ICMEA ByLaws: Your Partner in Professional Development

The membership of the Association shall be notified of the holding of the Annual Spring Meeting, the Annual Winter Meeting and any scheduled Association training seminars. All such notices shall be made at least 30 days in advance of the meeting. 

Special sessions of the Association may be called by the President. Special sessions may also be called by a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors or following a written petition signed by at least ten active members in good standing.

Notices of special meetings shall indicate the matters to be discussed at the meeting. All such notices shall be made at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting for a binding vote to take place. A written notice will also be mailed to the Coroner or Medical Examiner office in each county. 

The Association reserves the right at any meeting to go into closed session following a majority vote of the Class A active members in good standing who are present. 

The conduct of all meetings shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order. 

At times when the Annual Meeting is not in session, the Board may deem it necessary to solicit a vote of the general membership on matters of importance to the entire Association. If a binding vote is sought, a written ballot shall be mailed to all voting members of the Association in good standing. A method of verifying receipt of all ballots shall be instituted by the Board to ensure that all votes cast are counted. The ballots shall be returned to the Association Secretary, presented unopened to the Board, and shall have the same effect as a vote at the Annual Business Meeting. In order to count the votes cast, the Board must meet in person at a time and place designated by the President. In order to open and record the votes, a quorum of the Board must be present. The Board may also seek a non-binding advisory vote by use of the same process, or by use of electronic voting methods. 

The President may create any committee or subcommittee deemed necessary for the performance of certain duties in the name of the Association. 

There shall be a Legislative Chairman, Training Chairman (otherwise known as the Director of Training), Organ/Tissue Chairman, and Past President Chairman appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. 

The President shall appoint all committee chairpersons and members, unless otherwise provided for, as soon as possible after assuming the office of the President, and shall have all committees and their members established by the first quarterly Board meeting. Any member in good standing may petition the President for consideration of  specific committee assignment. 

The Membership of the Association may, by majority vote, direct the President to appoint such committee or committees as its membership deems advisable or necessary to perform specified duties. 

In addition to the Board of Directors, the ICMEA shall have standing committees comprised of a minimum of three (3) members as listed below:

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE:

The legislative committee addresses all issues with regards to state legislation as it pertains to Coroners, Medical Examiners, and the ICMEA. The legislative chairperson and committee members will be appointed annually by the President. The committee Chair will keep up-to-date records of the committee’s activities, and reports to the Board quarterly and to the membership at the Spring and Winter meetings. 

No legislation regarding the Coroner’s Office should be submitted to the State Legislature without prior approval by the Executive Board. Failure to have legislation approved by the Association shall be deemed inappropriate and will not be endorsed by the Association nor will the lobbyist be permitted to introduce such legislation. 

EDUCATION COMMITTEE (otherwise known as the DIRECTOR OF TRAINING):

The Director of Training oversees all educational and training functions of the ICMEA. The committee is responsible for planning the ICMEA Spring conference, Winter conference, and the annual Medicolegal Death and Homicide Investigation Conference. The 1st VP will assist the Director of Training, and in coordination with the Director, may delegate responsibilities as best benefits the Association. The Chair shall have the primary responsibility for arranging the educational content for the conferences (including the speakers at the conferences). 

The committee members will be appointed annually by the President. The committee is responsible for identifying the educational and training needs of our members and developing materials and vehicles to meet those needs including: conferences and seminars, web-based learning, external training programs, and reading materials. The committee will continuously update the membership about the learning opportunities available. The committee Chair/Director of Training will keep up-to-date records of the committee’s activities, and reports to the Board quarterly and to the membership at the annual meeting. 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS & PLANNING COMMITTEE:

This committee is responsible for assisting the Association in the planning, preparation, and response to emergencies and disasters for the purposes of enabling effective fatality management and the preservation of life, health, and property, of the population affected by such calamity throughout the State of Illinois. 

CHILD DEATH REVIEW COMMITTEE:

This committee will act as a liaison between the Association and Child Death Review Teams throughout the state. The committee will keep the Association updated on the most current information and practices regarding CDRT’s and related topics. 

PAC COMMITTEE:

This committee is responsible for the oversight of the PAC fund and works with the Legislation Committee and Treasurer to ensure that funds are raised and spent to support and/or defeat issues that impact the roles and responsibilities of Coroners throughout the state. 

ORGAN & TISSUE DONATION COMMITTEE:

This committee is responsible for establishing and maintaining Association relationships with the various Coroner representatives of tissue and organ procurement agencies with whom the members work. This committee shall also work with the Legislation Committee on proposed anatomical gift legislation. 

MERCHANDISE COMMITTEE:

The merchandise committee will be responsible for all ordering and sales of merchandise, including the coordination of members to man the merchandise tables during conferences. The Sergeant-At-Arms will be the overall chair of this committee and may delegate responsibilities as best benefits the Association, The committee members will be appointed annually by the President. The committee Chair will keep up-to-date records of the Association’s merchandise and sales, and reports this to the Board quarterly and to the membership at the annual meeting. 

In addition to the Board of Directors and the above-listed standing committees, the Association shall have the following Ad Hoc Committees: 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE:

The membership committee will be responsible for keeping track of membership information, including names, affiliations, titles, addresses, Email addresses and phone numbers. The 2nd VP will be the overall chair of this committee and may delegate responsibilities as best benefits the Association. The committee members will be appointed annually by the President. An electronic membership directory will be updated annually and published on the members-only website, including all members’ contact information. This committee is also responsible for recruiting new ICMEA members. The committee Chair will keep up-to-date records of the committee’s activities, and reports to the Board quarterly and to the membership at the annual meeting.

 
BY LAWS COMMITTEE:

The By Laws Committee will be responsible for the periodic review of the ICMEA Constitution and By Laws and recommend changes to the President and Board of Directors on an as needed basis.  

At times when the Annual Meeting is not in session, the Board may deem it necessary to solicit a vote of the general membership on matters of importance to the entire Association. If a binding vote is sought, a written ballot shall be mailed to all voting members of the Association in good standing. A method of verifying receipt of all ballots shall be instituted by the Board to ensure that all votes cast are counted. The ballots shall be returned to the Association Secretary, presented unopened to the Board, and shall have the same effect as a vote at the Annual Business Meeting. In order to count the votes cast, the Board must meet in person at a time and place designated by the President. In order to open and record the votes, a quorum of the Board must be present. The Board may also seek a non-binding advisory vote by use of the same process, or by use of electronic voting methods.