Legislation and Regulations Committee
Function The Legislation and Regulations (Legs & Regs) Committee acts as SPNHC’s clearinghouse for information and events related to laws, regulations, permits, and other issues affecting natural history collections and objects. The committee work includes horizon scanning of issues relevant to the Society and the SPNHC community and, with the guidance and approval of the SPNHC Council, drafting position statements on behalf of SPNHC, to be sent to agencies, organizations, or legislators on national and international levels in cases where the collection, possession, ownership, transfer, display, research, storage, and transportation of natural history specimens are concerned.
Leadership and Composition The committee consists of a chairperson or two co-chairpersons and aims to attract any members who are committed to support the mission of this committee inside and outside of SPNHC, and who are willing to provide their expertise in different legal areas. The work of the Committee Chair may be supported by different subcommittees focused on specific topics and deliverables associated with the transport or specimens and/or relevant laws and treaties.
Duties
- Support the mission, goals, and activities of the Society.
- Provide ongoing and breaking information on laws and regulations affecting the natural history collections community and its necessary activities.
- With the guidance and approval of the SPNHC Council, draft position statements on behalf of SPNHC, to be sent to agencies, organizations, or legislators.
- Develop or adopt and implement lectures, panels, workshops, training sessions, and other informational activities on behalf of SPNHC.
- Members of the L&R Committee are encouraged to sign up for specific subcommittees or to contribute directly by recommending to the Committee Chair any issues that may need to be addressed.
Calendar items Ongoing: Horizon scanning and ongoing committee work (depending on activity of subcommittees, issues that need to be addressed by the L&R Committee, and requests or recommendations from the SPNHC Council.)
- February 1: Submit Report to SPNHC Newsletter
- April: Send annual report to Secretary
- May or June: Host L&R committee meeting and manage programming at annual meeting as planned
- August 1: Submit report to SPNHC Newsletter
- August 31: Submit any corrections or text revisions to Secretary for the Leadership Manual
- September: Transfer important records and items of committee business to the Archives Committee
Reviewed by Stephanie Carson and Linda S. Ford July 2019; Revised by Dirk Neumann, July 2019; Reviewed by Stephanie Carson, July 2017 Revised by Dirk Neumann, July 2017; Reviewed by Jean-Marc Gagnon, March 2014; Revised by Sally Shelton, June 2013; Revised by Breda Zimkus, October 2025
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