The Organization shall be known as the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies, hereinafter referred to as NASDEA or Alliance.
This non-profit Alliance is organized for the purpose of pursuing the following objectives:
State.
The term "State" shall mean the governmental entity of any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
State Drug Enforcement Agency.
Such Agency shall be the Agency, Department, Division or Bureau empowered by its "State" governing body with the primary statewide responsibility to conduct criminal investigations involving violations of controlled substance laws.
General Provision.
Membership in the Alliance shall be the State Drug Enforcement Agency as defined in Article III, Section B. There shall also be established a category of Affiliate Member.
Active Members.
Any Agency meeting the definition of Article III, Section B, shall be entitled to apply for active membership with the voting rights hereinafter described. It shall be known as a member agency and shall be admitted upon application by majority vote of the active member agencies at any full membership meeting.
Affiliate Members.
Any duly constituted drug information and/or law enforcement organization whose objectives are consistent with those of NASDEA; or any past NASDEA representative of a member agency who has separated from that agency in good standing shall be entitled to apply for affiliate membership. They shall be admitted upon application by majority vote of the active member agencies at any full membership meeting. This category of membership shall be non-voting, and affiliate members shall not be entitled to be present at meetings of the Board of Directors.
General Powers.
The policies, purposes and activities of this Alliance shall be under the control and direction of a Board of Directors, hereinafter known as the Board. The President shall be the Chairperson of the Board. Subject to a majority vote of the active member agencies at any meeting annual, regular, or special--the Board shall adopt and amend Bylaws and fix any dues or fees necessary for the activities of the Alliance. The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson for purposes of analyzing current and critical issues affecting drug enforcement activities and to make recommendations for action to the Board and/or membership. It shall be responsible, either directly or through appropriate committee designation, for maintaining or monitoring Federal and State legislation as it may affect the areas of drug enforcement, prevention, education, treatment, and research. Member agencies may be present and participate in any meeting of the Board but may not vote on the actions of the Board except through a member of the agency who has been duly elected or appointed to the Board.
Number and Composition.
The number of the Board shall be not more than eleven, which number shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, Immediate Past President and one member from each of the five NASDEA regions, as set forth herein, elected from the active membership at-large by member agencies of each respective region. Each of the five at-large Board members shall represent their respective regions in all association-related matters, including, but not limited to, coordinating legislative initiatives and acting as liaison between the Board and the membership from the respective states in the region.
The five NASDEA regions shall be Region I Northwest, Region II Northeast, Region III Southwest, Region IV Southeast and Region V Central.
Region I Northwest shall consist of the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Region II
Region II Northeast shall consist of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and District of Columbia.
Region III Southwest shall consist of the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Hawaii, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
Region IV Southeast shall consist of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.
Region V Central shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
Meetings of the Board.
The Board shall meet at the Alliance's biannual meetings or at such other special meetings as directed by the President. Special meetings, at the discretion of the President, may be conducted by telephone or such other methods as may facilitate same. Notice of special Board meetings shall be given by the President or his designee to each Board member and member agency prior to such meeting. Any member agency not represented on the Board may elect to be present and/or participate in such meetings.
Biannual Meetings of the Alliance.
The Alliance's biannual meetings shall be held in the fall and spring of the year. The membership, upon recommendation by the Nominating Committee, will set the date and location of future meetings.
Term of Service.
Members of the Board or their successors shall serve from the end of the fall meeting at which elected to the next fall meeting.
Quorum and Action.
A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. At any duly held meeting at which a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors present and voting, shall be necessary for any action of the Board on any question except where the vote of a greater number may be required by these Bylaws.
Resignation of a Board Member.
Any Board Member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board or the President. Unless otherwise specified in such written notice, the resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof, and acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Removal of a Board Member.
Any Board Member may be removed, with cause, at any meeting of the Board by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board.
Vacancies.
In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the President shall appoint a successor from the membership, with due regard to maintaining, insofar as practical, a geographic balance. A successor appointed by the President shall serve until the conclusion of the next annual meeting. Should both the President and Vice President resign or otherwise be unable to serve, the Board shall select, by majority vote from within active member agencies, a President to serve until the next annual meeting, at which elections for President and Vice President will be held according to Section B of Article VI.
Executive Officers.
The Executive Officers of the Alliance shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Immediate Past President.
Election.
The Executive Officers shall be elected at the fall meeting. Such election shall be by majority vote of the active member agencies present and voting. The slate of candidates shall be presented by the Nominating Committee, with additional nominations from the floor being permitted. For purposes of voting for these officers, proxies may be given by member agencies as described in Article VIII, Section A.
Term of Office.
The Executive Officers shall assume office at the conclusion of the Fall meeting in which elected and shall serve until the conclusion of the next Fall meeting. No member will serve as the President of NASDEA more than four (4) consecutive terms.
Powers and Duties of the President.
In addition to the powers and duties described in these Bylaws, the President shall, in general, exercise the orders and perform the duties incident to the office as well as such other powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned by the Board of Directors. The President, with the approval of the Board, may sign such contracts, cooperative agreements or grant applications as may be necessary in order to carry out the functions and purposes of the Alliance. Any such agreements shall be subject to continuing oversight and supervision by the Board.
Powers and Duties of the Vice President.
The Vice President shall succeed to and complete the term of office of the President in the event the President resigns or otherwise be unable to serve. The Vice President shall have the responsibility to assume presidency in the President's absence, shall serve as Chairperson of the Report Committee, and shall perform such duties as the President so directs.
Powers and Duties of the Secretary.
In addition to maintaining the minutes of biannual, regular, and special meetings of the Alliance and the Board, the Secretary will compile and maintain a membership directory. In the event both the President and Vice President are unable to serve, the Secretary shall conduct the affairs of the Alliance until such time as the Board can select a President as set forth in Article VI, Section B.
Powers and Duties of the Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall pay the Alliance's bills, maintain its financial records, and report its financial status at each annual and regular meeting. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties as the President may direct.
Powers and Duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for order at all meetings of the Alliance. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall identify all persons in attendance, complete a roster with information of interest about each attendee and notify the President or speaker of media presence, in advance, if possible. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall serve as Parliamentarian, resolving all questions of meeting procedure according to "Roberts' Rules of Order;" and perform any other duties assigned by the President or Vice President.
Powers and Duties of the Immediate Past President.
The Immediate Past President will be an active NASDEA representative who has most recently preceded the current President as President of NASDEA, and shall perform such duties as the Present may direct.
Committees – General Information
The Board of Directors shall have the power to create committees as it deems advisable. Committees shall function for the overall benefit of the Alliance. The mission and primary purpose of any committee may be narrow in scope or broad.
Any member in good standing can make a request to the Board for the creation of a new committee or modification of an existing committee. The President or Vice President shall define the qualifications for membership to any committee and prescribe all duties thereafter. All such committee appointments will be made by the President or Vice President including the designation of a chairperson.
Unless otherwise determined by a vote of the Board, the only committees that shall exist in perpetuity are the Nominating Committee, the Scholarship Committee, and the Report committee respectively. All other committees identified and described below, shall exist on an as needed basis if determined by the Board with recommendation of the membership carefully considered.
Nominating Committee.
The Committee shall be composed of the five at-large regional Board members, with the President designating the Chairperson. It shall be this Committee's duty to canvas the membership of the Alliance for nominations to the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-at-Arms.
The Nominating Committee will prepare a list of those members who are willing to serve and to nominate these members at the fall meeting. Nominations from the floor for any of those positions by any member agency will be permitted. The committee will also make recommendations to the membership regarding the date and location of future, biannual meetings of the Alliance.
Scholarship Committee.
The President shall appoint a Scholarship Committee and designate the Chairperson. The Scholarship Committee shall consist of one member-at-large from each of the five NASDEA regions. The Chairman of the Scholarship Committee shall make a presentation to the Board at the fall meeting. This presentation will include a review of the application requirements, application form, and scholarship amount. By majority vote of the active membership and documented in the meeting minutes, application packets will be provided to interested candidates. Scholarship applications will be accepted in a manner and on a form designated by the Board of Directors and approved by majority vote of the membership.
The Scholarship Committee shall annually select one applicant from each of the five NASDEA regions to receive a scholarship to support their pursuit of higher education. In the event no applications are received from a NASDEA region, or no applicant from a NASDEA region is deemed eligible for receipt of a scholarship, no scholarship will be awarded for that region. That region’s scholarship may be awarded to an applicant from another region, resulting in multiple awards for a region. This will have no impact on scholarship applications for the remaining regions. Unless otherwise determined by unanimous Board vote and comminated to the membership as to the reasoning, no more than five (5) scholarships will be awarded annually.
Scholarship amounts will be determined by the Board based upon recommendation from the Treasurer and financial wellbeing of the Alliance. If awards are increased or decreased, that information will be communicated to the membership.
Report Committee.
The Vice President shall chair the Report Committee. The members will be appointed by the President at the fall meeting. The purpose of this Committee shall be to compile a biennial report of the Alliance covering activities of the Alliance and reporting the Alliance's views and recommendations concerning drug enforcement in the United States.
Legislative Committee.
At either biennial or special meeting, the President may appoint a committee on legislation and designate the Chairperson if the need for such committee is determined by the Board. It shall be this Committee's duty to monitor all legislative activities, Federal, state and local, having a bearing on drug enforcement and compile a report of principal drug enforcement laws currently in existence in the various states, with a view toward developing recommendations to the Alliance's membership from which an Alliance course of action may be taken. The Legislative Committee, upon direction of the President, shall develop correspondence outlining a proposed Official Position of the Alliance on issues consistent with Article II of the Bylaws. Such position papers shall not be offered as official positions of the Alliance until and unless approved by the Board of Directors and a majority vote of the active membership in a manner consistent with these Bylaws. When time constraints do not allow presentation and vote at a biannual meeting of the Alliance, the Board of Directors may adopt an official position subject to a majority vote by the active membership at the next scheduled meeting of the Alliance.
Prevention and Education Committee.
At either biennial or special meeting, the President may appoint a Committee on Prevention and Education and designate the Chairperson if the need for such committee is determined by the Board. It shall be this Committee's duty to identify those areas of prevention and education that are related to law enforcement and would promote the goals of this Alliance with emphasis on the following:
Intelligence Committee.
At either biennial or special meeting, the President may appoint a committee on intelligence and designate the Chairperson if the need for such committee is determined by the Board. It shall be this Committee's duty to monitor the progress of efforts to improve intelligence and information sharing activities at the federal, State, and local levels that have a bearing on drug enforcement efforts.
Automation Committee.
At either biennial or special meeting, the President may appoint a committee on automation and designate the Chairperson if the need for such committee is determined by the Board. It shall be this Committee's duty to develop and implement ways that permits the Alliance to achieve its major objectives through electronic means.
Committee Actions.
No committee of this Alliance shall make public any report or release its findings and/or recommendations except upon the approval of the membership by majority vote at a regular or special meeting. Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the President from the exigent release of information developed by the Alliance when the delay in its release by awaiting the next scheduled meeting would adversely affect one or more of the Alliance's objectives.
Proxy.
At any meeting, the proxy of an active member agency entitled to vote may be held by another member agency of the Alliance so designated by the proxy. A written proxy and/or telephone proxy shall confer upon the holder the same rights as if the member agency were present and acting at the meeting for which the proxy is given. Any telephone proxy is subject to verification by the President if challenged by any member agency present at the meeting.
Dues and Expenditures.
All checks, drafts or orders of payments of money, notes or other indebtedness issued in the name of the Alliance shall be signed by such Officer or Officers or others as may be designated from time to time by the Board. Dues shall be set by majority vote of the membership.
Compensation.
Members of the Board, Officers and Committee Members shall not receive compensation for their services.
Disbursement of Assets Upon Dissolution.
All members of the Board, Officers and Committee Members of the Alliance shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed that upon dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Alliance, whether voluntary or involuntary, the assets of the Alliance, after all debts have been satisfied, then remaining in the hands of the Board, shall be distributed based upon a majority vote of the membership existing at the time of dissolution.
Amendment of Bylaws.
These Bylaws may be amended or repealed, and new Bylaws may be adopted at any regular meeting, if notice of the proposed amendments shall have been given to each member agency at least 30 days in advance of the meeting. Any action taken on a proposed amendment shall be by the affirmative vote of a majority of the active membership present at the meeting.
Executive Director.
The Alliance may retain a paid or unpaid Executive Director to conduct the day-to-day operation of NASDEA. Subject to the policy determination of the President, and the Board of Directors, the Executive Director shall have the authority to:
Administrative Assistant.
To assist in the ongoing operation of NASDEA, the Board of Directors may employ or appoint such paid or unpaid Administrative Assistant to assist in the day-to-day business activities of NASDEA in performing all its regular, ordinary, and necessary trade association, and tax-exempt activities.