Members who are not delegates or alternates should contact their delegation chairs or component medical societies to identify the appropriate channels for introducing a resolution.
Resolutions can address virtually any medical practice or health-related topic, or any aspect of the policies and activities of organized medicine. The Speaker of the House may edit or revise resolutions for length and clarity, and to delete any inflammatory language, while striving to preserve the author's intent. The Speaker may also reject resolutions that are deemed to be inappropriate as business of the House (for example, resolutions addressing social policy issues with no obvious medical implications). Although this rarely occurs, authors may appeal the Speaker's ruling to the House Rules Committee and ultimately to the entire House of Delegates.
Resolutions typically consist of a series of "Whereas" clauses, which serve to explain the reason(s) for the resolution, and one or more "Resolved" clauses, which state the specific action(s) proposed. Only the "Resolved" clauses are acted on by the House and become CMA policy. Therefore, all "Resolved" clauses must stand alone and not be dependent upon the "Whereases" to be clearly understood.
The deadline for submitting resolutions to the 2012 House of Delegates is August 14, 2012. Click here to submit a resolution online. Resolutions can also be submitted by email to: resolutions@cmanet.org.
Following is a sample of a correctly formatted resolution:
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Additional Days in the Year
Introduced by: Jane Smith, M.D.
Author: John Williams, M.D.Whereas, it becomes more apparent every year that we cannot do all of the
things we have to do in 365 days;andWhereas, either more days must be created or work must be decreased;
therefore be itRESOLVED: That an additional ten (10) days a year be created; and be it further
RESOLVED: That CMA endorse the concept of ten more days a year.
Under House rules, resolutions should be no more than one page in length. Resolution titles should specify the subject of the resolution and must not be more than six (6) words in length.
After resolutions are received by CMA, fiscal notes and a summary of existing CMA policy on the subject are added for the House's information. Authors are strongly encouraged to review the CMA Policy Compendium prior to developing a resolution to determine whether the subject of the proposed resolution has already been addressed by CMA.
Resolutions received less than 60 days before the House meets must be reviewed and accepted by the House Rules Committee, which evaluates late resolutions based on the following criteria: the subject of the resolution must be of such a timely nature that it could not be introduced prior to the 60-day deadline and is of such current importance that it cannot wait to be introduced by the author as business for a Board of Trustees meeting scheduled after Annual Session.