BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
Establishment, Definitions and Purposes
Section 1.01. Establishment.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), mandated the establishment of an HIV community planning group
to work collectively with local, territorial, and state departments of health
to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic by developing scientifically sound and locally
relevant HIV prevention initiatives.
Section 1.02. Purposes.
The principal purpose of the HHPCPG is to create a comprehensive plan
to address the HIV Prevention needs of the City of
1. Develop an Epidemiologic Profile
Assess and describe the extent, distribution, and
impact of HIV/AIDS in defined populations in the community, as well as relevant
risk behaviors. This is the starting point for defining future HIV prevention needs
in defined, targeted populations within the health department’s jurisdiction.
2.
Conduct a Needs Assessment
Conduct an assessment of the HIV prevention needs of
the populations identified by the epidemiological profile as being at high risk
for HIV infection.
3.
Assemble a Resource Inventory
Assess existing community resources for HIV
prevention to determine the community’s capability to respond to the epidemic.
These resources may or may not be directly HIV related, but may include the existence
of social networks, educational institutions, businesses, or other
community-building activities that may favor HIV risk reduction.
4.
Conduct a Gap Analysis
Using the needs assessment and resource inventory,
identify met and unmet HIV prevention needs within the high-risk populations
defined in the epidemiological profile. Findings from the needs assessment
about high-risk populations (eg., size of population, impact of HIV/AIDS, risk
behaviors) should be compared to findings from the resource inventory about
existing services. An analysis of the gaps between the needs of at-risk
populations and the existing se4rvices should be helpful in the prioritization
process.
5.
Identify Potential Strategies and Interventions
Identify potential strategies and interventions that
can be used to prevent new HIV infections within the high-risk populations
defined in the epidemiologic profile, needs assessment, an resource inventory.
6.
Prioritize Populations and Interventions
Prioritize HIV prevention needs in terms of (1)
high-risk populations and (2) interventions and strategies for each high-risk
population identified.
7.
Develop a Plan
Develop a comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan
consistent with the high priority needs identified through the community
planning process.
8.
Evaluate the Planning Process
Health department and HHPCPG will track and keep
records on an ongoing basis to evaluate the effectiveness of community planning
process and the development and implementation of the comprehensive HIV
prevention plan.
9.
Update the Plan
Once a comprehensive plan has been developed, the
community-planning group should periodically review it to determine whether or not
it is necessary to make revisions.
Section 1.03. Definitions.
The following definitions shall have
the ascribed meaning when used within this document, except where otherwise
specified:
“AIDS” is defined as Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome.
“Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” is defined by
the current criteria established by Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“Bureau of HIV/STD Prevention” is defined as the
section of the Houston Department of Health and Human Services that administers
grant funds allocated to the “Metropolitan Statistical Area.”
“CDC” is defined as the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) of the Public Health Services of the United States
Department of Health and Human Services.
“Community Co-Chair” is defined as the HHPCPG
co-chair elected by HHPCPG community members.
“Community Co-Chair Elect” s defined as the HHPCPG
co-chair elected by HHPCPG community members to serve in the case of a vacancy
by the Community Co-Chair.
“Community member ” is defined as not being employed
(as a full-time, part-time consultant, or temporary worker) by the City of
“External member” is defined as members of standing
committees with full voting rights of that committee.
“HDHHS” is defined as the Houston Department of
Health and Human Services of the City of
“HIV” is defined as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
“HIV Infection” is defined as the presence of HIV anti-bodies
in the bloodstream as confirmed by the diagnostic tests prescribed by the
Centers for Disease Control.
“HHPCPG” is defined as the acronym for the Houston
HIV Prevention Community Planning Group.
“HRSA” is defined as the Health Resources Services
Administration of the Public Health Service of the United States Department of
Health and Human Services.
“Institutional Co-Chair” is defined as the HHPCPG
co-chair who is appointed by HDHHS.
“Metropolitan Statistical Area” is defined as the
Houston/Harris County Area which area has been determined by the Centers for
Disease Control for HIV prevention planning purposes.
“PIR” is defined as the community planning principles
of parity, inclusion and representation.
ARTICLE II
Appointment, Composition,
and Term
Section 2.01. Appointment of HHPCPG.
All members of the HHPCPG shall be
appointed by HDHHS after recommendation in accordance with HHPCPG member
selection process established in the Policy and Procedural Manual.
Section
2.02. Composition.
The
HHPCPG will be composed of no more than 35 members.
Section 2.03. Term.
HHPCPG membership
is for a term of three (3) years. The
terms shall be staggered into three groups to prevent turnover in
membership. A term shall begin on January
1 and shall terminate on December 31 of the third year following. HHPCPG members appointed to vacancies shall
complete the unexpired term of office. HDHHS shall appoint HHPCPG members to no
more than two consecutive three-year terms. A period of one year (12 months)
shall have passed prior to a person reapplying for membership once they have
served two three year terms.
Section
2.04. Parity, Inclusion and Representation.
Members are
selected to ensure that populations at highest risk for HIV transmission or
acquisition are included, and represented by persons with personal or
professional expertise. These
individuals must be able to represent the needs, concerns and issues of a
specific population and community, including but not limited to:
1.
Faith Communities
2.
Minority Board
CBO
3.
Non-Minority CBO
4.
Other Non-Profit
5.
State or Local
Health Department
6.
Other
Governmental Agencies
7.
Academic
Institutions
8.
Research Centers
9.
Individuals to
include
a.
Communities of
color
b.
Gay/lesbian/bisexual
c.
Transgender
d.
HIV prevention
workers
e.
HIV primary care
f.
Homelessness
g.
Incarcerated
and/or recently released persons
h.
Juvenile justice
system
i.
Mental health
j.
People with
physical disabilities
k.
Persons Living
with HIV/AIDS (PLWH)
l.
Sexually
transmitted infection prevention and/or treatment
m. Sex workers
n.
Social services
o.
Substance abuse
prevention and/or treatment
p.
Tuberculosis
prevention and/or treatment
q.
Youth
10.
Epidemiologists
11.
Behavioral or Social Science
12.
Evaluation Researcher
13.
Intervention Specialist
14.
Health Planner
15.
Community Representative
Section 2.05. Term Limits. HDHHS shall appoint HHPCPG members to no more
than two consecutive three-year terms.
Section 2.06. Membership Limits.
No
organization with the exception of HDHHS, shall have more than two employees
(as a full-time, part-time, consultant, or temporary worker) serving as HHPCPG
members. HDHHS shall have no more than three employees (as a full-time,
part-time, consultant, or temporary worker) who are voting members on the HHPCPG.
Should a HHPCPG member become employed by an organization, which already has
two employees serving on the HHPCPG, that organization shall determine which
two employees will remain as the voting members. All members, regardless of
affiliation shall be required to be interviewed prior to recommendation for
appointment, the exception being the HDHHS appointed Institutional Co-Chair.
ARTICLE III
Duties and powers of the
HHPCPG
Section 3.01. Duties.
The duties of the HHPCPG are to see to
the establishment and implementation of the purposes set out in Section 1.02 of
these Bylaws and those duties that are prescribed by the CDC, HDHHS or purview
of the HHPCPG.
ARTICLE IV
Committees
Section 4.01. Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee, which provides
overall leadership of the HHPCPG, shall be composed of Community Co-Chair,
Community Co-Chair Elect, Institutional Co-Chair and the Co-Chairs of each
Standing Committee. The Executive
Committee shall review reports from each standing committee and make
recommendations for placement on the HHPCPG agenda. Actions of the Executive Committee are
subject to ratification by the HHPCPG. The Executive Committee is responsible
for:
·
Setting the
agenda of the HHPCPG;
·
Making
recommendations to the HHPCPG;
·
Previewing
reports from the Standing Committees;
·
Functioning
in “emergency” situations as they arise.
Section 4.02. Standing
Committees.
There shall be four (4) Standing
Committees. Each HHPCPG member is required to serve on at least one standing
committee. Two Co-Chairs, who shall facilitate the meeting and make reports at Executive
Committee and HHPCPG meetings, will manage each committee. The HHPCPG Co-Chairs
and Co-Chair Elect cannot be Chairs of any Standing Committee. The standing committees are:
1) Community and Member Relations
2)
Prioritization
3)
Quality
Assurance
4)
Resources and
Needs
Section 4.03 Other Committees.
The Community and Institutional
Co-Chairs or the HHPCPG may, from time to time, establish other ad-hoc
committees as may be expedient or necessary to carry out specific duties and responsibilities. The scope and responsibilities of such
committees shall be delineated at the time such committees are established.
ARTICLE V
Officers, Members,
Election of Officers, Appointments and Duties of Officers
Section 5.01. Officers.
The officers of the HHPCPG shall be
the Community Co-Chair, Community Co-Chair Elect and Institutional
Co-Chair.
Section 5.02. Members.
Members of the HHPCPG are those
persons who are appointed by HDHHS after recommendation from the member
selection process. All members are
required to attend a mandatory orientation.
Section 5.03. External Members.
External members of the HHPCPG are
those persons who were appointed by Community and Institutional Co-Chairs to
serve on a Standing Committee. All
External Members serving on standing committees shave have voting privileges on
the committee they serve on but shall have no voting privileges at the general
HHPCPG meetings. All External Members are required to complete a mandatory
orientation.
Section 5.04. Election of Officers.
The Community Co-Chair and Community
Co-Chair Elect shall be elected by the majority
vote of the HHPCPG members at the first meeting of planning year each January. The Community Co-Chair and Community Co-Chair
Elect may not be employed (as full-time, part-time or consultant staff) of the
City of
Section 5.05. Appointment of the Institutional Co-Chair.
HDHHS will appoint the Institutional
Co-Chair. Prior to the beginning of the
planning year, or as needed to fill a vacancy, HDHHS will inform the Community
and Member Relations Committee of its appointment.
Section 5.06. Appointment of Committee Chairs.
Committee Chairs will be appointed by
the Community and Institutional Co-Chairs.
Committee Chairs must be members of the HHPCPG for at least one
year. If committee leadership is not
available from among HHPCPG members with at least one year’s service, the
Co-Chairs may seek leadership among all HHPCPG members.
The Standing Committee Chairs shall
preside at all meetings of their respective committees, and are responsible for
ensuring that minutes and attendance are recorded. A copy of all approved minutes so taken shall
be distributed to the entire HHPCPG.
Section 5.07. Duties of Officers.
The duties of HHPCPG officers are as
follows:
Community and Institutional Co-Chairs: The
Community and Institutional Co-Chairs shall preside at all meetings of the
HHPCPG. The Co-Chairs shall jointly
perform such other duties as are normally performed by a chair of an
organization or such other duties as the HHPCPG may prescribe from time to
time.
Community Co-Chair Elect: The
Community Co-Chair Elect shall preside at meetings of the HHPCPG in the absence
of the Community Co-Chair, or should the Community Co-Chair have a conflict
with debated legislation. The Community
Co-Chair Elect shall perform such other duties as the Chair may designate or
the HHPCPG shall prescribe from time to time.
ARTICLE VI
Quorum, Voting, Proxies
and Attendance
Section 6.01. Quorum.
A simple majority of the members of
the HHPCPG or Standing Committee is required to constitute a quorum. In computing a quorum, vacant seats are not
considered.
Section 6.02. Voting.
Voting shall be by consensus. However,
each member shall cast one vote on regular business maters coming before the
HHPCPG, if a consensus is not present. A simple majority vote is required to
pass any matter coming before the HHPCPG or any standing committee.
Section 6.03. Proxy Voting.
Any member may assign a proxy to
another member or committee member to cast votes on his/her behalf in a general
or committee meeting. The proxy should be delivered to and signed by the
co-chair(s) prior to the start of the meeting at which the vote is to be taken
or immediately before an early departure from the meeting. While a proxy vote
is counted as valid in voting situations, proxies may not be counted as the
issuer having attended a meeting for attendance purposes.
Section 6.04. Attendance.
HHPCPG members are required to attend
regular and committee meetings at its scheduled times. HDHHS shall cause attendance records to be
maintained for regular and committee meetings, and shall regularly provide such
records to the Community
and Member Relations Committee (CMRC). Any member who is unable
to attend a meeting must notify the Co-Chairs, Standing Committee Chair or
HDHHS prior to the meeting. (See Policies
and Procedures Manual).
Any member with eight (8) unexcused
absences from regular and committee meetings accrued in one planning year is
subject to removal according to the HHPCPG Policy and Procedures Manual.
External members are required to
attend regularly scheduled committee meetings.
Any External member with a total of four (4) unexcused absences is subject
to removal from the committee.
ARTICLE VII
Conflicts of Interest
Section 7.01 Definition of Conflict of Interest.
A conflict of interest (COI) occurs
when external or voting member has a direct or indirect fiduciary, personal or
professional interest in an HHPCPG decision or the outcome of a vote. A conflict also exists when a member uses
his/her positions for purposes that are motivated by pursuit of private gain
for themselves or their families, friends, or business associates.
Section 7.02 Disclosure of Conflicts of Interests.
Members who have COI must declare that
conflict before the discussion of a motion.
This will be recorded in the official minutes. All members must submit signed statements
disclosing any COI when joining the HHPCPG, and at least annually, and/or more
often as needed, thereafter.
ARTICLE VIII
Regular Meetings, Special
Meetings, Notice and Business to be Considered
Section 8.01. Regular Meetings.
The HHPCPG will have regular meetings
at designated times and places. Written
Notice of Regular Meetings shall be given no less than five (5) days prior, and
will include an agenda and documents for review.
Section 8.02. Special Meetings.
Special Meetings shall be held at such
times and places as designated by the Co-Chairs or Standing Committee
Chairs. Notice of Special Meetings shall
be given no less than five (5) working days prior to special called meeting.
Section 8.03. Notice.
It shall be the responsibility of
HDHHS, the Co-Chairs and Standing Committee Chairs to notify to each member of
meetings. Notice of Regular Meetings
shall be given in writing, facsimile and/or electronically. Additionally, notice of Special Meetings may
be given by telephone or electronically.
All HHPCPG meetings shall be listed as Open Meetings.
Section 8.04. Business to be Considered.
Any business coming before the HHPCPG
shall be considered at a duly constituted and noticed Regular Meeting or
Special Meeting. At each Regular
Meeting, only items approved by the Executive Committee for presentation to the
HHPCPG and posted on the agenda may be voted on.
Section 8.05. Public Comment.
There is an opportunity for public
comment at all meetings. Persons wishing
to speak must follow the established policies and procedures.
ARTICLE IX
Grievance
Section 9.01 Grievance.
Any member expressing a grievance
shall follow the process outlined in the Policies & Procedures Manual.
ARTICLE X
Amendments and Governing
Procedure
Section 10.01. Amendments.
These Bylaws may be amended from time
to time by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire membership. Proposed
amendments shall be submitted (in written form) for review to the full HHPCPG
at least fifteen (15) days prior to voting.
Section 10.02. Governing Procedure.
The HHPCPG will be lead primarily by
consensus vote. Robert’s Rules of Order,
last revised shall govern conduct of operations where
applicable or if consensus vote is not applicable or possible
Signed this 22nd day of July
2004,
_______________________________ ________________________________________
Barbara Joseph – Community
Co-Chair