Coalition for Nurses In Advanced Practice
Standing Rules

1. Core members of the Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice (referred to as “CNAP” or the “Coalition”) are composed of statewide advanced practice nursing (APN) organizations representing the four APN roles and other professional organizations that represent APNs who deliver advanced practice nursing services to a specific population. CNAP core members agree to adhere to CNAP Bylaws and Standing Rules.  Core members are:

Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse Midwives
Gulf Coast Gerontological Nurse Practitioners
Greater Texas Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners      (NAPNAP)
Houston Area Chapter of NAPNAP
Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Texas Clinical Nurse Specialists
Texas Nurse Practitioners

2. “Supporting members” are other APN organizations that pay the minimum yearly contribution and whose board requests to be recognized as a supporting member. Supporting members are non-voting but encouraged to send representatives to CNAP and have a voice in discussions. Supporting members are listed on CNAP’s Website.

3. “Affiliated stakeholders” include the Texas Board of Nursing, other nursing organizations or consumer groups whose board or staff sends representation to CNAP meetings.  Affiliated stakeholders are non-voting but representatives have a voice in discussions.

4. To establish core or supporting membership, an advanced practice nursing organization must pay a minimum of five hundred dollars annually. However, member organizations are expected to pledge an amount that is consistent with the size and budget of their organization.

5. Core member organizations provide Excel files of their membership lists to CNAP and access to their members for purposes of CNAP fund raising. Core member organizations also facilitate fund raising events for CNAP in conjunction with their conferences and meetings.

6. Each core member organization board appoints a primary and secondary representative to regularly attend CNAP meetings. Representatives act as liaisons between their organization’s board and CNAP, and represent the interests of their organization’s members. Core member organizations are also encouraged to send additional representatives to attend CNAP meetings.

7. CNAP meetings are open to all interested APNs and APN students.
8. Decision making is by consensus of the core members. Consensus is defined as agreement among the four APN roles: clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse-midwife, and nurse practitioner. Each primary representative shall be polled when any major decision is made outside of a regular or called meeting, unless the decision is a part of public affairs negotiations and a general sense of all members was formed previously.

9. Officers are selected by consensus of representatives in attendance at a regular CNAP meeting. If consensus cannot be reached, a majority vote of core member representatives determines the outcome. At the July meeting each year, the Chair requests volunteers who are willing to assume the responsibilities of officers whose terms will expire.

• In October of even numbered years, a Chair-elect assumes office and automatically begins a two-year term as Chair in October of the following year.
• On January 1 of even-numbered years, a new Treasurer begins a two-year term.
• In October of odd-numbered years, a new Secretary begins a two-year term.
• If the normal succession is altered, then adjustments in terms will be made as necessary.

10. Meeting dates are selected for the following year at a regular meeting in the summer or fall of each year. With the exception of months with conflicting holidays or professional conferences, monthly meetings are held. During odd-numbered years when the Texas Legislature is in session, dates for regular monthly meetings are selected but representatives meet at the Capitol and make legislative visits February through May. Regular meetings resume in July.

11. Conference calls are arranged as needed by the executive director. Business during Regular Legislative Sessions is often conducted through conference calls. Conference call participants usually include the lobbyists, officers and primary representatives. If a primary representative cannot participate, then the secondary representative participates.

12. CNAP business may also be acted on between meetings by the executive committee comprised of the officers and any primary representatives of the four APN roles not represented by the officers. The executive committee may meet in person, by conference call, or by electronic means. Any executive committee decisions or recommendations will be presented at the regular CNAP meetings. The primary goal of the executive committee is to conduct CNAP organizational business efficiently in order to maximize the amount of time available at regular CNAP meetings to discuss policy issues.

13. Checks of the organization may be signed by the treasurer, chair, the chair’s designee, or the executive director.

14. The treasurer proposes a budget for the following year at the October or November meeting. The budget must be approved by representatives present at a regular meeting by the end of January each year.

15. Non-budgeted items over two hundred dollars shall be made with the joint approval of the Chairperson and the Treasurer. Non-budgeted items over one thousand dollars require approval of the executive committee.

16. The treasurer is responsible for working with a certified public accountant or another qualified person to prepare and file required tax forms, including:

• an annual federal tax report; and
• if taxable items are sold, a state sales tax form.

17. An audit of CNAP finances is conducted by a certified public accountant, other qualified person, or audit committee when a new treasurer assumes office or at a minimum every two years. A member organization may request an independent audit at the expense of the requesting organization.

18. The chair or the chair’s designee is responsible for notifying the Office of the Secretary of State, or other state agencies as required by state law or rule, approximately every two years to maintain a list of current officers.

19.  The secretary is responsible for taking notes at each CNAP meeting and maintaining a record, either electronic or physically, that includes all financial reports and attachments. These records are to be maintained indefinitely.

20. The executive committee is responsible for establishing, maintaining and implementing any policies required by the Internal Revenue Service for non-profit organizations. Currently those policies include: 1) Audit and Audit Committee, 2) Conflict of Interest, 3) Confidentiality 4) Code of Ethics 5) Whistleblower, 6) Records Retention & Destruction, 7) Public Records & Transparency, 8) Compensation and, if CNAP should enter into any joint venture or contribute assets to a taxable organization, 9) evaluation of any joint arrangements with taxable entities under applicable federal tax law in order to maintain CNAP’s non-profit status.

21. Changes or additions to these standing rules may be adopted by a consensus of the core members represented at any meeting. At a minimum, the Standing Rules will be reviewed every two years.

Revised 7/25/08