Bylaws are designed to help a group function in an orderly manner. A copy of Bylaws for the Local PTA/PTSA Units and California State PTA Bylaws 8.1, 327 should be provided to all officers and board members. Each member should study them thoroughly. A copy of the bylaws should be made available to any member of the association upon request.

Tips for Getting Your Bylaws Approved

Review and know your bylaws – they make your job easier as president!

Provide a copy of your bylaws to your executive board.

Prior to or at the beginning of the school year, annually review your bylaws with your executive board.

Use your Standing Rules to better manage your PTA/PTSA and to pass on information to future boards. Simply create and maintain an additional Standing Rules document in Word using numbered bullet points beginning with the proceeding number from the last one listed on the last page of the bylaws. Add a footnote with the correct page number(s) and you’re all set!

Items to consider including in your Standing Rules:

• Special committees
• Who committee chair people should reach out/report to
• Items own by your PTA/PTSA and where they are stored
• Guidelines for Grad Nite if applicable

Standing Rules must be aligned with your bylaws!

Standing Rules need to be submitted with your bylaws when you submit them for CA State PTA approval.

Bylaws are to be updated and submitted for approval from CA State PTA every three years, but can be updated sooner if need be. Units due to update will be notified at first council meeting.

Use eBylaws!

• Request your password from by clicking "eBylaws" on the CA State PTA home page or follow the following link, http://www.capta.org/sections/management/e-bylaws.cfm, then click "request a password."
• You will be requested to create a user name. This is not your personal user name and password, but your unit’s. You may want to consider a user name that makes sense for your unit.
• Make sure you record your unit's eBylaws user name and password, record them in your standing rules for future reference!
• You'll receive two emails: 1) user name / password and 2) instructions
• Then you can return to CA State PTA's bylaws page, http://www.capta.org/sections/management/e-bylaws.cfm, and click "Build e-Bylaws"
• You'll be taken through a series of screens in which you'll enter information needed to build your bylaws. You can save along the way without completing at one sitting.
• Once complete, you save a copy of the eBylaws as a PDF to your computer and print them. Be green and print them double sided.

Submit through channels. Submit your unit’s updated bylaws to either the council (or district) parliamentarian along with your standing rules document and the cover sheet. The cover sheet is provided below.

Most units can update their bylaws on-line, even those whose units vary from the standard bylaws. eBylaws can be printed DOUBLE SIDED and then modifications made.

More information on bylaws can be found on the State PTA web site under:

http://www.capta.org/sections/management/bylaws.cfm