BYLAWS OF THE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS
LABORATORY ACCREDITATION BOARD (ASCLD/LAB)

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of the organization is the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

The purposes for which ASCLD/LAB is organized are:  to improve the quality of laboratory services provided to the criminal justice system; to offer to the general public and to users of laboratory services a means of identifying those crime laboratory facilities which satisfy accreditation criteria; to develop and maintain criteria which can be used by a laboratory to assess its level of performance and strengthen its operation; and to provide an independent, impartial and objective system by which laboratory facilities can benefit from a total organizational review.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section A - Delegate Assembly

1. The Delegate Assembly shall consist of the laboratory director (or his/her designated alternate) of all accredited laboratories and directors of laboratory systems accredited by ASCLD/LAB.


2. The Chair of ASCLD/LAB board of directors, hereinafter referred to as the Chair, shall preside over meetings of the Delegate Assembly.


3. At least 20% of the members, hereinafter referred to as delegates, of the Delegate Assembly shall be in attendance in order to conduct business and vote.

Section B - Board of Directors

1. The business of ASCLD/LAB shall be the responsibility of the board of directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board.


2. Expired terms of members of the Board shall be filled by secret ballot of the Delegate Assembly at its annual meeting.

Section C - Board of Directors Membership Categories

1. The Board shall have nine (9) voting members, and two (2) nonvoting ex-officio members.


2. The nine (9) voting members of the Board shall be comprised of:
   
   
   1. seven (7) delegates
   2. one (1) member representing the criminal justice community not employed by a forensic laboratory  (e.g. judge, law enforcement official, attorney, etc)
   3. one (1) public member with an interest in forensic science who is not employed by a forensic laboratory.
      
      
3. The Past Chair shall be an ex-officio member of the Board for one year.


4. The President, President-Elect, or Past President of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, as designated by the ASCLD President, shall be an ex-officio member of the Board.  The ASCLD ex-officio member shall be a representative of an ASCLD/LAB accredited laboratory.

Section D - Board of Directors Qualifications

1. Delegates who are elected to the Board shall represent a broad range of crime laboratory experience.  The delegate shall meet the following qualifications:
   

   • Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
   • Performed casework in at least one of the ASCLD/LAB accredited disciplines
   • Have participated on an ASCLD/LAB assessment or inspection.
   • Possess a minimum of four (4) years experience in forensic laboratory management
   • Have passed the ASCLD/LAB International assessor training course.



2. Public and Criminal Justice representatives elected to the board shall possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

Section E - Conflicts of Interest

In addition to the qualifications previously listed, no Board member shall exhibit any conflicts of interest. Specifically, no member of the Board shall:

1. participate in any Board deliberation or action relative to accreditation of a laboratory if personal bias would prevent a fair decision or


2. participate in any Board deliberation or action relative to a complaint or decision pertaining to any crime laboratory within his/her employing organization.

Section F - Terms of Office

1. A board member may only serve one full four year term. If a board member is currently serving a partial term due to being appointed or elected to serve out a portion of an unexpired term created by a vacancy, the member is eligible to run for one full four year term.


2. In the event of a vacancy created by the resignation of a Board member, the Chair may appoint a delegate to serve the remainder of that member’s unexpired term. Such appointments shall require ratification by the Board.

Section G - Selection Procedures

1. The Chair shall select and convene yearly a three person nominating committee which shall prepare a slate of candidates to fill expired Board terms of office.  The nominating committee chair shall be a member of the Delegate Assembly and the Board; the other nominating committee members shall be delegates but shall not be members of the Board.


2. The chair of the nominating committee shall notify each delegate at least three months prior to the annual meeting inviting nominees for expired positions.


3. The chair of the nominating committee shall solicit nominations from organizations representing the criminal justice community and the public for expired terms of positions representing these groups.


4. The nominating committee shall present to the Delegate Assembly a slate of board of director candidates consisting of at least two Delegate Assembly members for each vacancy to be filled by delegates and at least one member for each board of director position to be filled by the representative of the criminal justice community, and the representative of the public.


5. Nominations may be made from the floor during the annual meeting of the Delegate Assembly providing they meet the qualifications stated in the Bylaws.


6. Voting shall be by secret ballot and elections for each position shall be decided by plurality vote of the delegate assembly members present.


7. Any Board vacancies that occur in mid-term, which have not been filled by Chair appointment and Board ratification, shall be filled at the next regularly scheduled annual meeting of the Delegate Assembly in accordance with the procedures in Article III.

ARTICLE IV - OPERATIONS - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section A - Personnel

1. The Board shall elect a Chair from its membership.  The Chair shall be the official spokesman for ASCLD/LAB and shall preside at meetings of the Board.  The Chair shall serve a one-year term and may not serve more than two consecutive terms.


2. The Board shall elect a vice-chair from its membership.  The vice-chair shall serve a one-year term and may serve consecutive terms.  In the event of the incapacitation of the Chair, the vice-chair shall take on the duties of the Chair until the Chair is able to resume those duties. 


3. The Board shall elect a treasurer from its membership.  The treasurer shall serve for a one-year term and may serve consecutive terms.  The treasurer shall manage the financial and budgetary affairs of ASCLD/LAB and shall be accountable to and act under the direction and control of ASCLD/LAB.


4. The Board shall elect a secretary from its membership.  The secretary shall serve a one-year term and may serve consecutive terms.  The secretary shall record the official minutes of Board of Directors and Delegate Assembly meetings.


5. The Board may employ an Executive Director. The Executive Director will provide administrative support to the Board and shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.


6. The Executive Director shall manage all daily business affairs of ASCLD/LAB including processing of all materials associated with accreditation activities, maintenance of records, coordination of inspections/assessments, maintenance of financial and budgetary records, newsletter publications and the employment and oversight of any staff.

Section B - Quorum and Rules of Order

1. A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum of the Board.


2. The current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” shall determine parliamentary practice and procedures in all cases to which they apply except where inconsistent with these bylaws.

Section C - Accreditation Decisions

1. The Chair shall be responsible for evaluations of and suggested modifications to the entire accreditation process. Such evaluations shall be conducted periodically.  Substantive changes to the accreditation process shall be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the Board members.


2. In order to render any accreditation decisions, a two-thirds vote of the voting Board members present shall be necessary.

Section D - Financial Management

1. The treasurer shall be responsible for the oversight of collection and disbursement of all monies.  The Executive Director and administrative staff personnel may fulfill the day to day fiscal requirements of the Corporation.


2. The financial affairs of ASCLD/LAB shall be subject to an annual external audit or review by a CPA firm and the treasurer shall report the results of the audit/review to the Delegate Assembly at the annual meeting. 


3. The Board shall evaluate periodically the schedule of fees to ensure that only the necessary expenditures are made for the maintenance and operation of the accreditation activities.

Section E - Notification of Meetings

1. The Chair shall have each Board member notified of the location, date and time of any Board meeting at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.  Meetings may be held with less than (30) days notice when agreeable to all Board members.


2. The location and date of the annual Delegate Assembly meeting shall be announced annually by the Chair to each delegate at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the meeting.

ARTICLE V - AMENDMENTS

The Chair shall be responsible for evaluations of and suggested modifications to accreditation standards and requirements. Such evaluations shall be conducted periodically.  Substantive changes to the accreditation standards and requirements shall be presented to all delegates and shall be ratified by a 2/3 majority of ballots cast by the members of the Delegate Assembly.

The Board shall notify all members of the Delegate Assembly of any proposed changes to these bylaws, at least thirty (30) days prior to the vote. Notification and the ballot may be by mail or by electronic means.  Changes to the bylaws shall be ratified by a 2/3 majority of votes cast by members of the Delegate Assembly.

The current version of the ASCLD/LAB Bylaws approved by the Delegate Assembly is Version 3.0.
To print a current version of the "ASCLD/LAB Bylaws", click here.