Commission on Aging By-Laws

Article I: Name

The name of this Commission shall be the Nevada Governor's Commission on Aging (COA)

Article II: Mission Statement

The mission of the Nevada Governor's Commission on Aging is to facilitate and enhance the quality of life and services for all Nevada's seniors through partnership with the Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) and other entities.

Article III: Vision Statement

 Become a visible and informed organization, establish priority of needs for elder Nevadans and advocate for programs and services to meet those needs through collaboration and education. 

Adopted January 9, 2001 

Article IV: Creation (NRS 427A.032)

The Nevada Governor's Commission on Aging is created by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Title 38, Chapter 427A, which delineates requirements for the COA in the areas of membership, duties, terms of appointment, powers and duties, meetings and compensation.

Article V: Duties

In addition to those required in NRS Chapter 427A, the COA will also:

A. Advise the ADSD on the special issues and opportunities of the aging population.

B. Recommend necessary procedures, programs, legislation or administrative action and promote equal rights and opportunity for Nevada's older population to ADSD, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Legislature and the Governor.

C. Develop and present goals and objectives of the COA to the ADSD Administrator annually.

D. Develop and adopt bylaws concerning internal affairs of the COA not addressed in NRS Chapter 427A.

Article VI: Objectives

 The objectives of the COA are:

A. To provide a representative group in the State to ascertain and assess the needs of older adults and to identify gaps, duplications, and cultural competence issues in services required to support the well-being of older adults. 

B. To act as advocates for older adults and to encourage their continued activity as contributing members of their communities; and

C. To encourage cooperation and coordination among agencies and groups working on behalf of older adults. 

Article VII: Advocacy Activities of the Commission on Aging

A. The COA is expected and encouraged to undertake advocacy activities in the fulfillment of its mission. Its unique perspective is relevant to the understanding and resolution of public policy issues, and should be shared with others. Positions determined by the COA do not necessarily reflect the position of individual members and should not be attributed to any individual. 

C. Subject to the restrictions in paragraph (d) below, the COA may:

    1. Adopt an advocacy position on legislation pending before the State Legislature.

    2. Adopt an advocacy position on legislation pending before any other legislative body, including but not limited to local governments or the federal government.

    3. Report the adoption of such advocacy position in the minutes of the meeting at which such action occurred.

D. Prohibited Activities:

     1. The COA shall not endorse any candidate for elective office or take a position regarding the proposed recall of a person holding elective offices. The Commission shall avoid any interaction with a candidate that might be perceived as an endorsement of such person's candidacy.

    2. The COA shall not contribute any resources, whether monetary or in-kind, to any political campaign, candidate, party or political committee.

    3. Political contributions shall not be solicited or received in any room or building occupied for the discharge of official duties. 

    4. While the COA may adopt advocacy positions pursuant to this Article, no official position urging voters to cast their ballot for or against any ballot measure shall be taken. 

Article VIII: Advocacy by Individual Members of the Commission

Commissioners are expected and encouraged to undertake advocacy activities in the fulfillment of the Commission's mission.

A. Positions taken by individuals reflect their own positions. They can identify themselves as members of the Commission, but if their positions have not been approved by the Commission, this fact must be stated.

B. As used in this article, the term "advocacy" means the adoption and communication of a position regarding pending legislation (local, state or federal). General issue advocacy that does not concern specific, identifiable pending legislation (local, state or federal) shall not be governed by the provisions of this article. 

C. Subject to the restrictions in Paragraph D below, the Commissioner may:

    a. Adopt an advocacy position on legislation pending before any other legislative body including but not limited to local governments, the State of Nevada or the federal government.

    b. Report the adoption of such advocacy position in the minutes of the meeting at which such action occurred.

    c. Permit others, including campaigns for or against ballot measures, to list his/her name among others that have taken a position for or against a ballot measure.

D. The following advocacy activities are prohibited when acting as a Commissioner:

    a. The Commissioner shall not endorse any candidate for elective office or take a position regarding the proposed recall of a person holding elective office, in their official capacity as a Commissioner of the COA, so as not to give the impression that the COA as a whole is making the endorsement, rather than just the individual.

    b. Political contributions shall not be solicited or received in any room or building occupied for the discharge of official duties.

Article IX: Officers

NRS 427A(3)(a) requires the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services of his/her designee to act as Chair of the COA.

A. The Commissioners shall create other officers and specify the length of their terms upon majority vote of all Commissioners. The officers will include, but not be limited to, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

B. The Chair shall make the initial appointment to a newly created position.

C. Only appointed members of the Commission are eligible to hold office.

D. If necessary, a nominating committee may be appointed by the Chair to develop nominations for the annual election of officers or to fill any vacant positions among elected officers.

E. Nominations will also be accepted from Commissioners at the meeting where the elections are held. 

F. Terms of office for elected officers will be one-year with a maximum of two terms.

G. Elections shall be held during the first meeting in each calendar year as terms end or to fill vacant positions when adequate notice of position and nominating procedures is placed on the agenda.

Article X: Subcommittees

The COA may have subcommittees as approved by the Commission. NRS 427A.034 (4) requires that each subcommittee will have no more than five voting members.

A. Each subcommittee may have non0-voting members (NRS 241.025)

B. Membership in the Subcommittees is not restricted to appointed Commissioners.

C. Subcommittee meetings are subject to the Open Meeting Law, NRS Chapter 241.

D. All Subcommittees shall report to the COA at the regularly scheduled meetings.

E. Subcommittees must get approval for the COA for anything they wish to do as a COA Subcommittee. This requires putting the activity on the COA agenda in a timely manner. 

Article XI: Ad-Hoc Committees

A. The Chair may establish task forces or ad hoc committees needed to carry on the work of the COA.

B. The Chair shall appoint task force or ad hoc committee members as well as chairs if deemed necessary.

C. All task forces and ad hoc committees shall report to the COA at their regularly scheduled meetings.

D. Task forces and ad hoc committees may have indefinite or limited terms depending on their purposes. 

E. Task forces and ad hoc committees may include, in their own discretion, participants who are not COA members. Non-commission participants shall not have the right to vote. 

F. All task forces and ad hoc committees shall be subject to the Open Meeting Law. (NRS Chapter 241)

Article XII: Parliamentary Authority

If deemed necessary by the chair to provide an orderly process in which to conduct the business of the COA, the rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the COA in all cases to which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these Bylaws, any special rules of order the COA may adopt, or the Nevada Open Meeting Law. (NRS Chapter 241) 

Article XIII: Amendment of Bylaws

A. The COA will review these bylaws at least every three years and recommend amendments to the Administrator of ADSD for approval prior to being adopted. 

B. The bylaws shall be amended as necessary to conform to any changes in NRS, the Open Meeting Law, executive orders, fiscal rules and official policies of the State of Nevada.

C. Notice of intent to amend, repeal or adopt new bylaws shall be communicated to each Commissioner by means of the agenda sent out for the regularly scheduled meeting at which the vote will occur. 

D. The bylaws may be amended, repealed, or new bylaws adopted by the affirmative vote of the majority of Commissioners present at a regularly scheduled meeting at which a quorum exists. 

E. Any amendments or repeals of these bylaws or adoptions of new bylaws shall be submitted to the Chair of the COA for approval. 

Signature:

These bylaws are adopted this nineteenth day of July 2016.

Signed:

Jane Gruner, Chair

Nevada Governor's Commission on Aging