Bylaws

Risk Assessment Bylaws

Article I—Name

The Name of this organization shall be the Risk Assessment Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, hereinafter designated as the Specialty Section.

Article II—Objectives

The objectives of the Specialty Section are to:

  • Promote the credible application of toxicological principles into the risk assessment process.
  • Serve as the focal point for interaction of members of the Society of Toxicology interested in risk assessment.
  • Conduct programs and educational activities which emphasize the latest developments and issues in risk assessment.
  • Relate those developments to the activities of the Society of Toxicology to stimulate progress in risk assessment as it relates to the science of toxicology.
  • Act as a resource to the Society of Toxicology in the area of the 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 may 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, and Secretary-Treasurer. There shall be three Councilors. 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 or Treasurer chain.

Section 2. There shall be a Graduate Student Representative and a Postdoctoral Representative, who shall act as liaisons between the graduate students and the postdoctoral fellows, respectively, and the Executive Committee. Eligibility for consideration is membership in good standing in the Specialty Section and current enrollment in an appropriate graduate/postdoctoral program.

Section 3. Officers, Councilors, and Representatives shall begin their terms of office on May 1 following the Society of Toxicology 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 vote of the membership and shall become 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 bi-annually by vote of the membership for a term of two years.

Section 5. There shall be three Councilors. Two of these 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 6. Elections shall be held annually by electronic ballot in the format deemed appropriate by the Society of Toxicology prior to the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting.

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

Section 8. A special election must be held to fill the office of Vice President-Elect, should that 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. Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Representatives shall be elected by vote of the membership. Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Representatives will be elected in the alternate year and will also serve for two years.

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. Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Representatives will serve similarly to Specialty Section Councilors, but will not be members of the Executive Committee. The President of the Specialty Section shall be the Chairperson of the Executive Committee. Four 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 the Society of Toxicology by the required date of each year.

  2. Annual reports shall be reviewed by the Society of Toxicology 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 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 successor to the Secretary-Treasurer shall receive all property of the Specialty Section upon installation of office. 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 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(s) not within the Society's exempt purposes under 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. Meetings shall be held at least annually according to Society of Toxicology Council-approved specialty section procedures and guidelines and as dictated by the scientific and educational programs of the Specialty Section. The time and place of each meeting shall be 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 20% of the membership in good standing.

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

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

Article VIII—Dues

The dues are established by the Society of Toxicology Council and are the same for all Specialty Sections. A request for variance from the established rate shall be directed to the Society of Toxicology Council. Special fees outside of the dues structure can also be collected if prearranged through the Specialty Section Council Contact.

Article XIX—Committees

Section 1. The Vice President shall be Chairperson of the Program Committee and designate its members. 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-Treasurer who will, in turn, notify the Society of Toxicology Council prior to developing the Risk Assessment Specialty Section Bylaws 5 program. The Program Committee shall coordinate its activities with the Scientific Program Committee and with other appropriate Specialty Sections..

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 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 affirmation vote of the ballots returned within the specified time frame shall be necessary for adoption of any amendment.

Section 3. Amendments to these By-Laws must be approved by the Council of the Society of Toxicology before they become effective. This is done to insure that future changes in these By-Laws will have the same force as the original, which was so approved.