FPTA Assembly of Representatives

In 1997 the members of the Florida Physical Therapy Association voted to change their governing structure from a general membership format to an Assembly of Representatives format. This means that Representatives are now elected from each district to attend the Annual meeting and speak and vote on the issues brought before the Assembly, on the behalf of the members they represent in their respective Districts. The representative delegation from each district is comprised of one PT representative for each 25 PT members (or majority portion thereof) and one PTA representative for each 50 PTA members (or majority portion thereof).

The change to an Assembly format brought Florida more in line with the annual House of Delegates meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, with a representative body.

Assembly Representatives are elected at the annual meeting of their respective districts prior to the annual Assembly meeting. Each District, as well as individual members can bring their issues forward to the Assembly meeting, by submitting them by the annual deadline. Motions brought forward are called FA’s (Florida Assembly) and are numbered in the order they will be dealt with during the business meeting. Districts elect a Chief Representative, who is responsible for collecting FA’s by the deadline and submitting them to the chapter office. The Chief Representative is also responsible for disseminating the FA’s to the District Representatives and District members for discussing prior to the Assembly meeting. Chief Reps are encouraged to communicate with one another to build consensus or to attempt to reach a happy medium, prior to the Assembly meeting, to facilitate business on the floor of the Assembly.

The Assembly meetings are run using Roberts Rules of Order as the frame work of speaking to, amending, and voting on the issues. A Registered Parliamentarian is on the dais during all meetings to advise the Speaker and the Assembly on matters of procedure, and a Reference Committee is available to assist members in formulating motions appropriately so that they can be presented.

Main motions to be considered by the Assembly are expected to be given published notice to the voting representatives in advance of the meeting; however, motions which have not been given advance notice may be able to be presented and voted if a majority of representatives agree to hear them. Main motions should generally address a position or outcome desired and not try to detail a procedure for reaching the desired outcome. Motions that do not involve amendments to the FPTA Bylaws require a majority of representatives voting in order to pass.

Motions involving amendments to FPTA Bylaws must not only be given at least three weeks’ written notice to the members, but must be approved by APTA for consistency with APTA Bylaws before such notice is even given. These issues should be coordinated through the Bylaws Committee chair (ktuley@cfl.rr.com) as early as possible in the development process, and communication among districts on such issues is strongly encouraged. Bylaw amendments are routinely heard only in odd-numbered years, and such motions that have been given proper notice may be passed by a 2/3 majority of representatives voting. In an even-numbered year, bylaw amendments may only be heard with the undebated consent of 3/4 of the Assembly, at which time they may be passed with a 2/3 affirmative vote.