Review and know your bylaws; they are a legal document and your PTA must adhere to them. Each board member is responsible for understanding the bylaws and should have a copy in their procedure book or files.
Purpose of Bylaws
Each PTA/PTSA unit is actually a California non-profit, officially known as a 501(c)(3). As such, each unit is responsible for keeping up to date and accurate bylaws so as to comply with California Corporate Code. Bylaws are actually a legal document. A copy of the unit bylaws should be provided to all officers and board members of the unit. Each board member is responsible for understanding the bylaws. A copy of the bylaws should be made available to any member of the association upon request.
Bylaws Updates
Your PTA bylaws should be reviewed each year (it’s a great way to orient your board to their responsibilities) and must be updated and sent through channels for State PTA’s approval every three years (or sooner if you want to make any changes). Plan now by establishing a bylaws review committee.
Bilingual bylaws (with Spanish in one column and English in the other) are also available.
To begin the bylaws review process, access the following links: Instructions for Completion or Worksheet for e-Bylaws
Use eBylaws!
- Request your username and password from CA State PTA using the following link, https://capta.org/pta-leaders/services/ebylaws/, then click “request username & password.”
- You will be requested to create a user name. This is not your personal user name and password, but your unit’s. You may want to consider a user name that makes sense for your unit.
- Make sure you record your unit’s eBylaws user name and password, record them in your standing rules for future reference!
- You’ll receive two emails: 1) user name / password and 2) instructions
- Then you can return to CA State PTA’s bylaws page, https://capta.org/pta-leaders/services/ebylaws/, and click “Build e-Bylaws”
- You’ll be taken through a series of screens in which you’ll enter information needed to build your bylaws. You can save along the way without completing at one sitting.
- Once complete, you save a copy of the eBylaws as a PDF to your computer and print them. Be green and print them double sided.
Submit through channels. Submit your unit’s updated bylaws to either the council (or district) parliamentarian along with your standing rules document and the cover sheet.
Most units can update their bylaws on-line, even those whose units vary from the standard bylaws. eBylaws can be printed DOUBLE SIDED and then modifications made.
Standing Rules
They are the last pages of your bylaws. Standing Rules actually state how your association functions and cannot conflict with the body of the bylaws. Many units include in their standing rules the list of committees that report to each Vice President and how much members of the association while on PTA business. To add or remove a standing rule requires previous notice and a majority vote, or a two-thirds vote without previous notice.
Here is a Standing Rules Sample: Samples of Standing Rules
For more information on bylaws, please access: https://capta.org/pta-leaders/run-your-pta/bylaws-and-standing-rules/
Bylaws Submittal Form/Cover Sheet
Here is a downloadable pdf file of the cover sheet which needs to be filled out and attached when submitting bylaws to the Peralta District PTA parliamentarian for state PTA approval