Bylaws

IVAMSS Bylaws (Current)

In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section Bylaws

Revised 2023

Article I–NAME

The name of this organization shall be the In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology hereinafter designated as the Specialty Section.

Article II–OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE

The objectives of the Specialty Section are to promote the development and implementation of robust in vitro and other alternative methods to animal testing that make toxicity testing most informative, useful, and efficient by:

1. Replacing, reducing, and refining the use of animal testing in toxicology with in vitro and alternative methods or models.
2. Serving as the focal point for interaction of members of the Society of Toxicology interested in in vitro and alternative methods toxicology.
3. Developing, proposing, and conducting programs and educational activities that emphasize the latest developments in in vitro and alternative methods toxicology.
4. Relating those developments to the activities of the Society of Toxicology and stimulating new growth in in vitro and alternative methods toxicology as it relates to the science of toxicology.
5. Acting as a resource to the Society in the area of the Specialty Section’s interest.

No part of the net earnings of the Specialty Section shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Specialty Section 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 the Specialty Section shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and the Specialty Section 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

Members in good standing of the Society of Toxicology shall become members of the Specialty Section upon payment of Specialty Section dues.

Article IV–OFFICERS, COUNCILORS, AND REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1. The Specialty Section Officers shall be President, Vice President, Vice President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, there shall be three Councilors, at least one Student Representative, and at least one Postdoctoral Fellow Representative. Only Full, Associate, Retired, or Emeritus members in good standing of the Society of Toxicology and the Specialty Section shall be eligible to serve as Officers in the Presidential, Treasurer, or Secretary chain.

Section 2. The Student Representative and Postdoctoral Representative shall act as liaisons between the students and the postdoctoral fellows, respectively, and the Executive Committee. Eligibility during the term requires current enrollment in a graduate program for Student Representatives and engagement in a formal mentored postdoctoral position for Postdoctoral Representatives.

Section 3. Officers, Councilors, and Representatives shall begin their terms of office on May 1 following the SOT Annual Meeting at which their election is announced or one month after the Annual Meeting if it is held, any year, after April 1.

Article V–ELECTION OF OFFICERS, COUNCILORS, AND REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1. The President shall serve for a term of one year, becoming Immediate Past President in the following year. The President shall preside at all meetings.

Section 2. The Vice President shall become the President of the Specialty Section after serving one year as Vice President. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President.

Section 3. A Vice President-Elect shall be elected annually by a vote of the Specialty Section membership, and shall become the Vice President of the Specialty Section for one year after serving one year as Vice PresidentElect. The Vice President- Elect shall serve in the absence of the President and Vice President.

Section 4. The Secretary shall be elected every two years by a vote of the membership for a term of two years.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall be elected every two years by a vote of the membership for a term of two years.

Section 6. Student and Postdoctoral Representatives shall be elected by a vote of the membership. The Student Representative shall serve for a two-year term, and the Postdoctoral Representative shall serve up to a two-year term.

Section 7. There shall be three Councilors. Two of the Councilors shall be elected by a vote of the membership for a term of two years, with one Councilor being elected each year. The third Councilor shall be the Immediate Past President, who shall serve for a term of one year.

Section 8. In the event of a vacancy in the Presidency, the Vice President accedes to that office until the unexpired term is completed and shall serve as President in the following year. Similarly, the Vice PresidentElect accedes to the office of the Vice President, should that office become vacant, until the unexpired term is completed and shall serve as Vice President in the following year. A special election must be held to fill a Vice President-Elect vacancy, but the Executive Committee may make an appointment to fill the vacancy until such time that an election can be conducted, at which point the appointed member steps down and the elected member serves out the remainder of the term. In the event of a vacancy in any other elective office, the Specialty Section's Executive Committee may make an appointment or may provide for a special election to fill the vacancy until the unexpired term is completed.

Section 9. Elections shall be held annually by electronic ballot in the format deemed appropriate by the Society of Toxicology prior to the SOT Annual Meeting.

Article VI–ADMINISTRATION

Section 1. The Specialty Section shall be governed by the Executive Committee, except as otherwise herein expressly provided.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers, Councilors, and Representatives. The President of the Specialty Section shall be the chairperson of the Executive Committee. Five members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business provided the President or Vice President is one of the five.

Section 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Specialty Section and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee. In the President’s absence, the succeeding order of Officers shall preside.

Section 4. The Specialty Section shall comply with the following provisions in order to retain its status as an authorized body within the Society of Toxicology.

1. The Specialty Section shall provide annual reports of its activities for the current year as well as plans of programs, activities, and finances for the following year. Annual reports shall be submitted to the Society of Toxicology by the required date each year.
2. Annual reports shall be reviewed by the SOT Council, which shall consult with the Specialty Section as necessary.
3. Specialty Section policy statements must be reviewed and approved by the Society of Toxicology Council prior to release.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall have fiduciary responsibilities for all monies of the Specialty Section and shall authorize all disbursements as appropriate. If applicable, the Treasurer shall monitor the endowment fund and initiate activities to sustain it. The Treasurer shall transmit to the successor in office all property of the Specialty Section in his/her possession.

No funds shall be expended by or in the name of the Specialty Section to the extent that the expenditure, if made by the Society of Toxicology, would represent use of funds for a purpose or purposes not within the Society’s exempt purposes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 6. Any Specialty Section funds or other property remaining at the time of termination or abandonment or dissolution of the Specialty Section shall be turned over to the Society of Toxicology and shall become a part of the Society’s general funds.

Section 7. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all transactions of all meetings.

Article VII–MEETINGS

Section 1. Business meetings shall be held at least annually according to Council approved Specialty Section procedures and guidelines and shall be communicated to the membership at least two weeks before each meeting.

Section 2. S Special meetings may be called by the President at any time with the approval of the Executive Committee or by presentation to the President of a petition signed by at least 20% of the membership eligible to vote.

Section 3. A quorum shall consist of 20% of the Specialty Section members -eligible to vote.

Section 4. Executive Committee meetings shall be held at the discretion of the President provided that each of the members of the Committee is notified at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Article VII–DUES

Dues are established by the SOT Council and are the same for all Specialty Sections. A request for variance from the established rate shall be directed to SOT Council. Special fees outside of the dues structure can also be collected if pre- arranged through the Specialty Section Council Contact.

Article IX–COMMITTEES

Section 1. The Vice President shall be the Chairperson of the Program Committee and designate its members. The Vice President-Elect will also serve on this committee. The Program Committee shall develop scientific and educational programs consistent with the objectives of the Specialty Section, and provide copies of the material to the Secretary who will, in turn, notify the Specialty Section membership. The Program Committee shall coordinate its activities with the SOT Program Committee and with other appropriate Specialty Sections. The Program Committee will be composed of not less than two members excluding the Chairperson and Vice President-Elect.

Section 2. The President shall appoint other committees as required and shall automatically act as an ex-officio member of such committees. Members of such committees shall serve at the discretion of the President.

Article X–AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be presented by any member of the Specialty Section in good standing at any regular meeting of the Specialty Section or at any special meeting called for that specific purpose. They shall be presented in writing and shall be offered to the membership present at that meeting on motion for consideration and circulation to the membership. A simple majority shall be necessary to pass the motion.

Section 2. Amendments accepted for future consideration shall be forwarded to the Specialty Section Staff Liaison to be circulated with a ballot to all 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 the Council of the Society of Toxicology before they become effective. This is done to ensure that future changes in these Bylaws will have the same force as the original, which was so approved.