Border Legislative Conference - Organizational Framework

Title I. NAME

Section 1

The name of this program shall be the Border Legislative Conference (BLC).

 Title II.                OBJECTIVE

Section 2

The objective of the Border Legislative Conference shall be to foster ongoing dialogue and collaboration
among state legislators of the United States and Mexico border region.  This will be achieved through
joint consideration of common problems, exchange of information and, where desirable, the development
of joint programs, to the end that border communities and state governments on both sides of the border
may be strengthened and improved.

Title III.               COMPOSITION

Section 3

The Border Legislative Conference shall consist of state legislators from the border states of California,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and the states of Baja California, Sonora,
Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas in the Republic of Mexico. 

Section 4

The legislative leadership or appropriate legislative authority from participating border states shall
determine their state’s membership in the Border Legislative Conference.  Up to four members may be
 selected by each state, including two alternates.

Section 5

Membership may, upon the approval of the Border Legislative Conference members, be expanded to
include non-border states from both the Unites States and Mexico. Affiliate status may be discretionarily
conferred to non-border states by consensus of the Border Legislative Conference participants, herein
referred to as “affiliate members.” 

Section 6

Subject to the provisions and limitations of these rules, affiliate members shall be accorded such rights
 and privileges as may be determined by the Border Legislative Conference membership.

Title IV.               PARTICIPATION

Section 7

Voting privileges at Border Legislative Conference forums are reserved only for legislators representing
U.S.-Mexico border states. 

Title V.                 OFFICERS

Section 8

The officers of the Border Legislative Conference shall include a chair and a vice chair who shall be
member state legislators. 

Section 9

The officers shall be elected by the general membership at the fall meeting. 

Section 10

The chair and vice chair positions shall rotate between U.S. and Mexico border states.  Newly elected
officers shall assume their duties at the first forum of the calendar year. 

Section 11

All elected officers shall serve for a period of one year as vice chair and one year as chair. 

Section 12

Succession of the vice chair to the position of chair shall occur upon the end of the chair’s one-year tenure.
In the event that an officer's service as an elected legislator from a member state should end before the 
term of officer, the position shall be deemed vacant. 

Section 13

In the event that the position of chair is vacated for any reason, the vice chair shall succeed to the chair for
the remainder of the term. 

Section 14

In the event that the position of vice chair is vacated for any rea­son, the chair, in consultation with the
appropriate legislative leadership or appropriate legislative authority in the member states represented
by the outgoing vice chair, shall appoint a successor who will serve for the remainder of the term. 

Title  VI.      OFFICERS: RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY

Section 15

The chair shall preside at all forums of the Border Legislative Conference, present annual work plan,
and shall perform such other duties as may be required by these rules. 

Secti on 16

The vice chair shall serve as presiding officer in the absence of the chair­ and shall perform such other
duties as may be required by these rules.  

Section 17

The chair and the vice chair, with the assistance of program staff, supervise the planning and execution
of all Border Legislative Conference forums and task forces provided for in these rules. 

Section 18

The chair makes final approval of all general forum matters.

Section 19

The officers of the Border Legislative Conference shall also serve as “Associate Members” of the
CSG-WEST Executive Committee.

Title VII.            RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPATING MEMBERS

Section 20

The responsibilities of members include, but are not limited to, representing their respective state
legislative bodies in Border Legislative Conference meetings, casting votes on program matters,
submitting proposals for the membership’s consideration, supporting decisions by the membership,
and advocating, educating and informing others of the program. 

Title VIII.            FORUMS

Section 21

Border Legislative Conference forums shall be conducted at least twice during a calendar year and
at such other times as the chair, in consultation with staff and the membership of the
Border Legislative Conference, may determine. 

Section 22

The forums shall rotate between U.S. and Mexico member states, with preference given to the states
of the chair and vice chairs, respectively. The dates and locations of forums shall be deter­mined by
the chair, vice chair, and staff, in consultation with the membership of the Border Legislative
Conference. 

Section 23

The Border Legislative Conference may also sponsor periodic regional issue conferences, the focus
and frequency of which shall be determined by the officers.  Each regional issue conference shall
be chaired by a lead legislator or legislators, who shall be appointed by the chair.

Section 24

Unless restricted by an action of the Border Legislative Conference membership, participation in
forum activities shall be open to all elected and appointed federal, state, and local government
officials, their staffs, affiliate members, the media, representatives of the private sector and other
invited guests. 

Title IX.                RELATIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPATING STATES

Section 25

The relations between the United States and Mexico member states are based on equality,
dignity, and respect for the sovereignty of both nations in a spirit of cooperation.

Title  X.                TASK FORCES

Section 26

The membership of the Border Legislative Conference may, from time to time, establish task forces
in substantive areas of continuing interest to the member states and affiliate members. 

Section 27

The purposes and responsibilities of such task forces shall be defined and revised as necessary by
the chair of the Border Legislative Conference. 

Section 28

The co-chairs and members of task forces shall be determined by the chair and vice chair of the
Border Legislative Conference, in consultation with the appropriate legislative authorities representing
the member states and affiliate members. 

Section 29

Unless otherwise restricted by the membership of the Border Legislative Conference, taskforce
membership shall be open to legislators, legisla­tive staff, other elected or appointed officials,
and private sector representatives from the member states and affiliate members. The chairs shall
be state legislators, one from a Mexico state and the other from a U.S. state. 

Section 30

All task forces shall report to the Border Legislative Conference membership at such times as may
be determined by the chair. 

_{Section 31}

Any policy position recommendations generated by a task force are subject to the approval of the
membership of the Border Legislative Conference and, as appropriate, to prior review by other
entities authorized herein. 

Section 32

All task forces created pursuant to this rule are subject to dis­solution at any time by the chair.

Title XI.               POLICY POSITIONS

Section 33

Any resolution or statement of any kind that purports to be the policy of the Border Legislative
Conference shall be adopted by the membership as a whole during a membership forum in
accordance with the voting guidelines articulated in Title XII.  Prior to such approval, policy
recommendations by any task force are to be considered only recommendations of the task
force and not an official position of the Border Legislative Conference. 

Section 34

Policy positions or resolutions may be proposed by any individual legislator or group of 
legislators from one or more of the member states.

Section 35

Before a proposed policy position or resolution may be considered by the Border Legislative
Conference membership, it must first be approved for consideration by the chair and vice chair. 

Section 36

Proposed policy positions or resolutions not previously reviewed as provided herein may be
considered only by unanimous consent of the members.

Section 37

Policy position and resolution proposals are deemed properly submitted for preliminary
review for membership consideration when they are received by program staff two weeks
in advance of a scheduled forum.

Section 38

Participating members shall notify and inform their respective legislatures of any policy 
positions or declarations taken by the Border Legislative Conference.

Title  XII.    VOTING

Section 39

Members of the Border Legislative Conference shall first attempt to reach a consensus 
voice vote of the eligible voters present for purposes of decision-making on all motions,
resolutions or other business of the Border Legislative Conference, and any task force.  
If consensus is not achieved, the members of the Border Legislative Conference shall
adopt its decisions by majority vote, representing a majority of U.S. border states (3)
and a majority of Mexico border states (4). 

Section 40

States may vote in favor, against or by means of abstention.  If a vote results in a tie, a
second vote shall be taken.  If a second vote results in a tie, the matter fails for lack
of a majority. 

Section 41