Policy Proposal Process

The purpose of the policy agenda is to guide SFWPC’s decision-making about which policies to engage in, whether that be to support, oppose or take an alternative action. The policy agenda will be updated each year by the Co-Chairs and members of the Policy Committee and will be released no later than three-months after the new SFWPC Board term begins. The policy agenda must receive a two-thirds majority vote by the SFWPC board for approval. 

The SFWPC is committed to transparency and will adhere to the following process prior to deciding to engage in a policy issue or take a position:

SFWPC advocates for policies which:

1. Board members and Policy Committee members may submit a policy proposal for consideration by the Policy Committee, Policy Rules Committee and Board using the form provided by the Policy Co-Chairs.
2. The Policy Committee meets the third Thursday of the month to consider policy proposals and actions recommended made by the submitter (i.e. support, oppose or watch a bill, ordinance, resolution or other policy efforts). Discussion about the issues  will occur during these meetings. Proposals must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance of the Policy Committee meeting but exceptions will be made for time-sensitive issues.
3. The Rules Committee will meet after the Policy Committee and make a recommendation to the SFWPC Board for each policy proposal. Only Rules Committee members are verified voting members of the Policy Committee.
4. The Rules Committee will prioritize and consider taking positions on issues contained in the policy agenda. It is unlikely that proposals that fall outside the scope of the policy agenda will be considered. However, the Rules Committee may exercise their discretion and assess the Policy Committee’s capacity to take on something outside the scope of the policy agenda.   
5. The Rules Committee will review the proposal and make a recommendation based on the majority vote of Rules Committee members present at the meeting. The proposer must attend the meeting wherein the proposal is being considered. Rules Committee members who were not present at the meeting will have 24 hours after the meeting to communicate their vote.
6. The Policy Co-Chairs will inform the Board of the recommendation and initiate an up-down electronic vote by the Board to approve or oppose the recommendations of the Rules Committee. The Board will have 48 hours to vote after which the recommendation will pass on a 50+1 vote by participating Board members.