2003 NELAC Standard - The NELAC Institute

1 2003 NELAC StandardApproved at Ninth NELAC Annual MeetingJune 5, 2003 EPA/600/R-04/003 Page 2 of 3242003 NELAC Standard2003 NELAC StandardTABLE OF CONTENTSCONSTITUTION .. 51 PROGRAM POLICY AND 252 PROFICIENCY 553 ONSITE 1134 ACCREDITATION 1615 QUALITY 1796 ACCREDITING 293 NOTE: Page numbering for the complete Standard appears in the bottom numbering for each chapter appears in the header of the 3 of 3242003 NELAC 4 of 3242003 NELAC StandardApproved June 5, 2003 Effective July 1, 2003 CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWSPage 5 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNote that the NELAC standards now have two significantdates.

2 1) the date the standards were approved at theannual meeting, and 2) the date the standards areeffective and must be implemented. This is especiallyimportant as some portions of the standards have differenteffective dates. The approval date is part of the documentcontrol header on each page. The cover of each chaptershows both the approval date and the effective approved for implementation at a time other thanthe effective date (on the chapter cover) are noted in thechapter, showing the approved text and its effective 6 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNELACC onstitution and BylawsJune 5, 2003 Page i of iiTABLE OF CONTENTSCONSTITUTION AND 1 ARTICLE I - 1 ARTICLE II - 1A.

3 Forum .. 1B. 1C. Consensus .. 1D. Uniformity .. 1E. 1 ARTICLE III - 1 ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS .. 2 SECTION 1 - NELAC DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE 2A. NELAC Director .. 2B. NELAC Executive Secretary .. 2 SECTION 2 - ELECTIVE OFFICERS .. 2A. 2B. Nominations and 2 ARTICLE V - APPOINTIVE OFFICIALS .. 3A. 3B. Assumption of 3 ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS OF NELAC .. 3A. Annual 4B. Interim Meetings .. 4C. Special Meetings .. 4D. Rules of Order .. 4 ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS TO THE 4 ARTICLE VIII - 4 SECTION 1 - SUPPLEMENTATION OF CONSTITUTION.

4 4 SECTION 2 - AMENDMENTS AND REPEALS OF THE 5 SECTION 3 - 7 ARTICLE I - APPLICATION FOR 7 SECTION 1 - FORM OF 7 ARTICLE II - MEMBERS RECORDS .. 7 SECTION 1 - TERM OF MEMBERSHIP .. 7 SECTION 2 - EVIDENCE OF MEMBERSHIP .. 7 ARTICLE III - USE OF THE 7 Page 7 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNELACC onstitution and BylawsJuly 1, 2003 Page ii of iiARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS .. 7 SECTION 1 - MEMBERSHIP .. 7 SECTION 2 - DUTIES .. 8 ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS .. 8 SECTION 1 - CHAIR .. 8 SECTION 2 - 8 SECTION 3 - PAST 9 SECTION 4 - NELAC DIRECTOR .. 9 SECTION 5 - NELAC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY.

5 9 SECTION 6 - 9 ARTICLE VI - 9 SECTION 1 - GENERAL .. 9 SECTION 2 - MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS .. 9 SECTION 3 - DUTIES .. 10A. Nominating Committee .. 10B. Membership and Outreach 10C. standards Review 10 SECTION 4 SPECIAL COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES AND STUDY 10 SECTION 5 SUBCOMMITTEES .. 11 ARTICLE VII - VOTING 11 SECTION 1 - HOUSE OF 11A. Official 11B. Composition .. 11C. Method of 12 SECTION 2 - HOUSE OF DELEGATES .. 12A. 12B. 12 SECTION 3 - VOTING RULES .. 12A. 12B. Quorum .. 12C. Presentation of Items for Voting .. 12D. Voting .. 12 SECTION 4 - FLOOR AMENDMENTS.

6 14 SECTION 5 - 14A. 14B. 14 SECTION 6 - 14 SECTION 7 - CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION AND 14 Figure 1. Seating 15 Page 8 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNELACC onstitution and BylawsJune 5, 2003 Page 1 of 15 CONSTITUTIONARTICLE I - GENERALThis organization shall be known as The National Environmental Laboratory AccreditationConference ( NELAC ) and is sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)as a voluntary association of state and federal officials. The purpose of the organization is to fosterthe generation of environmental laboratory data of known and documented quality through theadoption of national performance standards for environmental laboratories accredited under theNational Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) and other entities directly involvedin the environmental field measurement and sampling II - OBJECTIVESThe objectives of NELAC are:A.

7 Forum To provide a national forum for the discussion of all questions related to standards for accreditationof laboratories and other entities directly involved in the environmental field measurement andsampling Mechanism To provide a mechanism to establish policy and coordinate activities within NELAC on matters ofnational and international significance pertaining to standards for accreditation of environmentallaboratories and other entities directly involved in the environmental field measurement and Consensus To establish a consensus on uniform standards for laboratory accreditation and implementation ofthose standards by the NELAP recognized accrediting UniformityTo encourage and promote uniform standards of quality for assessment and accreditationrequirements among the various accrediting CooperationTo foster cooperation among environmental laboratory accrediting authorities and regulatory officials,and between them and other entities directly involved in the environmental field measurement andsampling process.

8 ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIPM embership is limited to officials who are in the employ of the Government of the United States,authorized representatives of Tribal Nations, and officials who are in the direct employ of the States,Page 9 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNELACC onstitution and BylawsJune 5, 2003 Page 2 of 15the Territories, the Possessions of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and who are activelyengaged in environmental programs or accreditation of environmental IV - OFFICERS The Officers constitute the Board of Directors of 1 - NELAC DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARYA. NELAC Director The Director is an employee of EPA, another federal department/agency, or a NELAP-recognizedaccrediting authority, who is conversant with laboratory NELAC Executive Secretary The Executive Secretary is an employee of EPA, who has been designated by that agency to servein this 2 - ELECTIVE OFFICERSThe Elective officers of NELAC shall be:Chair,Chair-Elect,Immediate Past-Chair, and6 members-at-large, at least two of whom shall be officials of NELAP recognized consecutive reelection of a Chair-Elect is prohibited.

9 The Chair-Elect shall not serve on anycommittee other than the Board of Directors. Should the Chair-Elect for any reason be unable orunwilling to be installed as Chair, his/her successor shall be elected in the manner prescribed this event, the newly elected Chair-Elect shall be installed as EligibilityAny Member in good standing shall be eligible to hold any office provided that the individual meetsthe other requirements set forth in the Constitution and Nominations and Elections1. Nominating CommitteeThe Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of the most recent active Past Chairas Committee Chair, and nine Members, to be geographically representative insofar as Nominationsa.

10 The Nominating Committee shall submit at least one name for each elective office andpresent its recommendation to NELAC . Page 10 of 3242003 NELAC StandardNELACC onstitution and BylawsJune 5, 2003 Page 3 of 15b. Additional nominations for officers may be made from the floor by any Member at the AnnualMeeting provided that prior consent of the nominee has been obtained in writing andpresented to the presiding officer at the time of the ElectionsOfficers shall be elected during a designated session of the Annual Meeting by a formal recordedvote of the Members in attendance and eligible to vote on NELAC Terms of Officea.