CSTE POSITION STATEMENT 2000-EC #1

FINAL July 5, 2000

Committee:  Executive Committee

Title:  Change in procedure to file and purpose of CSTE Resolutions and Position Papers 

Issue: CSTE has grown in scope and influence.  The procedure and purpose of passing position statements has remained relatively unchanged for nearly fifty years.  This position statement will allow CSTE, as an organization, to consistently provide the following to its members and constituents: 

1. A summary of the impact of the resolutions passed by the membership

2. A consistent format for resolutions and position papers for members to follow

3. A review and screening process by a Resolutions Committee

4. A schedule to follow when filing a resolution or position statement

Position to be adopted: The CSTE Executive Committee recommends CSTE members adopt the following process and outline for filing resolutions and position statements as part of the Annual Meeting:

Background and Justification: CSTE as an organization has passed many position statements in the last 15 years.  The impact of the position statements has never been measured formally, although there is anecdotal information relating to the position statements known to members. 

To fully utilize its power as an organization that can move public health through policy, practice and professionalism, CSTE should be able to select certain resolutions passed by the membership that will need a commitment of resources, both human and fiscal, to ensure implementation.  A process such as the one described above will allow CSTE to prioritize and allocate resources appropriately.

CSTE Resolutions and Position Papers

Definitions

A.      Resolution — A resolution is a statement of a specific action, series of actions, or a principle endorsed by the CSTE, and usually directed toward a specific external individual, organization, or event.  Resolutions may be policy or non-policy in nature.

      Policy Resolution — A policy resolution is a concise statement of CSTE’s stance on specific issues affecting the health of the public.  It may inform, exhort, show support (or lack of support) for programs or legislation, or describe a course of action.  It represents a new statement on the part of the CSTE, or a substantial modification or extension of existing public policy of CSTE.  Types of policy resolutions include changing case definitions, placing something under national public health surveillance, or requesting programmatic action from federal or state agencies.

      Non Policy Resolution — A non-policy resolution is a concise statement by CSTE on non-policy matters, such as the commemoration of a significant event.  A non-policy resolution could be the support of Public Health Day or letters of support for significant public health events.  (Non policy resolutions are handled separately, and do not require review by the Resolutions Committee.)

B.  Position Paper — A position paper is a major documentation and analysis of a broad policy issue affecting the public’s health on which CSTE should take a position.  It may or may not call for specific action.  Issues such as supporting named-reporting for HIV surveillance would fit under this category, for example.

Format

A.      Resolution — There are three parts of a resolution:

1. Statement of the problem – reasons for action(s) to be taken. The reason for the proposed action needs to be documented.

2. Statement of the desired action(s) The desired action(s) needs to be appropriate to the problem and feasible for CSTE to undertake.

3. Fiscal and Impact Statement (See item C. below).  

B.  Position Paper — The standard format for a position paper will be:

1. a statement of the problem,

2. the purpose of the position paper,

3. the objectives hoped to be attained by the position paper,

4. a specific statement of any action(s) desired,

5. a statement of the methods to be used for implementation, and

6. fiscal and public health impact statement.

      Position papers should not be longer than 10 typed, double-spaced pages.

C.  Fiscal and Impact Statement —

      Fiscal Impact — The first paragraph of the statement should indicate the proposed policy statement’s fiscal impact on CSTE, i.e., if it is implemented precisely as written. A guide for estimating the fiscal impact to CSTE is attached.

      Impact — The second paragraph of the statement should indicate the probable impact the proposed policy statement would have on the public’s health.

Schedule

The following represents the firm schedule CSTE will follow in the development of a formal resolution or position paper for CSTE membership adoption at the annual meeting.

March  1 - All proposed position papers and resolutions are due.  They are submitted to the CSTE Executive Committee, and distributed to the Resolutions Committee.

April  1 - All proposed papers and resolutions will have been reviewed by the Resolutions Committee and returned to authors with review comments and recommendations.

May 1 - All papers and resolutions returned to the Resolutions Committee found appropriate for full membership consideration will be posted on the CSTE website and/or mailed to the general membership by this date.

Annual Meeting - All Resolutions and Policy Statements are voted on by the membership.

A Guide for Estimating the Fiscal Impact to CSTE of Implementing Actions Proposed in CSTE Public Policy Statements

The following information provides examples of proposed actions with estimated cost which may aid authors in calculating the fiscal impact to CSTE of implementing actions proposed in CSTE public policy statements. Costs are exclusive of volunteer time and effort.

• A call for testimony to be presented on legislation related to a particular issue: Estimated $350 for each testimony prepared and presented.

• A call for a letter of support on a given issue to be prepared and distributed to an appropriate congressional committee or group of congresspersons: Estimate $42 to $78, depending on size of mailing.

• A call to print a pamphlet and distribute it to all CSTE members as part of an education campaign on a particular issue: Estimate $1,000.

• A call for a grassroots effort to be conducted in which 100 selected members are asked to write a letter to their congressperson or senator on a given issue: Estimate $600.

• A call to establish a special ad hoc group of 6 members to meet once on an issue: Estimate $6,000.

     Special Note: If no costs are anticipated, then that should be clarified.

Resolution Follow-Up and Report to CSTE Membership

All resolutions once passed become the policy of CSTE. > The original person who submitted the resolution to CSTE will remain responsible for tracking the resolution during the year following its adoption.  By May 1 of the year following adoption of a  resolution, the original submitter will be asked to report back to the CSTE executive board on the status and impact of the resolution.  CSTE will ask for the following information to be provided and reported to the membership:

• A summary of what, if anything, happened as a result of the resolution passing.

• A description of any positive action or outcome due to the resolution.

• Is there any action needed by CSTE to assist in further implementation?

• Were any partners mobilized because of the resolution?

Special Notes

Purpose

The purpose of the resolution/position paper’s process is:

1. to involve the entire membership in the business/future of CSTE,

2. to shape the business/future of CSTE through a well-constructed process of policy development,

3. to establish a sound basis of policy that can assist CSTE in its efforts to further the principles of good public health policy,

4. to have a significant impact on issues,

5. to identify issues wanted by the membership for CSTE involvement,

6. to attract members,

7. to establish CSTE credibility as an authoritative source of policy and decision,

8. to initiate legislative action, and

9. to allow CSTE to act instead of having to react.

Authority to Submit Resolutions and Positions Papers

Any CSTE member working in a state or local health department may submit a resolution of position paper.  For a resolution and/or position paper, one individual must be designated and present to represent the proposal at the annual meeting.

Resolutions Committee Initial Review

The Resolutions Committee will review all proposed resolutions transmitted from the Executive Committee. The review will take place throughout the year, and especially prior to April 1 of each year when all formal resolutions must be mailed to the membership.

The Committee’s primary function is to assure that the document is:

1. appropriately prepared for the annual meeting,

2. appropriately researched and documented, and

3. appropriately reviewed for suggestions and recommendations to improve the quality of the document.

Recommendations

The Resolutions Committee may review the proposed resolutions and policy statement to develop a formal recommendation to the full membership. The membership will be apprised of those recommendations prior to the vote.

Public Hearings

A portion of the annual meeting will be set aside for the full membership to review and debate the merits of the resolution/position paper at the annual meeting.

Each author, or his/her representative delegated the responsibility in writing, must attend the hearing where the policy statement is being reviewed to represent the proposal.

Late Breaking Resolutions at the Annual Meeting

Anyone wishing to submit a late breaking resolution should contact the Chairman of the Resolutions Committee or one of the officers of CSTE.

All submittals must be in writing and be in at least 24 hours prior to the public hearing time, and must document the urgency for late submittal.  The chairman of the Public Hearing may suspend the rules and take up resolutions on late breaking events.

This route of submission at the annual meeting is discouraged as it bypasses the entire technical review process.

CSTE

Resolutions Committee Review Sheet

Further Comments if Necessary