2025 Florida PTA Proposed Leadership Convention Rules and Guidelines
Rule 1: Code of Conduct
Florida PTA is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and harassment-free event and experience for everyone attending our Leadership Convention.
All participants are expected to act with common courtesy and civility and conduct themselves in a polite, appropriate, and respectful manner, including respecting individual differences and disagreeing with respect.
Florida PTA does not tolerate incivility or harassment of any kind and prohibits discrimination for any reason.
If anyone feels harassed or notices that our expectations of civility are not being met, they should contact the President in-person or via email at President@floridapta.org. All complaints will be addressed with care, courtesy and with the necessary confidentiality.
Florida PTA reserves the right to take appropriate action to address any individual it believes fails to meet our expectations of civility, including expelling the individual from the convention in its entirety.
Rule 2: Badges
All delegates, attendees, participants, guests, exhibitors, vendors, partners, and staff attending the convention are required to wear a Florida PTA Leadership Convention issued badge to participate in workshops, general meetings and events as directed. Lost convention name badge may be reprinted one (1) time only, at a fee of $25, payable at the time of printing.
Rule 3: Authority
In accordance with Article XIX of the Florida PTA Bylaws, the convention shall be governed by the twelfth edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, which serves as the parliamentary authority for this assembly. These rules shall be applied to all proceedings, except where otherwise specified in the bylaws or these convention rules.
Rule 4: Delegates
For the purposes of general session, “delegates” refers to all voting delegates. In accordance with Article XVI, Section 3 of the Florida PTA Bylaws, to be considered as a voting delegate, participants’ individual membership must have been forwarded to the State Office by local associations by May 1, 2025. All non-voting members, guests, sponsors, and exhibitors are considered registered attendees. The referenced bylaw article and section shall govern voting delegate status.
Rule 5: Delegate Assistance
Delegates requiring assistance during the general session may visit the Delegate Assistance Table, located at the back of the room. Staff and volunteers at the table will be available to address questions, provide guidance, and offer support to ensure all delegates can fully participate in the proceedings.
A. No messages may be presented directly to the chair. All messages and announcements must be submitted in writing to a page for disposition.
Rule 6: Motions, Debating, and Voting
At the Florida PTA 2025 Leadership Convention, voting delegates may consider proposed bylaw amendments, resolutions, and legislative priorities. The privilege of making motions, debating, and voting is limited to properly registered delegates.
Rule 7: Speaking Rules
Delegates seeking recognition at a microphone must approach the designated microphone, display their voting delegate credentials, and follow the advisement of microphone attendants as listed in the program. Delegates will wait for recognition by the Chair, and when recognized to speak, must first state their name and the PTA that provided their delegate status.
A. Debate is limited to two speeches of two minutes each per delegate, per motion, unless extended by a two-thirds vote without debate.
B. Delegates who have spoken once may not speak again until another speaker who has not spoken for the first-time has been recognized.
C. Delegates who have a Request for Information must ask a clarifying question needed to better understand how to vote on the pending motion. These requests may not be used to debate nor to provide personal opinions to the assembly.
D. Only delegates will be allowed to speak at a microphone. There will be three microphones, numbered 1 through 3 and on the floor as follows:
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Microphone 1 – For “interrupting” motions such as parliamentary inquiry, point of order, appeal, raise a question of privilege, and request for Information.
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Microphone 2 – For delegates wishing to speak FOR a motion or amendment, or for proposing main motions, amendments or other secondary motions.
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Microphone 3 – For delegates wishing to speak AGAINST a motion or amendment, or for proposing main motions, amendments or other secondary motions.
Rule 8: Debate Time Limits
Debate on each main motion is limited to 20 minutes, during which all applicable secondary motions remain in order. This debate limit may be extended once per motion by a two-thirds vote without debate. This rule may only be suspended by 2/3rd vote. (See Rule 8 for additional limitations.)
A. Within the debate period, the Chair will alternate recognition of delegates FOR and AGAINST motions as feasible.
Rule 9: Time Constraints
A. Except for one motion to extend time on an item of business by 20 minutes, no motions to extend time, limit time, or suspend the rules will be allowed due to venue contract constraints.
B. The previous question may not be moved until at least two delegates have spoken on each side of a motion.
Rule 10: Voting Procedures
Voting shall be conducted electronically or by an alternative method chosen by the Chair. In the event of technical difficulties with electronic voting, an alternate method will be utilized. The Chair will appoint tellers to oversee the process. To ensure the integrity of the vote, no individuals will be permitted to enter or re-enter the general session meeting room during the voting period.
Rule 11: General Rules
Improper use of electronic devices, convention app, or other digital devices, such as messages influencing votes, is prohibited and may result in removal without refund.
A. All electronic devices must be silent or in vibrate mode during sessions, workshops and convention events.
Rule 12: Emergency Resolutions
Any Emergency Resolutions must be submitted by General Meeting 2 to be moved for consideration as an emergency resolution. Emergency Resolutions must meet the criteria set forth in the Florida PTA Resolutions Guide. The written motion or amendment must include the maker’s name, PTA unit, city or council, contact information, and proposed language. The Aide to the President will forward the motion to the Chair for consideration.
Rule 13: Chair’s Authority
The Chair shall have the authority to adjust the Convention program as needed to ensure smooth operations. Therefore, the program, except for the Convention business meeting agenda, is for guidance only and shall not be considered either general or special orders.
Rule 14: Submitting Bylaw Amendments
All proposed primary amendments to the bylaw amendments must be submitted via www.floridapta.org/bylawamendments by July 1, 2025, no later than 11:59 PM EST.
A. Each submission must include the exact language of the proposed amendment with the name of the PTA unit, and the submitter’s contact information.
B. All timely and properly formatted submissions will be placed on the convention agenda in accordance with our parliamentary authority.
C. All amendments will require a second of a registered delegate to be considered and must be presented prior to the president calling the meeting to order in the meeting in which the amendment will be considered.
D. The Bylaws Committee shall be authorized to correct articles and section designations, punctuation, and cross-references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the membership in connection with the bylaw’s amendments adopted during the 2025 Leadership Convention.
Rule 15: Permission for Photographs and Videotaping
By attending the Florida PTA Leadership Convention, you consent to being photographed or recorded by Florida PTA’s designated photographer/videographer for promotional and educational purposes.
If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please inform a Florida PTA staff member or the designated photographer/videographer on-site.
Every effort will be made to respect your preference. However, your attendance at the event constitutes consent for such media capture, unless otherwise notified.
