Procedure for Submitting Utah PTA Resolutions

What is a Resolution?

A resolution is a call for action. It is a statement which may give direction for that action, such as legislative directives and policies or state and local community involvement. A resolution may also memorialize, commemorate, or express appreciation. Local PTAs, councils, regions, and Utah PTA commissions and committees may submit resolutions for consideration to the Utah PTA Resolutions Committee.

 

How is a Resolution Processed?

The Utah PTA Resolutions Committee meets and considers all resolutions sent to them that meet resolution submission requirements. Resolutions approved by the committee for state action will be sent to local PTAs and councils at least 30 DAYS prior to the annual conference/convention. The conference/convention delegates will then take action on those resolutions at the annual conference/convention.

 

Resolutions Must:

1. Be in harmony with the purposes and basic policies of the Utah PTA and National PTA (see Utah PTA Bylaws Article XX Section 1).
2. Address a concern that is statewide in scope and requires state action involving local, council, and region PTAs for solution.
3. Be accompanied by two pieces of documentation which specifically supports each “whereas” clause and by a brief narrative summary of that material. The documentation should be sufficient to give a person without any previous knowledge of the subject enough information to make an intelligent decision.
4. Be within the ability of Utah PTA to implement or accomplish (see Legislative section, Utah PTA President Handbook).
5. Be written in a resolution format.
6. Be submitted and approved by a local, council, or region PTA in good standing, or by a Utah PTA commission or committee (the form to submit resolutions is found in the legislative section of the Utah PTA President Handbook).
7. State a position not previously adopted by the Utah PTA or National PTA.

 

What is Documentation?

1. Documentation should substantiate each “whereas” and “resolved” clause of the resolution and should indicate that the subject of the resolution was well researched by the submitting group.
2. Reference to each “whereas” must be included in the documentation.
3. Documentation should be state, not local, in scope. Documentation includes PTA related information such as education, health, safety, and welfare articles or updates, copies of documented research, pertinent laws, and articles from publications. Documentation should be from credible sources. Please note: newspaper articles, abstracts, and editorials alone are not sufficient documentation.
4. Documentation sources should be included at the end of each “whereas” statement.

 

Deadline Information:

Resolutions must be received at the Utah PTA office no later than June 15 to be considered for action at the Advocacy Conference in the fall or November 15 to be considered for action at the Business and Resolutions sessions of the Utah PTA Leadership Convention in the spring. In the event that the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, the resolution will be accepted on the next business day. Resolutions submitted after the June 15 or November 15 deadline will not be presented at the next convention or conference.

Resolutions that do not have sufficient credible documentation will not be considered. Resolutions are strengthened and the people presenting them have an advantage when the documentation have been thoroughly researched. Therefore, it is essential to submit thorough and sufficient background materials with each resolution. Note: If a resolution has National PTA intent, it must be submitted with all of the support data necessary to be forwarded to National PTA when it is submitted to Utah PTA. National PTA requires three pieces of documentation for each “whereas.” Any resolution with national intent which passes at the annual convention must be received by National PTA by November 15 of the following year.

 

Emergency Resolutions

Emergency resolutions may be brought to the annual Utah PTA Leadership Convention floor if the following provisions for submitting them are met:

1. The urgency of the subject matter shall not have occurred until after the resolutions deadline.
2. Emergency resolutions shall conform to all established criteria for other resolutions.
3. Emergency resolutions need to be submitted to the Utah PTA office 15 days prior to convention to enable the Resolutions Committee to review them.
4. Copies of the emergency resolutions approved for presentation to the convention body shall be prepared for the delegates by the submitting group and distributed to the delegates at the Business and Resolutions meeting.
5. A 2/3 vote of the delegate body is necessary before an emergency resolution shall be considered.

 

Official forms, cover sheets, and procedures for submitting Utah PTA and National PTA Resolutions are found in the Utah PTA President Handbook.