Interstate Governmental Water Resources Standing Committee Framework

I. Creation and Name of Standing Committee

In accordance with the Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) By-Laws, Article VI Board of Directors, Officers and Committees, Section 3. Committees, the following standing committee hereinafter called the" the "Interstate Governmental Water Resources" is established.

II. Purpose of the Committee

Recognizing the vital importance and increasing role of interstate governmental organizations for water resources management in regional, national and bi-national water resource policy, the role of the interstate governmental organizations for water resources management shall be to provide a network for information sharing and exchange on ideas and policy and program approaches taken in different regions, raising the collective profile land influence of river basin interstate governmental organizations at the national and bi-national levels; and promoting inter-regional cooperation and collaboration on shared issues. The role of the Committee shall be that of both increasing and enhancing information sharing and coordination; collaborating on special projects and studies that impact multi-jurisdictions; and serving as a forum for policy development and advocacy for interstate issues of a regional, national and bi-national nature.

III. Membership

Committee membership shall consists of at least 5 members (2) of whom shall be members of the ICWP Board of Directors land shall represent a broad geographic area. The ICWP Chairman shall appoint all members to the Standing Committee, except hereinafter provided, and designate the Chairman of the Committee. Members shall serve a one year term on the Committee and may be re-appointed to consecutive terms at the discretion of the ICWP Chairman. Committee members shall represent a mix of appointed interstate governmental organization members, staff, or state staff to an interstate river basin governmental organization, including those bi-national, regional or multi-provincial in scope (i.e. Canadian or Federal Organizations). The Committee chairman may call upon various representatives to be associates or advisors to the Committee. A representative shall cease being a representative of the Committee at the time said individual's affiliation with the interstate governmental organization terminates. This shall be the case of both institutional ICWP Board and ICWP Chairman appointed memberships. The appointing authority for a member group shall be asked to appoint a new representative to replace an individual who has become disaffiliated from that group.

IV. Meeting and Procedures

In accordance with Article VI, Section 1.D. the Committee shall hold meetings in conjunction with ICWP general membership and other committee meetings on an annual basis. The Committee shall have an appointed Chair designated as described in Section III Membership. A Vice Chair will be appointed by consensus of the Committee. Terms of the committee Chair and Vice Chair shall coincide with the terms of the ICWP Board of Directors Officers and shall serve until their successors are elected and installed during the Annual meeting of the ICWP. The Committee Chair shall call meetings to address any work related to projects of the Committee Notification of such meetings shall follow the procedure set forth by Article VI, Section 1.D. of the ICWP By-Laws which states that members shall be notified by mail at least twenty (20) days prior to the meeting. The Committee Chair and Vice Chair in conjunction with ICWP staff shall arrange meeting dates, prepare agendas, keep minutes, coordinate projects and workplans and distribute to members all information pertinent to the Committee's execution of the purposes set forth all information pertinent to the committee's execution of the purposes set forth for the Committee in Section II. Additional procedures and operating functions shall be developed by the Committee with approval of the Board of Directors. Issues brought to the committee shall, whenever possible, be decided by a consensus. Issues moved to a vote shall be decided by a majority vote; in the case of a tie vote, any motion shall be considered defeated. Any formal documents ore statements (i.e. policy statement, white papers, testimony, etc) developed by the Committee shall require approval of the ICWP Board of Directors.

V. Amendments

Amendments to this framework shall be in accordance to Article VIII Amendment of By-Laws of the ICWP By-Laws