SORRB By-Laws

ARTICLE 1

Name 

1.1 The Board shall be known as the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board (SORRB).

ARTICLE 2

Legal Authority

2.1  The Sexual Offender Risk Review Board was created by O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13 and became effective on July 1, 2006. This Code section sets forth the membership requirements for the Board.

2.2  The Board’s duty is to determine the likelihood that a sexual offender will engage in another crime against a victim who is a minor or in another dangerous sexual offense is set forth in O.C.G.A. § 42-1-14.

ARTICLE 3

Purpose

3.1  The Board’s purpose is to protect Georgia’s children and communities at large by identifying convicted sexual offenders that present the greatest risk of sexually re-offending.

ARTICLE 4

Membership

4.1  Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13, Board membership must include three (3) professionals licensed under Title 43 and knowledgeable in the field of the behavior and treatment of sexual offenders, at least one (1) representative from a victims’ rights advocacy group or agency and at least two (2) representatives from law enforcement, each of whom is either employed by a law enforcement agency as a certified police officer under Tittle 35 or retired from such employment. O.C.G.A § 2-1-13(a) outlines appointment of Board members by the Governor of the State of Georgia and their terms. Any changes to O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13 shall automatically change this paragraph as well. The requirements of O.C.G.A. § 42-1-13 shall control.

4.2  Any board member who serves in a statutorily named capacity who has a change in their eligibility status shall notify the Board Chair and Executive Director immediately so their statutory seat can be reassigned.

ARTICLE 5

Conduct Unbecoming of a Board Member

5.1  If a Board member is arrested and charged with a crime, the member shall notify the Chair and the Executive Director of such arrest and the charges he or she is facing. When the Chair or Executive Director become aware of such an arrest, The Executive Director, on behalf of the Chair and Board, will then notify the Governor’s Office of the arrest, so that the Governor’s Office can decide if the Board member needs to be removed from the Board.

ARTICLE 6

Officers

6.1  The Board shall elect from its membership a Chairman and a Vice Chairman. The offices of the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected from among the members of the Board, to serve a term of two years and the option of re-election for an additional two year term. Officers shall be elected at the last meeting prior to August 31 of each year and shall serve a term beginning September 1 of the year through the succeeding year’s final Board meeting.

6.2  Chair: The powers and duties of the Chair shall be as follows:

(a)  Preside at all meetings of the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board and conduct said meetings in an orderly and impartial manner so as to permit a free and full discussion by the membership of such matters as may be before the board;

(b)  Have the same voting rights as any regular member;

(c)  Establish and create any committees as may be deemed necessary or requested by the Sexual Offender Risk Review Board;

(d)  Authenticate by his or her signature all official actions and/or resolutions adopted by the Board;

(e)  Perform such other duties as the Board my delegate to him or her.

6.3 Vice Chair: The powers and duties of the Vice Chair shall be as follows:

(a)  Perform all duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair, or in the event of the inability of the Chair to act;

(b)  Have the same voting rights as any regular members; and

(c)  Perform such other duties as the Board may delegate to him or her.

ARTICLE 7

Meetings

7.1  The Board shall adhere to the requirements of the Georgia Open Meetings Act.

7.2  Meetings will be held at the Agency’s office unless the Board designates an alternative location.

7.3  The date and time for the Board meetings for the upcoming calendar year will be set no later than the regularly scheduled December meeting of the Board. Any change in the meeting schedule, during any calendar year, must be voted on by the members of the Board.

ARTICLE 8

Attendance

8.1  Board members are expected to attend the regular meetings of the Board. Members may attend in person or by teleconference.

ARTICLE 9

Voting

9.1  A quorum (50% plus 1 of the total current Board Membership) must be present in all matters brought before the Board. If recusals prevent a case from having a quorum, the case will be postponed until the next regular meeting. The specific classification of each case will be determined by the majority of those present and voting.

ARTICLE 10

Parliamentary Authority

10.1  The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Board in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order in the Board may adopt.

ARTICLE 11

Amendment of Bylaws

11.1  These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board by a 2/3 vote of those present and voting, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting.

11.12  Should the Board’s governing statutes be amended, the bylaws will automatically be amended to incorporate such changes where applicable.