Bylaws

Article I—Name

The name of this organization shall be the Neurotoxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, hereinafter designated as the Specialty Section.

Article II—Objectives

The objectives of the Specialty Section are as follows:

1. To serve as a focal point for interactions among members of the Society of Toxicology interested in neurotoxicology. The purpose of this specialty section is to stimulate research, encourage communication, and to facilitate better understanding of how toxic agents produce adverse effects on the nervous system.
2. To develop programs and educational activities, e.g., symposia, workshops, and meetings, which emphasize the latest developments in neurotoxicology.
3. To relate those developments to the activities of the Society of Toxicology, and to stimulate new growth in neurotoxicology as it pertains to the broader science of toxicology.
4. To act as a resource to the Society in the area of neurotoxicology.

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 set forth above.

No substantial part of the activities of the Specialty Section shall consist of 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 within 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, Secretary-Treasurer, and Past President. There shall be two Councilors, one Graduate Student Representative, and one Postdoctoral Representative. Only Full, Associate, Retired, or Emeritus members in good standing of the Society of Toxicology and the Specialty Section shall be eligible for election as officers in the Presidential or Treasurer chain.

Section 2. The Graduate Student Representative and Postdoctoral Representative shall act as liaisons between the students and the postdoctoral fellows, respectively, and the Executive Committee.

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 by a vote of the membership and shall become the Vice President of the Specialty Section after serving one year as Vice President-Elect. The Vice President-Elect shall serve in the absence of the President and the Vice-President.

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

Section 5. There shall be two Councilors. Each shall be elected by vote of the membership for a term of two years, with one being elected each year. The third Councilor shall be the immediate Past President.

Section 6. One Graduate Student Representative and one Postdoctoral Representative shall be elected annually by vote of the membership. Each will serve for a term of one year.

Section 7. In the event of a vacancy in an elective office other than the Presidency or Vice Presidency, the Executive Committee 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 Vice President accedes to that office until the unexpired term is completed and shall serve as President in the following year. In the event of a vacancy in the Vice Presidency, the Vice President-Elect accedes to that office until the unexpired term is completed and shall serve as Vice President in the following year.

Section 8. A special election must be held to fill the office of Vice President-Elect, should this office become vacant; however, the Executive Committee may make an appointment to fill the vacancy until such time that an election can be conducted.

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 elected Officers and Councilors. The President of the Specialty Section shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee. Five members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

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 SOT Headquarters by the required date of each year.
2. Annual reports and plans 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 Secretary-Treasurer shall have fiduciary responsibilities for all monies of the Specialty Section and shall authorize all disbursements as appropriate. The Secretary-Treasurer shall transmit to the successor in office all property of the Specialty Section in his or her possession. The Secretary-Treasurer shall record all transactions of all meetings of the Specialty Section and the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for the correspondence of the Specialty Section.

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, 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.

Article VII—Meetings

Section 1. Specialty Section meetings shall be held at least annually and as dictated by the scientific and education programs of the Specialty Section. The time and place of each meeting shall be established by the Executive Committee and communicated to the membership at least two weeks before each meeting.

Section 2. 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 in good standing.

Section 3. A quorum shall consist of 20% of the members in good standing.

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

Article VIII—Dues

Dues are established by 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 Liaison.

Article IX—Committees

The President shall appoint 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 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 consideration and circulation 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 version, which was so approved.