JHU SGAThe 114th Session

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Bylaws (Personal Rewrite, Condensed)

Unknown · 114th session · created October 8, 2026 · updated November 4, 2026

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  1. Article I - Title, Purpose, and Definitions
    1. These bylaws of the Student Government Association of Johns Hopkins University, hereafter the "Bylaws," enacted pursuant to Article II Section III of the Constitution of the Student Government Association of Johns Hopkins University, hereafter Article II Section III of the "Constitution," contain every binding regulation the Student Government Association of Johns Hopkins University is held to not in the Constitution.
    2. Definitions
      1. SGA — The term “SGA” shall refer to the Student Government Association of Johns Hopkins University.
      2. Procedural Rules — The terms “Senate Procedural Rules,” "Procedural Rules," and "Rules" shall refer to the legislation outlined in
      3. Judiciary
      4. Executive
      5. Committee - the term Standing Legislative Committee, Senate Committee, and Committee
      6. Class Councils
      7. Student Body President - the term "Student Body President" shall refer to
      8. Student Body Vice President
      9. Student Body Secretary
      10. Term - The term "Term"
      11. Legislative Member
      12. Member
      13. Chair
      14. Chair of Programming
      15. Event
      16. Semester
      17. Senate Session
      18. Presiding Officer
      19. Meeting - any gathering of Members subject to the Bylaws satisfying Quorum
      20. Administrator -
      21. Resolution -
      22. Cabinet -
      23. GRO -
      24. Legislation -
      25. LEED,
      26. JHU Libraries
      27. CSAC
      28. JHUC
      29. Absence
      30. Vote
      31. Secretary
      32. Director of Communications
      33. RSO
      34. Email
      35. Website
      36. Instagram
      37. Office
  2. Article II - Supremacy
    1. The Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules, in this lexicographically-prioritized order, shall supersede legislation of the Senate and shall retain supremacy over any other SGA regulations, as well as any governing documents of subsidiary bodies.
    2. Should any part of the Bylaws be ruled unconstitutional by the Judiciary, such part shall be considered severable, and the rest of the document shall retain ordinance status.
  3. Article III - The Executive Branch
    1. All Executive members shall:
      1. Attend all Senate Meetings.
      2. Attend all Cabinet Meetings.
      3. Attend all Advisor Meetings.
    2. All Programming Council Members shall
      1. Attend the Meetings of their respective Councils.
    3. The Student Body President shall:
      1. Coordinate the production of transition documents compiled by Executive Members, Committees, and Class Councils, and present such documents to the Senate at the end of a Term, as well as provide such documents to Members of the next Term.
      2. Collaborate with the Student Body Vice President and Student Body Chair of Programming in the organization of at least one (1) vacational retreat every Semester to clarify SGA goals and promote SGA interconnectedness.
    4. The Student Body Vice President shall:
      1. Succeed the Student Body President in the case of the Student Body President's impeachment or resignation.
      2. Within the first thirty (30) days of each Member's Membership, collate the short- and long-term goals of the Member's Term.
      3. Record the progress of each Member's goals at least once (1) every thirty (30) days.
    5. The Student Body Secretary shall:
      1. Record the Grievances of non-Legislative attendants of Senate Sessions and notify the Presiding Officer.
      2. Securely store each digital record of the Term in a duplicate archive before the end of the Term.
      3. Take Minutes of each Senate General Body Meeting and Executive Meeting.
        1. This responsibility may be responsibly devolved to another Member in the Student Body Secretary's Absence.
        2. Each Minutes shall contain at least the date, time, and location, those Present, those Unexcused Absent, those Excused Absent, Guests in attendance, matters discussed, main ideas discussed within such matters, major points or Motions raised, and Votes made during Meetings.
          1. Should Roll Call or electronic Voting allow, the Vote of each attending Member shall be included.
    6. The Student Body Treasurer shall:
      1. Submit all purchase requests on behalf of the Senate.
      2. Develop an annual budget for SGA in collaboration with the Committee on Finance.
      3. Keep all the ledgers of SGA.
    7. The Director of Communications shall:
      1. Honor all communications through official SGA platforms, ensuring the appropriate flow of information between Members and non-Members.
        1. The current official platforms are the Email, Website, and Instagram.
        2. Any SGA-related inquiry from a Student through Email or HopkinsGroups must be satisfied or rejected with legitimate, legal or personal-privacy concern within seven (7) days.
          1. Every such inquiry is a public SGA document.
      2. Maintain the Website.
        1. Public SGA documents must be available via the Website.
          1. Each document deliberated in the public sphere must be available from the Website within seven (7) days of receipt from the Student Body Secretary.
          2. Legislation, Minutes, Amendments to Guiding Documents, and Initiatives are all documents deliberated in the public sphere.
        2. Any update to the Website requested by a Student or Member must be enacted within seven (7) days of approval by Senate majority Vote.
        3. The Website record of Members within seven (7) days of any new Membership.
        4. Failure to maintain the Website on four (4) instances in a Term shall result in immediate removal from Office.
      3. present first gbm of every mon th ??
    8. The Student Body Chair of Programming shall:
      1. Present all Bills concerning Events.
      2. Organize SGA Tabling Events.
        1. SGA shall host one (1) Tabling Event every calendar month in a Term.
          1. Only the months of December, January, and May are exigible.
        2. Tabling Events shall each dure at least sixty (60) minutes.
        3. Tabling Events shall each have a Committee as Lead or a Class Council as Lead.
        4. Tabling Events shall each be Staffed by at least four (4) Members of Programming Council and at least four Members of the group Leading the Tabling Event.
        5. Tabling Events shall each be well-accessible to the Student Body.
        6. Tabling Events shall each be well-publicized by Lead before, during, and after the Tabling Event.
      3. Protect the integrity of Events.
        1. All Events shall be in locations physically accessible.
  4. Article IV - The Legislative Branch
    1. Section I - Senators
      1. Part I - All Senators shall
        1. Attend all Senate Meetings.
        2. Attend all Committee Meetings for which they are a Member of the Committee.
        3. Be subject to Attendance Audits.
      2. Part II - Caucus Senators shall
        1. Exist only as Established by the Bylaws in perpetuity.
        2. Conduct required outreach every Semester.
      3. Part III - The Established Caucuses shall be:
    2. Section II - The President of the Senate shall
      1. Responsibly determine the Members of each Committee by the third (3rd) Senate Meeting.
    3. Section III - The Vice President of the Senate shall
    4. Section IV - Committees
      1. Part I - All Committees shall
        1. Have a Seat of Chair or Seats of Co-Chairs, all of whom are Chairs of the Committee, and shall
          1. Issue a Committee Report at Senate Meetings.
          2. Submit Reports on Legislation reviewed by the Committee to the President of the Senate and the Student Body Secretary.
          3. Publish Agendas of each Committee Meeting to the Senate.
          4. Consign a Member of the Committee to take Minutes of each Meeting of the Committee.
          5. Make the Minutes of each Committee Meeting available to the Student Body Secretary within forty-eight (48) hours of the Meeting.
        2. Have a Seat of Vice Chair.
        3. Have a Member as Vice Chair who must be Nominated by the Chair(s) of the Committee and subsequently approved by a two-thirds (⅔) Vote of the Committee.
          1. The Chair(s) of the Committee shall nominate a Vice Chair for the Committee immediately once Elected as Chair or during the subsequent Committee Meeting.
      2. Part II - All Standing Legislative Committees shall
        1. Exist only as Established by the Bylaws in perpetuity.
        2. Have a Meeting at least once (1) every fourteen (14) days.
        3. Have a Senate Nominatory Election for Chair of the Committee during the first (1st) Senate Meeting if the Committee has an empty Chair seat.
          1. The Chair(s) of the Committee shall responsibly determine a complete Meeting schedule for the Term within forty-eight (48) hours of Chairhood.
        4. Have no Chair who Chairs or Vice Chairs another Committee.
      3. Part III - The established Standing Legislative Committees shall be:
        1. The Committee on Academic Affairs, which shall
          1. .
        2. The Committee on Civic Engagement, which shall
          1. .
        3. The Committee on Finance, which shall
          1. Have the Student Body Treasurer as a Co-Chair.
          2. Vote on all Legislation involving the allocation of funds from the Senate received.
            1. The specifications of this duty shall be determined by the Procedural Rules Bill.
            2. Such a Vote immediately serves as a Senate Vote of the Legislation in First Reading only in the circumstances determined by the Procedural Rules Bill.
            3. Such a Vote immediately serves as a Senate Vote of Adoption only in the extenuating circumstances determined by the Procedural Rules Bill.
        4. The Committee on Health, Safety, and Sustainability, which shall
          1. .
        5. The Committee on Internal Affairs, which shall
          1. Have the Student Body Vice President and Vice President of the Senate as Co-Chairs.
            1. Votes within the Committee of Internal Affairs shall recognize the Vote of the Student Body Vice President only in the case of a tie.
          2. Responsibly monitor all Appointments of Members and advise the Senate on the matter.
          3. Hold Proceedings during Impeachment processes with the aim of fact- and regulation-finding, as well as advising the Senate on the matter.
          4. Hold ethical or disciplinary Proceedings of Members and advise the Senate on the matter.
        6. The Committee on Student Organizations, which shall
          1. Hold
          2. Ensures the existence of public SGA documents containing protocols for applications and regulations involving Registered Student Organizations.
          3. Have a Meeting between the Chair of the Committee and the Chairs of the Committee on Finance at least once (1) every thirty (30) days.
            1. This Meeting must not be a Committee Meeting.
        7. The Committee on Student Services, which shall
          1. Administer the Liaison Program.
            1. The Chair of the Committee on Student Services, the Office of the Dean of Student Life, Advisor, and LEED shall collaborate in this administration.
            2. The Chair of the Committee on Student Services shall make available to any future Chair of the Committee of Student Services a document facilitating the transition of the Committee on Student Services between Terms/Offices.
              1. This document must detail Initiatives pursued during the Term, details of meeting with Administrators, as well as details and methods of communication between all involved in the Liaison Program.
              2. The Chair of the Committee on Student Services must email non-Members of the Liaison Program an introduction to the new Chair of the Committee on Student Services.
            3. Each Member of the Committee on Student Services shall be paired with an Administrator by the Chair of the Committee on Student Services.
              1. The Chair of the Committee on Student Services shall email each participant of the Liaison Program, introducing each with the participant paired to.
              2. Each Member of the Committee on Student Services shall make reasonable attempts to correspond with the paired Administrator once (1) every thirty (30) days in order to communicate student feedback, receive updates on Initiatives, and have at least one (1) meeting every Semester.
        8. The Committee on Programming, which shall
          1. Have the Student Body Chair of Programming as Chair.
          2. Have each Member in a Programming Council be Seated in Committee.
          3. Have a discretionary fund allocated within the first three (3) Senate Meetings, provided approval by Senate Vote.
      4. Part IV - Ad-Hoc Legislative Committees shall
        1. Have a Chair of the Committee determined by the Legislation which Establishes the Committee.
    5. Section V - All Legislation shall
      1. Have at least one (1) Introducer(s), who shall each
        1. Be a Senator, or
        2. Be the Student Body Chair of Programming.
          1. The Student Body Chair of Programming may be an Introducer only on Funding Legislation.
          2. The President of the Senate must deem such Legislation "strictly non-policy."
          3. The Senate may overturn the President of the Senate's deeming of such by a two-thirds (⅔) Vote.
      2. Have at least two (2) Sponsors who are each a Member of the Legislative or Executive Branch.
        1. No Sponsor may be an Introducer for the same Legislation.
      3. Be headed with the SGA Seal.
      4. Be sent to the Presiding Officer only once the above conditions have been met.
        1. The Presiding Officer shall append the Legislation to the Agenda of the next Senate Meeting. Such Legislation will be in the state of First Reading.
      5. Be subjected to First Reading, constrained by the following:
        1. First Reading may only occur during Senate Meetings.
        2. The Presiding Officer shall responsibly name a primary Committee for the review of the Legislation.
          1. The Presiding Officer may also responsibly name secondary Committees for the review of the Legislation.
          2. The Senate may overturn these namings by the Presiding Officer with a Vote.
        3. The Introducer(s) of the Legislation shall present a brief delineation of the Legislation.
        4. The Senate shall Vote to Refer the Legislation the Committee(s) named or Table the Legislation indefinitely.
        5. For no Legislation shall a Debate exceed ten (10) minutes in duration.
          1. The Presiding Officer may restrict Debate participation to Legislative Members and the Public only.
            1. The Senate may overturn such a decision with a Vote.
      6. Be subjected to Committee Review if Referred during First Reading.
        1. The primary Committee shall amend the Legislation as it sees fit.
          1. All such changes must be included in the verbal report of the Advisory.
        2. The primary Committee the Legislation was Referred to shall Vote on an Advisory to the Senate concerning the Legislation's Adoption or Rejection (?)
          1. The President of the Senate shall only then append the Legislation to the Agenda of the next Senate Meeting. Such Legislation will be in the state of Second Reading.
          2. The Chair(s) of the Committee shall present this Advisory during the next Senate Meeting.
        3. The Legislation may be reintroduced into First Reading after the Senate Meeting occurring after its Referral if Committee Review yields no Advisory.
      7. Be subjected to Second Reading if Committee Review yields an Advisory or Discharged from Committee Review, constrained by the following:
        1. The Second Reading of the Legislation shall end only when a Senate Vote Adopting or Rejecting the Legislation occurs.
        2. If the Legislation is Adopted,
          1. every Executive Member and the Presiding Officer shall sign the Legislation as indication of Adoption,
          2. the Presiding Officer shall affix the Seal of the Senate to the Legislation,
          3. the Introducer(s) and Sponsors may sign the Legislation as indication of ceremony, and
          4. the Legislation shall immediately have the full force and effect of law.
        3. If the Legislation is Rejected,
          1. the Presiding Officer shall sign the Legislation as indication of Rejection, and
          2. the Presiding Officer shall not affix the Seal of the Senate to the Legislation.
    6. Section VI - All Senate Meetings shall
      1. Be Chaired by the Presiding Officer.
        1. The President of the Senate is the default Presiding Officer of each Senate Meeting.
        2. Should the President of the Senate Yield Chairhood for a Senate Meeting, the Vice President of the Senate shall be the Presiding Officer for the Senate Meeting.
        3. The Presiding Officer shall enforce the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules, and the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order upon Senate Meetings in this lexicographically-prioritized order.
          1. Any Member may contest the Presiding Officer's enforcement by Motion before such an enforcement takes effect.
            1. The enforcement in question is then Debatable.
            2. The enforcement in question shall not be amendable.
            3. The Senate may overturn the enforcement with a two-thirds (⅔) Vote.
        4. The Presiding Officer shall Chair responsibly, conducting the Meeting in an orderly, fair, and objective manner.
        5. The Presiding Officer shall Recess the Meeting only in cases of emergency.
          1. The Senate may overturn the decision by two-thirds (⅔) vote.
        6. Any time the Issue is the Confirmation, Election, Impeachment, or Removal of a Presiding Officer, this Presiding Officer shall immediately Yield Chairhood.
      2. Each have an Agenda set by the Presiding Officer.
        1. Each Agenda shall include Initiative Updates, requiring three (3) Senators to report to the Senate for one (1) minute each progress on their individual Senatorial and Committee initiatives.
          1. Senators not present during their Initiative Updates must make their report available to the Presiding Officer before their scheduled times in lieu of verbal report.
      3. Be structured by the Motions of Robert's Rules of Order.
        1. All Legislative Members' Motions shall be recognized except when prohibited by the Rules or a superseding Document.
        2. All non-Legislative Members' Motions shall be recognized only if
          1. to address the Senate, pursuant to the Rules,
          2. a Point of Order,
          3. a Point of Information,
          4. a Point of Parliamentary Inquiry, or
          5. a Point of Personal Privilege,
          6. except when prohibited by the Rules or a superseding Document.
        3. Immediately following the Moving of a Motion, the Presiding Officer shall announce the Motion.
          1. If the Motion requires a Second,
            1. the Presiding Officer shall immediately ask if there is a Second.
            2. If no Legislative Member other than the Mover provides a Second within a reasonable amount of time, the Presiding Officer shall announce the Nullity of the Motion and return to the state of the Meeting immediately preexisting the Moving of the Motion.
          2. If the Motion may then be Discussed, the Presiding Officer shall immediately ask if there is any Discussion on the Motion.
            1. The Mover of the Motion shall be provided the opportunity to speak first in the Discussion of the Motion.
            2. Motions may be Moved any time during Discussion of the Motion.
            3. Filibusters are not permitted during Discussion of the Motion.
            4. The only Debates allowed shall be Q&A and Moderated Caucus.
              1. Q&A Motions require a time limit for each interlocutor.
              2. Moderated Caucus Motions may specify time limits for interlocutors.
          3. If the Motion may not be discussed, the Presiding Officer shall immediately engage a Senate Vote on the Motion.
      4. Follow particular Voting procedures.
        1. Only the Votes of Legislative Members shall be recognized.
        2. Votes by proxy shall not be recognized.
        3. Any Motion to change the method of casing Votes shall only require a Second to Pass.
        4. Straw poll voting shall not be recognized.
      5. Suspend the Bylaws as necessary.
  5. Article V - Amendments and Ratification
    1. The Bylaws be amended only by a two-thirds (⅔) Affirmative Senate Vote.
  6. Student Body President
    1. Serves as the primary spokesperson of SGA.
    2. Organizes and attends meetings with Administrators.
    3. Executes acts of the Senate.
      1. Primarily via the sending of Resolutions to Administrators.
    4. Chairs and manages the Cabinet.
    5. Ensures regular communication with members of the GRO.
      1. Via meeting with the Co-Chairs of GRO at the beginning of every Semester.
  7. Student Body Vice President
    1. Assists Presidential duties.
    2. Accompanies the Student Body President to meetings with Administrators as necessary.
    3. Fosters community within the Senate.
    4. Assists new Members in writing Legislation.
    5. Fosters communication with the governing bodies of other divisions of the University.
      1. Ex. GRO, CSAC, JHUC
    6. May collaborate with the Student Body Secretary pursuant to B3.b.iii.
    7. Contacts or connects to another Member of SGA who may be more capable any Member who fails to demonstrate progress on goals, pursuant to B3.b.ii.
      1. Meets with an Advisor and any relevant Members to determine the best methods of support for Members who continue to fail to demonstrate progress on goals after two (2) months.
  8. Student Body Secretary
    1. Serves as the primary recordkeeper of SGA.
    2. Ensures LEED and JHU Libraries have copies to all records.
    3. Creates and maintains internal SGA infrastructure.
  9. Student Body Treasurer
    1. Meets regularly with the Chair of the Committee on Student Organizations.
    2. Assists new Senators in understanding financial policies and HopkinsGroups financial processes.
    3. Assists with the funding of Registered Student Organizations.
    4. Acts as financial officer of SGA.
    5. Collaborates with the Student Body Chair of Programming and Registered Student Organizations, serving as liaison between Registered Student Organizations and LEED.
      1. Assists with questions regarding RSO finances, registration, and event creation.
  10. Director of Communications
    1. Serves as the point of contact for all SGA ocmmunications.
    2. Maintains all SGA email lists via Hopkins Groups.
    3. Monitor sthe SGA email and social media notifications.
    4. Reviews school-wide emails
    5. Maintains the Website.