Bylaw Guidance

Bylaws for PTA units formally set out the mission of the PTA and the basic rules of operation. They are important guides which provide all members with the set of rules, expectations, and goals for their PTA.

The California PTA recommends reviewing and updating your unit's bylaws every 5 years. The State PTA has provided a relatively simple, online process for updating unit bylaws, the California PTA eBylaws, available at https://capta.org/pta-leaders/services/ebylaws/. There are a number of instructions and forms on the eBylaws page which provide guidance to complete and submit the proposed bylaws.
All Berkeley PTAs belong to the Berkeley PTA Council, so follow the "in Council" process, meaning the unit parliamentarian submits three (3) copies of the bylaws, five (5) additional signature pages, and a completed cover sheet (linked below) through Council parliamentarian (or president, if not parliamentarian appointed). The Council parliamentarian checks that all the documentation is provided and forwards them to the State PTA through the Peralta District PTA.

The Peralta and State PTA parliamentarians will review the proposed updates and follow up wih the Council and Unit parliamentarians if there are any issues. Once the bylaws are finalized, the State PTA will return the approved version with signatures. They try to get them back within 30 days, but there are times when this can take as much as two months.

If there are questions, contact the Council PTA parliamentarian and/or president.