ARTICLE II.

The Legislative Branch of RHA

Section 1. Organization of the Legislative Branch

A.    Definition of Terms

1.      General Assembly member - every resident of the Missouri State University residence hall system is a member of the RHA General Assembly.

2.      General Assembly representative - each residence hall is represented by a limited number of votes as defined in this document. General Assembly representatives gain the right to vote by attending two consecutive General Assembly meetings.

3.      Residence Hall Association (RHA) liaison - each residence hall is represented by one liaison. The liaison gives the building reports at the meetings and informs his/her hall council about current RHA issues. The liaisons are included as a General Assembly representative and have the right to vote at meetings. The RHA liaison (or his or her designee) is considered the leader of each residence hall’s delegation.

B.     The legislative branch, which shall be known as the General Assembly (GA), shall consist of representatives from each hall council. Halls shall be represented by one (1) voting representative for every fifty (50) residents, with numbers less than fifty (50) following mathematical rules for rounding, with a minimum of six (6) voting representatives per hall council.

 Section 2. RHA Resident Activity Fee

A.    The Missouri State University Board of Governors has authorized a RHA Resident Activity Fee determined by the Board of Governors.

B.      Funding shall be based on residence life occupancy.

C.     The proportioning of this fee is to be carried out as described in bylaws sections XIV and XV.

Section 3. Requirements for the General Assembly

A.    General Assembly representatives must reside in the hall they represent.

B.     General Assembly representatives must be full-time students as defined by the University.

C.     General Assembly representatives must not be on disciplinary probation.

D.    General Assembly representatives must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average as defined by the Office of Student Engagement.

Section 4. Selection and Terms of Office of the General Assembly

A.    A General Assembly Representative’s term of office shall begin when an individual gains voting rights and lasts until the end of the spring semester of the academic school year.

B.     The RHA liaison’s term of office will begin at the first General Assembly meeting of the academic year until the last General Assembly meeting of the academic year. If the position becomes vacant before the last General Assembly meeting of the academic year, it will be filled as per the hall council constitution.

C.     The Residence Hall Association shall have liaison positions for, but not limited to the following organizations: Student Organization Funding Allocation Council (SOFAC), National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), Student Government Association (SGA), and Student Activities Council (SAC) as described in the Bylaws VII.

 Section 5. Powers and Duties of General Assembly Representatives

A.    A General Assembly representative must take an oath of office administered by the President upon accepting his/her seat. The oath shall read:

I, (name), do solemnly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of General Assembly Representative of (name of residence hall represented), and will, to the best of my ability, uphold the Constitution and Bylaws of the Residence Hall Association of Missouri State University.

B.     The General Assembly representatives will have the power to vote as described in this document.

C.     The General Assembly representatives will have the right to all powers expressed in this document.

D.     General Assembly representatives must approve, by majority vote, the President’s appointment to an Executive Board position. A vacant President position is an exception to this rule.

E.   Any Missouri state student, faculty or staff member may bring a proposal or main motion to be heard by the General Assembly. This proposal must be seconded by a General Assembly representative.

 Section 6. Meetings of the General Assembly

A.    The General Assembly shall meet weekly during the academic year, excluding final exam periods and vacation periods.

B.     A majority of General Assembly representatives sworn in at or by the beginning of the meeting shall constitute quorum needed to conduct business and enact legislation. If quorum is lost, the meeting ends, and agenda items are tabled until the next meeting.

C.     Additional meetings of the General Assembly may be called on an emergency basis. In such cases, the President will contact all general assembly representatives at least one (1) day prior to the emergency meeting. 

D.    The President may cancel meetings of the General Assembly with the consent of the RHA advisor. If such a decision is made, notification will be issued to the general assembly representatives.

E.     The meetings of the General Assembly will be conducted by the President. If the president is not present the Administrative Aide will conduct the meeting.

F.      Meetings of the General Assembly will be conducted as described in RHA’s rules of order.  Any situations that are not expressly stated in the rules of order will be handled according to Robert’s Rules of Order.