Article I—Name of Organization
Section 1. The name of this professional organization shall be the “American Association of
Chinese in Toxicology,” or AACT for short, which is a Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Society of Toxicology (SOT). The Chinese name of the organization shall be 
(Bei3 Mei3 Zhong1 Hua2 Du2 Li3 Xie2 Hui4).
Article II—AACT’s Mission and Objectives
The objectives of AACT shall be as follows:
- To foster interactions among professionals of Chinese background and/or ethnicity in toxicological or related sciences through the exchange of information in education, technology, employment, or business opportunities.
- To facilitate collaborative activities in toxicology-related research or projects between Chinese scientists or organizations in the US and abroad.
- To promote the participation of scientists of any ethnical background who share the same common interests as those stated above.
No part of the net earnings of AACT shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that AACT shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes herein-above set forth.
No substantial part of the activities of AACT shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and AACT shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Article III—Membership
Section 1. Any member in good standing of the Society of Toxicology of any ethnic background who shares the same common interests as the Special Interest Group may become a member of AACT upon payment of the required dues. AACT members who are SOT members shall receive all privileges conferred by their SOT membership.
Section 2. Any person having a professional interest in toxicology may become a member of AACT upon payment of the required dues. AACT members who are not SOT members shall receive limited SOT privileges, as approved by the SOT Council. These benefits will be posted on the AACT website and/or other similar means.
Article IV—The AACT Board
Section 1. The AACT Board (hereinafter “the Board” or “Board”) shall be composed of the members (hereinafter also “Officers”) as follows: President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President. There shall also be two (2) Councilors, a Postdoctoral Representative, and a Student Representative on the Board. Each Board member will have voting rights. Only Full, Associate, Retired, or Emeritus members in good standing of the Society of Toxicology and AACT shall be eligible to serve as officers in the Presidential or Treasurer chain.
Section 2. Officers, Councilors, and Representatives shall begin their terms of office on May 1 following the SOT Annual Meeting at which their election or appointment is announced, or one month after the Annual Meeting if it is held, any year, after April.
Article V—Election of Officers, Councilors, and Representatives
Section 1. The President, upon completing the term of one year, shall accede to the position of Past President for a term of one year. The President shall preside at all meetings.
Section 2. The President-Elect shall be elected by a vote of the membership for a term of one year and shall become the President upon completing the term as the President-Elect. In the President’s absence, the President-Elect shall act as the President. The President-Elect shall be responsible for the development of scientific and educational programs for the SOT Annual Meeting.
Section 3. The Secretary shall be appointed by the President, subject to the Board’s continuous approval, from the outgoing Councilors and shall serve for a term of one year. The Secretary (or in her/his absence, the President or the President’s designee) shall record all transactions of all AACT and all Board meetings, shall be responsible for the correspondence of AACT, and shall give notice of all meetings. As applicable, the meeting minutes, Board correspondences, and records of Board transactions shall be made accessible to AACT members in a hard copy or electronic form within a reasonable time frame.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the President, subject to the Board’s continuous approval, from the outgoing Councilors and shall serve for a term of one year. The Treasurer shall have fiduciary responsibilities for all monies of the Special Interest Group and shall authorize all disbursements as appropriate. The Treasurer shall receive all properties of AACT upon installation of office
No funds shall be expended by or in the name of AACT to the extent that the expenditure, if made by SOT, would represent use of funds for any purpose(s) not within the SOT’s exempt purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
A full financial statement with regard to AACT funds shall be reported to the AACT members at the Annual Meeting. The annual financial statement shall be made accessible to AACT members in a hard copy or electronic form within a reasonable time frame.
Section 5. The Immediate Past President shall serve for a term of one year.
Section 6. There shall be two (2) Councilors. Two Councilors shall be elected by a vote of the membership each year for a term of two years (one year as Councilor and subsequently one year as either the Secretary or Treasurer).
Section 7. The main function of the Student and Postdoctoral Representatives is to observe the function of the Board and to provide relevant student/postdoctoral information and perspectives in regards to topics discussed by the Board. These Representatives will be elected by a vote of the membership and shall each serve a term of up to two years.
Section 8. Elections shall be held annually for the open positionsby electronic ballot in the format deemed appropriate by the Society of Toxicology prior to the SOT Annual Meeting.
Section 9. In the event of a vacancy in an elective office, other than that of President or President-Elect, the Special Interest Group’s Board may make an appointment or may provide for a special election to fill the vacancy until the unexpired term is completed. In the event of a vacancy in the Presidency, the President-Elect accedes to that office until the unexpired term is completed and shall serve as President the following year. In the event that both the President and President-Elect are not in the position or do not have the capacity to serve, the Secretary or the Treasurer, in that order, shall act as the President for a duration of not longer than six (6) months, as otherwise a special election for a new President shall become necessary and hence be conducted.
Article VI—Administration
Section 1. The Special Interest Group shall be governed by the Board except as otherwise herein expressly provided.
Section 2. The President of the Special Interest Group shall serve as Chair of the AACT Board. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Special Interest Group and of the Board and shall perform such duties as may be directed by the Board. In the President’s absence, the succeeding order of Officers shall preside.
Section 4. AACT shall comply with the following provisions in order to retain its status as an authorized body with the Society of Toxicology:
- AACT shall provide annual reports of the activities for the current year, as well as plans of programs, activities, and finances for the following year. AACT’s annual reports shall be submitted to the Society of Toxicology by the required date of each year.
- Annual reports shall be reviewed by the SOT Council, which shall consult with the AACT as necessary.
- Special Interest Group policy statements must be reviewed and approved by the Society of Toxicology Council prior to release.
Section 5. Any AACT funds or other properties remaining at the time of termination or abatement or dissolution of the Special Interest Group shall be turned over to the Society of Toxicology and shall become a part of the Society’s general funds.
Article VII—Meetings
Section 1. AACT’s annual meetings shall be held within the same week of the SOT Annual Meeting and as dictated by its scientific and educational programs or membership needs. The time and place of each meeting shall be communicated by the Board to the AACT membership at least 30 days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President at any time with the approval of the Board or by presentation to the President of a petition signed by at least 20% of the AACT members in good standing.
Section 3. A quorum shall consist of at least 20% of the AACT members in good standing.
Section 4. Board meetings shall be held at the discretion of the President, provided that each Board member is notified at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting or that the Board members concur on a meeting date with shorter notice.
Article VIII—Membership Dues and Fees
AACT annual dues are established by the SOT Council and are the same for all Special Interest Groups. A request for variance from the established rate shall be directed to the SOT Council. Special fees outside of the dues structure (e.g., funds for an off-site reception) can also be collected if pre-arranged through SOT’s Special Interest Group Council Liaison.
Article IX—Committees
The President, upon the Board’s approval, may establishad hoccommittees to address AACT’s special or specific needs and interests. Examples of such committees include Program Committee, Membership Committee, Finance Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee. Each committee should develop its own Standard Operating Procedures for the approval of the Board. Members of such committees shall serve at the discretion of the Board.
Article X—Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be presented by any AACT member in good standing at any AACT regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that specific purpose. Amendments shall be presented in writing and shall be offered to the membership present at that meeting on motion for consideration and circulation to the entire AACT membership for a final vote. A simple majority at the meeting shall be necessary to pass the motion for consideration.
Section 2. Amendments accepted for future consideration and circulation shall be forwarded to the Special Interest Group Staff Liaison to be circulated with a ballot to all AACT members in good standing. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the ballots returned within the specified time frame shall be necessary for adoption of any amendment.
Section 3. Amendments to these Bylaws must be approved by SOT Council before they can take effect. Such an approval is necessary to ensure that any changes in the Bylaws will have the same force as the original, which was so approved.