2012 Actions of the LSMS House of Delegates posted
As of Monday, February 13, 2012, the official Actions of the LSMS House of Delegates have been posted for members only access. Members can review the entire document by clicking on the green Physicians tab (upper right corner), then scrolling down to the Organizational Information section (bottom right). When you click on the House of Delegates link, you will be asked to enter your username and password. After you have entered the required information, you will be redirected to the appropriate page.
- PHOTOS from the 2012 LSMS HOD by clicking this link and entering your email address.
- VIDEOS of the major events and highlights, including the President Elect's Inauguration & Presidential Address are available online.
House of Delegates FAQs
Who May Submit a Resolution
Formatting the Resolution
Finding Related LSMS Policies
Submitting a Late Resolution
Procedures of the HOD
Election Packet Information
Delegate Certification Form (template)
Guidelines for Reports
Sample of the Short Amendments to Resolutions Form
The House of Delegates is the legislative and policy-making body of the LSMS and is composed of elected and special delegates and others as provided in the LSMS Bylaws. The House of Delegates transacts all business of the Society not otherwise specifically provided for in the LSMS Charter and Bylaws, elects general officers (in accordance with the Bylaws), adopts an annual budget and establishes the official policies of the Society.
The Shaping of LSMS Policy
A Resolution is the primary vehicle to introduce an item of business in the House of Delegates. Resolutions should address the important issues that affect physicians and health care across the entire state as well as business and organizational matters pertaining to the LSMS. If you are condsidering submission of a resolution, check the
LSMS Policy Compendium first to see if there is already an LSMS policy or position on the subject of your potential resolution.
Resolutions must be submitted in the manner and timeframe outlined below to allow the Speakers time to review resolutions to make sure their content can be clearly understood and to arrange the order of business. Resolutions are grouped by subject when considered by the House. In addition, the staff must have adequate time for retyping, printing and sorting of the House materials for inclusion in the Delegates Handbook to mail to members of the House and component societies.
Guidelines for Submitting Resolutions
To be considered as regular business, resolutions must be submitted to the Speaker of the House of Delegates at LSMS Headquarters no later than 45 days before the Opening Session of the House of Delegates. Deadlines for submitting resolutions and delegate registration will be posted on the LSMS Web site as the first official call for the Annual Meeting. Usually, this will occur in June of each year.
Who May Submit a Resolution
Resolutions may be presented by a delegate, an alternate delegate, a component society, a general officer of the LSMS, the LSMS Board of Governors, LSMS councils and standing committees, or a standing committee of the House of Delegates. (Article XII,H.,2.)
Formatting the Resolution
Resolutions should be submitted in the format outlined in the Sample Resolution.
- The title should appropriately reflect the subject of the resolution. The Whereas' should accuratelly support or document the Resolve(s).
- It is the responsibility of the author to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the Whereas' and the Resolve(s) sections of the resolution.
- Since the House adopts only the Resolve(s) and not the Whereas sections of a resolution, the Resolve(s) should be able to stand alone after adoption.
- A fiscal note should be indicated on the resolution if any expenditure of LSMS funds is anticipated.
- Explanatory materials referenced in the resolution must be attached.
- Attention should be paid to grammar, spelling, and sentence structure to ensure that the intent of the resolution can be clearly understood by the members of the House.
Related LSMS Policies
Any current, related LSMS policies must be citied at the bottom of the resolution. Before submitting a resolution, check the LSMS Policy Compendium for existing policies that relate to the subject of the resolution. When the document opens, click on "Search" in the toolbar menu; then enter any key word(s) or phrase(s) in the dialog box and hit "Enter."
Late Resolutions
A resolution presented after the deadline for regular business is deemed to be late and will be considered as an item of business by the House only if it meets one of the following criteria:
- It is introduced by the President of the LSMS;
- It is introduced by the Board of Governors;
- It is declared an emergency resolution by the President, Speaker and Vice Speaker acting as a committee of the House;
- It is accepted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the House.
Late Resolutions, ones not meeting one of the above, will be presented to the Committee on Rules and Order of Business. The author of the resolution or their designee will meet with the Committee to discuss the reasons why the resolution was submitted after the regular business deadline. The only matter before the Committee is the reason(s) the resolution was late, not the merits of the subject of the resolution. The Committee then submits a report to the House with its recommendations concerning these resolutions.
For specific information, go to the LSMS Bylaws pertaining to the House of Delegates (Articles XII - XIV).
Procedures of the HOD
The policies, positions and functions of the Louisiana State Medical Society are established by the House of Delegates. Implementation of the actions of the House of Delegates is by the Board of Governors, by various councils and committees comprised of LSMS volunteer members, and by the staff of the Society. Click here to read the entire Procedures of the HOD document in pdf format.
