for adjudication of accreditation, appeals, and all disciplinary action;
• maintaining a registry of accredited programs;
• abide by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards.

(b) The CoA-RATE shall be a non-membership entity.

Section 11.04 Composition:
(a) The CoA-RATE shall be comprised of 8-20 members, with backgrounds as follows:

• At least 3 program directors or faculty from programs preparing students for Rehabilitation Engineering or Assistive Technology practice. Ideally, these  members will include at least one each from three of the following fields: Rehabilitation Engineering, Assistive Technology, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Special Education;
• At least 3 Rehabilitation Engineering or Assistive Technology professionals;
• At least 1 student or alumnus of a Rehabilitation or Assistive Technology educational program;
• At least 1 employer of Rehabilitation Engineering or Assistive Technology professionals;
• At least 1 consumer familiar with Rehabilitation Engineering or Assistive Technology, but not trained in Rehabilitation Engineering or Assistive Technology, nor employed by Assistive Technology service providers.
• The abovementioned members shall not be current members of the RESNA Professional Specialty Board.
• Additionally, 1 member (ex-officio) who is a member of the RESNA Board of Directors to act as Liaison.

(b) Efforts shall be made to ensure the major subspecialty areas within Assistive Technology are represented.

Section 11.05 Appointment Authority:
(a) The CoA-RATE shall appoint new members by a majority vote of all members of the CoA-RATE. Members are appointed for a 3-year term. Members may be re-appointed for one additional 3-year term. A partial term to which a member may be appointed to fill a vacancy shall not count toward the otherwise total allowable 6-year term for a given member.

(b) Membership terms shall be staggered so that less than half are scheduled to expire in any given year.
(c) Membership term shall begin on January 1.
(d) CoA-RATE members may not be removed except upon majority vote of all voting members of the CoA-RATE.

Section 11.06 Officers:
(a) The Officers of the CoA-RATE shall be the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. CoA-RATE Offices are held by CoA-RATE members during the course of their term. Officers shall be elected annually by a majority vote of all voting members of the CoA-RATE.
(b) The Chair of the CoA-RATE shall be the principal elected officer of CoA-RATE, shall preside at meetings of the CoA-RATE and the Executive Committee, and shall, in general, supervise and control all the business and affairs of the CoA-RATE, which operates as a Committee on Accreditation (CoA) of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Vice Chair of the CoA-RATE shall serve as principal elected officer in the absence of the Chair, and perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is unable to attend a meeting of the CoA-RATE. The Vice Chair shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Chair on the business and affairs of the CoA-RATE.
(c) The Secretary shall provide notice of all meetings of the Board of Directors of the CoA-RATE, shall keep records of all proceedings (i.e., Minutes), and in general perform all duties regularly assigned secretary and such duties as may be assigned by the Chair. The Secretary shall also execute the nominations and elections process for the CoA-RATE and its officers in accordance with the provisions of the ByLaws, and shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Chair.

Section 11.07 Executive Committee:
(a)The CoA-Rate Board may decide to appoint an Executive Committee. If so, the Executive Committee of the CoA-RATE Board shall be the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and one Member-at-Large who shall be elected from within the CoA-RATE, and shall serve for a one-year renewable term. No member may hold more than one of the aforesaid offices. The RESNA Board of Directors member shall be on the Executive Committee, as an ex-officio member non-voting member.
(b) The Executive Committee shall act on behalf of the CoA-RATE with respect to matters which cannot be delayed until the next scheduled meeting of the CoA-RATE, shall supervise the affairs of the CoA-RATE and regulate its budget, approve expenditures and commitments according to rules prescribed by the CoA-RATE, report to the CoA-RATE at each meeting of the CoA-RATE, and examine committees appointed by the Chair.
(c) A majority of members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(d) The Executive Committee may be called into session by the Chair of the CoA-RATE, or at the request of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

Section 11.08 Committees: The CoA-RATE may form standing and special committees, task forces, workgroups, and/or panels as the CoA-RATE deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities effectively. Appointment authority for such committees shall rest entirely with the CoA-RATE.

Section 11.09 Meetings:
(a) The CoA-RATE shall meet no less than twice annually. Business of the CoA-RATE and/or any committees, task forces, workgroups, and panels of the CoA-RATE may be conducted in-person, by teleconference, or other electronic means.
(b) The rules of procedure at meetings of the CoA-RATE shall be according to most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order on parliamentary procedure.

Section 11.10 Quorum and Vote: A majority of all voting members of the CoA-RATE shall constitute a quorum for taking formal action. Formal actions may be approved by simple majority of voting members present, except when conducting business electronically, in which case a majority of all voting members is required for approval.

Section 11.11 Budget: The RESNA Board of Directors shall annually allocate sufficient resources and funds to support the CoA-RATE in carrying out its responsibilities effectively. The CoA-RATE shall submit an annual budget with justification for each line item and projections of revenues and expenses for review by the RESNA Finance Committee and approval by the RESNA Board of Directors.

Section 11.12 Reporting: The CoA-RATE shall submit at least one annual report to the RESNA Board of Directors. Additional reports may be requested by the RESNA President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors.

Article XII. Elections

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Section 12.01: The Governance Committee will solicit candidates for all offices from the membership. The request for nominations for consideration by the Nominating Committee will remain open for at least 30 days.

Section 12.02: The Governance Committee shall select and present a slate of nominees for officers and directors to the Board of Directors for approval. The Committee shall make every effort to submit a slate with at least two nominee each for President Elect and Secretary (during appropriate years) and at least five but no more than six nominees for the three Board positions. The Committee shall also strive for diversity in its leadership, giving due consideration to members who are consumers of assistive technology, and a Board that reflects the membership’s range of professional interests.

Section 12.03: If a candidate for President-Elect, Secretary or Director runs unopposed, he/she must receive at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the votes cast to be elected. If the candidate does not receive the required votes, a new nominee(s) will be selected and a special election held.

Section 12.04: Upon approval by the Board, the Secretary or Executive Director shall send information on all of the nominees for officers and directors, along with a ballot, to the membership by regular mail or electronic means. Completed ballots must be postmarked or electronically completed within 30 days of the date the ballots are sent to the membership.

Section 12.05: All candidates for election to RESNA officers and Board of Director positions shall be Members of RESNA in good standing for a period of at least three (3) years immediately preceding their nomination.
 

Article XIII Conduct of Business

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Section 13.01: Meetings of RESNA shall be held at such times and places as the Board of Directors may direct. The Secretary or Executive Director shall notify the members of each meeting at least 30 days before the meeting. 

Section 13.02: Revised Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings.
 

Article XIV. Financial Management

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Section 14.01: RESNA shall not be organized nor operated for profit and shall be operated within the meaning of Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended or replaced.

Section 14.02: Income shall be derived from fees, dues, assessments, gifts and donations; proceeds from conferences and publication sales; proceeds from sales of products and services; and reimbursements for cost incurred in providing special services to other organizations or agencies.

Section 14.03: Within the approved annual budget, the Executive Committee may employ professional staff to provide services and procure supplies necessary for the operation of RESNA.

Section 14.04: As recommended by the Treasurer and approved by the Board, RESNA may accrue and maintain a Reserve Fund.

Section 14.05: Upon dissolution, the Board of Directors shall distribute all remaining assets to such organizations which are exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended or replaced.
 

Article XV. General

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Section 15.01: Notwithstanding any provision of the Bylaws which might be susceptible to contrary interpretation:

Article XVI. Amendments

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Section 16.01: Proposed amendments to the Bylaws may be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee by any member of the Board of Directors or by petition by fifteen (15) individuals who are members of RESNA.

Article XVII. Establishment and Dissolution

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Section 17.01: RESNA may be dissolved by two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors. Such dissolution shall become effective only after notice of such action has been transmitted to the members of RESNA and a majority do not object in writing within 90 days following transmittal of notice to dissolve.