*Last amended November 19, 2005

I. NAME - The name of this organization is the Council of State Governments -WEST (hereafter referred to as CSG-WEST).

II. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES - CSG-WEST is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization created to serve western legislatures through regional cooperation and advocacy. The objectives of CSG-WEST shall be to encourage, promote and pursue a regional vision and regional issues that cross state and international borders and build on common western interests.

III. MEMBERSHIP - Membership of CSG-WEST shall consist of all the members of legislatures and legislative staff of the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, hereinafter referred to as the "member states" and such western provinces, territories or states that may apply for membership and be accepted by action of the Executive Committee.

CSG-WEST Associate membership includes the members of legislatures and legislative staff of the Pacific Island governments of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, Guam and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and may, upon the approval of the CSG-WEST Executive Committee, be expanded to include other western North American and Pacific legislative bodies. 

The Executive Committee shall determine the extent to which member states and associate memberships that have not paid annual dues to The Council of State Governments (hereinafter referred to as CSG) may participate in CSG-WEST and receive CSG-WEST services during the period in which such annual dues are delinquent.

IV. OFFICERS – QUALIFICATIONS - The officers of CSG-WEST shall include a Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair and Immediate Past Chair. CSG-WEST officers shall serve for a term of one year. Except for the Immediate Past Chair, all officers shall be elected from the membership of the Executive Committee and shall be elected by the Executive Committee in conformity with the qualifications stated in these Rules. All officers of CSG-WEST must be Western state or Pacific Island government member state legislators.

In the selection of all CSG-WEST officers, a reasonable and good faith effort shall be made to balance representation in CSG-WEST.  Factors shall include: 1) the two major political parties, 2) the two chambers of the legislatures and 3) geographic subregions in the West. The Chair shall have served as Chair-Elect the year prior to his or her election as Chair unless the Chair-Elect is unable to assume the office of Chair.

Officers shall assume their duties in the calendar year in which they are elected at the last CSG-WEST Executive Committee meeting convened or in conjunction with the national annual meeting of CSG as long as it is convened in December.

V. OFFICERS - AUTHORITY AND DUTIES - The Chair shall preside over the Executive Committee at all meetings and shall preside over the Annual Meeting and any special meetings. The Chair-Elect shall preside in the absence of the Chair and shall succeed to that office if the Chair resigns, is unable to carry out his or her duties or leaves the legislature. The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair-Elect and shall succeed to that office if the Chair-Elect resigns, is unable to carry out his or her duties, or leaves the legislature.

The Chair and Chair-Elect, in consultation with the officers of CSG-WEST, shall create committees and task forces as required. The Chair shall appoint members to national committees of CSG as required by CSG’s Rules and Bylaws.

Each year, a Delegate to the National Conference of State Legislatures (hereafter referred to as NCSL) Executive Committee will be appointed by the CSG-WEST Chair from the members of the CSG-WEST Executive Committee. If participation is satisfactory, a representative should serve 3 years in his or her position.  The CSG-WEST Delegate to the NCSL Executive Committee shall be appointed from a Western state and shall be appointed from states not having at-large legislator representation on the NCSL Executive Committee. The representatives shall assume their duties at the last CSG-WEST Executive Committee meeting convened or in conjunction with the national annual meeting of CSG as long as it is convened in December.

The CSG-WEST officers shall be responsible for the oversight of the budget of CSG-WEST. The CSG-WEST Executive Director is responsible for developing and managing the budget and keeping the officers informed on fiscal and policy matters. The officers, in consultation with the CSG-WEST Executive Director and Executive Committee members, will undertake to obtain the equitable and timely collection of member state appropriations to the organization.

VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - The Executive Committee consists of the officers of CSG-WEST, the chairs and vice chairs of all CSG-WEST committees and WESTRENDS, the President of the Western Legislative Academy, the presiding legislative officers and ranking minority leaders of each member state, legislators appointed by the presiding legislative officers of member states, a western legislator currently serving as an officer of CSG, western legislators currently serving as CSG committee or task force leaders, western legislators who are former CSG or CSG-WEST chairs and the CSG-WEST Delegate to the NCSL Executive Committee.

Chairs and vice chairs of all CSG-WEST committees and WESTRENDS as well as member state appointments sit for two (2) years. The President of the Western Legislative Academy changes annually. The Chair of CSG-WEST will serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair or when representatives of at least nine member states petition for a meeting.

The Executive Committee is charged with the general governance of CSG-WEST. Decisions of the Executive Committee require the presence of Executive Committee members from a majority of the member states and an affirmative vote by two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee members present. Individual legislator members are each entitled to one vote on the Executive Committee. Voice vote is acceptable, except when a roll call is requested by a member. If an Executive Committee member cannot attend a regularly noticed meeting, he or she may be represented at that meeting with prior written notice to the CSG-WEST Chair from the member state's presiding legislative officer.

The Executive Committee shall carry out all duties assigned to it by these Rules. The Executive Committee shall review the work and activities of the CSG-WEST policy groups. The Executive Committee possesses the authority to adopt policy positions which shall constitute and recognize the priorities of CSG-WEST. The Executive Committee, upon the recommendation of the Officers, may adopt resolutions expressing the sense of the organization and may adopt actions providing direction to the staff.

The CSG-WEST Executive Committee may consider action(s) on rapidly developing issues in between scheduled Executive Committee meetings.  In order to consider such issues, the chair shall cause notice of the matter to all members of the Executive Committee via their desired method to receive such notice. The notice shall include such reasonable information to allow committee members to meaningfully participate and vote, including a time period in which committee members must vote. If the Executive Committee elects to act within the designated time period, it must obtain the participation percentage, by state and individual, as required for Executive Committee action. The Executive Committee members may vote by electronic means such as e-mail, facsimile transmission, or telephone conference.   

If the Executive Committee quorum requirements cannot be satisfied within the designated time period, action may be taken by a vote of the Officers and the chair and vice chair of the appropriate policy committee.  Approval of such interim actions shall be by an affirmative 2/3 vote of the Officers (Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, and Immediate Past Chair), and the chair and vice chair of the appropriate policy committee. 

Affirmative interim action votes must include, at a minimum, three Officers and the chair or vice chair of the appropriate policy committee.  This voting may also be by electronic means such as e-mail, facsimile transmission, or telephone conference. 

Any interim action taken shall be reported to the appropriate policy committee at their next meeting. The policy committee shall review the interim action and report it to the Executive Committee.  

VII. NOMINATING COMMITTEE - The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the CSG-WEST Chair from the membership of the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of one member from each state. The CSG-WEST Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chair from among the membership of the Nominating Committee. After interviewing all candidates, the Committee nominates a Chair, a Chair-Elect, and a Vice Chair for CSG-WEST.

A member of the Nominating Committee shall not be a candidate. A majority of member states shall constitute a quorum for the Nominating Committee, and all decisions of the Nominating Committee shall be by majority vote of the individual committee members present. Each committee member is entitled to one vote.

VIII. POLICY COMMITTEES - The work of CSG-WEST is accomplished through policy committees. The Chair and Chair-Elect of CSG-WEST, at the beginning of each biennium, shall request the presiding legislative officers in each member state to name individuals to each policy committee on which it wishes representation - the appointments to include at least one member from each house of the legislature. Members of the policy committee shall serve for two (2) years, until replaced by the member state's presiding legislative officers.

In consultation with CSG-WEST officers, the CSG-WEST Chair and Chair-Elect shall appoint chairs and vice chairs for each policy committee. In the selection of committee chairs and vice chairs, a reasonable and good faith effort shall be made to balance representation of: 1) the two major political parties, 2) the two chambers of the legislatures and 3) geographic subregions in the West.

Representatives from at least half of the member states represented on the policy committee shall constitute the necessary quorum to transact committee business and an affirmative vote by two-thirds majority of the member states present.

IX. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE AGENCY/RESEARCH DIRECTORS (LSA/RD) COMMITTEE – The LSA/RD Committee, which consists of staff professionals working in western legislatures, provides education and support for legislative services agency and research directors, serves as a network and forum to foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas and is a source of information and advice to legislators on legislative management issues.

X. WESTRENDS – WESTRENDS is a board comprised of one legislator from each western state, which provides a forum for identifying the demographic, social and cultural trends that will have an impact on the politics and economics of the West.

XI. WESTERN LEGISLATIVE ACADEMY (WLA) - The Western Legislative Academy is a professional development-training program for Western state legislators in their first four years of service. The goals of the WLA are to help newer legislators become more effective and to build stronger legislative institutions. Members of the WLA are selected on the basis of their dedication to public service, desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness and commitment to the institution of the legislature. 

XII. MEETINGS OF CSG-WEST - CSG-WEST shall meet annually and at such other times as the Officers or Executive Committee may determine. All funds, including registration fees, raised for any CSG-WEST meeting shall be raised under the CSG tax exemption. Any excess funds raised after payment of meeting expenses shall be returned to the CSG-WEST meeting account for future meetings.

XIII. VOTING - Voting requirements for the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and all other committees are governed by the Rules. Eligible voters for matters under consideration by any CSG-WEST entity shall be limited to Western legislators. Foreign provinces, territories or states shall not be counted for purposes of a quorum, or cast a vote on policy positions pertaining only to specific requests directed to the government of the United States.

XIV. REGIONAL COOPERATION - CSG-WEST committees are encouraged to develop cooperative relationships with the Western Governors' Association, the Conference of Western Attorneys General, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, Western States Water Council and other regional organizations whose major purpose is to promote regional efficacy. Continuing contact with the Congressional delegations from the Western States is considered an essential function of CSG-WEST and its committees.

XV. STAFF - An Executive Director shall be appointed who shall be in charge of the affairs, staff, offices, and finances of CSG-WEST. The CSG-WEST Executive Director shall be selected and discharged upon recommendation of the Executive Director of CSG and by the majority vote of a five-member committee, consisting of three members appointed by the Chair of CSG-WEST, the national Chair and Vice Chair of CSG, or upon the unanimous vote of such five-member committee without the recommendation of the CSG Executive Director.

The CSG-WEST staff shall assist the Officers and committees in carrying out the purposes and objectives of CSG-WEST. All CSG-WEST staff shall be under the direction of and shall be employed or discharged by CSG-WEST Executive Director, except that the CSG-WEST Executive Director shall consult with the CSG-WEST Chair as to the employment or discharge of professional staff.  In order to assure budget stability and sound financial practices, the CSG-WEST Executive Director shall maintain a reserve account equal to at least 10 percent of the previous year's general fund budget. Except with the approval of the CSG-WEST Officers, money from the reserve account may only be expended to make up for shortages in revenue in a current year budget.

XVI. AMENDMENTS - The Rules of CSG-WEST and any amendments thereto may be adopted, altered, amended, added to, or repealed at any CSG-WEST Executive Committee meeting provided that a notice of such amendments be filed with the CSG-WEST Executive Director at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting and abiding by quorum and voting requirements of the Executive Committee. Upon receipt of a copy of the proposed amendments, the Executive Director shall forward copies thereof to the presiding legislative officers of each house of every participating legislature and to the members of CSG-WEST Executive Committee.