Article I

The name of this organization shall be the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind.

Article II

The purpose of this Council shall be to advise the Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development about programs of Services for the Blind and to perform other functions as provided in State and Federal statute.

Article III

The composition of the Council's membership shall be as provided in State and Federal statute. A majority of the Council's membership must be blind, visually impaired or DeafBlind.

Article IV

Council members shall be compensated as provided in State Statute. In addition, Council members shall receive reimbursement for travel expenses associated with attendance at full Council meetings, Council Committee or Task Force meetings, or when requested by Council at any other meeting. In order to qualify to receive compensation, the activity must constitute a full day spent on council activities. A “full day spent on council activities” consists of:

• any meeting of the full Council at which the council member is present for more than two hours including travel time;
• if the member has been assigned to a Council committee or task force, any meeting of such group when the member is present for more than two hours including travel time;
• any event approved by the Council chairperson in advance for which a council member is required to stay overnight;
• or any event approved by the Council chairperson in advance that a member attends in the performance of his/her responsibilities as a council member that is two hours or longer in duration including travel time.

Members who, as a result of time spent attending Council or committee meetings, incur child care expenses that would not otherwise have been incurred, may be reimbursed for those expenses upon authorization by the Council chairperson.

Article V

Meetings
(Amended 8/4/05)

Section 1: Regular Meetings
(Amended 8/7/08)

The Council shall meet at least six (6) times per year. Written notice and any document requiring a Council decision shall be mailed or personally delivered to each Council member, in the format preferred by the member, not less than five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting. In the case of a recess to another day, all Council members shall be notified of the place, day and hour of the reconvened meeting. A majority of currently appointed Council members must be present in order to constitute a quorum to transact business.

Special meetings of the Council may be called at the request of the chairperson, Commissioner, Director of State Services for the Blind, or by written request to the chairperson by any four (4) members of the Council. Written notice and any document requiring a Council decision shall be mailed or personally delivered to each Council member, in the format preferred by the member, not less than five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting. A majority of currently appointed Council members must be present in order to constitute a quorum to transact business.

Unless otherwise provided for in these Bylaws, decisions of the Council shall be made by a simple majority of the Council members present and voting. There shall be no proxy voting. Robert's Rules of Order shall be used as a guide in the conduct of all Council meetings. Time will be made available at each regular meeting of the Council for public comment whether or not such comment is directly related to the agenda. Further, non-members attending Council meetings shall have the opportunity to comment concerning matters related to the agenda prior to formal action by the Council. Public comment may be extended or terminated by the chairperson or by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting.

In accordance with Minnesota's Open Meeting Law, the public shall be notified of all Council meetings using all appropriate means of notification.

Members must abstain from chairing a meeting, voting or making a motion on matters that may financially benefit the member or any organization in which they serve in a policy-making capacity. Members should voluntarily remove themselves from such matters or may be removed when there is an apparent conflict of interest with the support of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Verbatim transcriptions of all Council meetings shall be retained on audio tape and/or in print by SSB as the Council's official record. Summary minutes, reflecting discussion and action taken by the Council, shall be prepared for general distribution.

Article VI

Officers and Elections
(Amended 8/4/05)

Section 1: Elections

The officers of the Council shall consist of a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson, elected by the Council from among its members. Officers shall be elected annually, during the first Council meeting of each calendar year, by a simple majority or the Council members present and voting.

The Council chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council in a fair and impartial manner, fully participate in Council business except making or seconding motions, have voting privileges, and shall be an ex-officio member of all Council committees and task forces. In presiding over meetings the chairperson shall assure the right of the minority to full and fair expression of its views and shall not allow such expression to defeat the will of the majority. In addition, the Council chairperson shall:

1. with the approval of the Council, appoint chairpersons for Council committees and task forces;
2. with the SSB Director, develop agendas for Council meetings;
3. with the SSB Director, orient new Council members and encourage their involvement in Council activities; and
4. engage in effective communication with all Council members.

The Council vice chairperson shall aid the chairperson in the performance of his/her duties and, in the absence of the chairperson, shall preside at meetings of the Council. If the chairperson is unable to serve, the vice chairperson shall assume the duties of that position but shall not officially occupy that chairperson's position until elected to that position by the Council.

Article VII

The Council shall create such committees and task forces as it deems appropriate and necessary to carry out its purposes. With the approval of the Council, the Council chairperson shall appoint members and chairpersons for all committees and task forces. Committee members and chairpersons shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year. Task force members and chairpersons shall serve for the life of the task force. Members and Chairpersons of committees and task forces need not be members of the Council. However, all committees and task forces shall include at least one member of the Council. Members of the Council committees and task forces must abstain from chairing a meeting, voting, or making motions on matters that may financially benefit the member or any organization in which the member serves in a policy-making capacity. A member should remove him or herself from a conflict of interest situation voluntarily, but may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the committee or task force members present and voting.

Article VIII

These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Council by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting. The proposed amendment must have been submitted in writing at a previous regular or special meeting of the Council.