SC HIV Planning Council

• Participate in quarterly Executive Committee meetings (in person or via conference call; and as needed) to discuss business of the HPC;
  
• Set the agenda for all HPC meetings (including any special events, retreats, etc.);
  
• Develop and/or revise the HPC Policies and Procedures;
  
• Oversee the work of the HPC standing and ad hoc committees;
  
• Review and approve all forms and questionnaires to conduct HPC business;
  
• Review and approve all contracts on behalf of the HPC with recommendations from the             entire HPC membership;
  
• Evaluate the performance of the Administrative Contractor;
  
• Review membership composition of HPC and determine and direct priorities for filling vacancies to the Membership Committee;
  
• Receive and take action on all complaints and grievances; and
  
• Review and take action on all conflict of interest matters.
  

A committee is created to perform a service.  A committee consists of two or more persons appointed or elected to consider, investigate, recommend, and/or take action in regard to certain delegated matters or subjects.  A committee must restrict itself to the purpose for which it was constituted and its scope is limited to its assignment.  Committees may be:

1.         Standing Committees - to handle certain specific business assigned to them and report to the HPC.  They continue to exist and members serve for a term that is designated.  Standing committees are created by the HPC and are included in the Bylaws.

2.         Special or Select Committees or Workgroups - are formed for a specific purpose and exist only until the task is completed.  The Special or Select Committees or Workgroups may exist under a Standing Committee or be cross-cutting across two or more Standing Committees.  They automatically dissolve when their final report is made to the HPC.

3.         Committee of the Whole - the assembly discusses a subject with the freedom of any ordinary committee.

The Co-Chairs will appoint committees as appropriate upon recommendation of Standing Committees.  Appointments will be based on the members’ interests and expertise, unless otherwise stated in the Bylaws or Policies and Procedures.

The Chair of a committee is responsible for calling a meeting of that committee.

While HPC members, guests, and community members are encouraged to fully participate in committee discussions, only seated members of the HPC may vote in committee meetings.  

A quorum, required for HPC and committee voting, is a simple majority of the total voting membership of that body.  If a quorum is not present for a vote, the item of business that was to be voted on shall be presented for information only and not as a decision reached by voting.  If a vote is required, the item is placed on the next meeting’s agenda.  In the event a timely decision is required prior to the next meeting, the voting membership of the body shall be solicited for vote by fax or email.  

To be reimbursed for travel or other expenses related to conducting committee business, a request must be made to the Executive Committee and approved, and minutes or reports of each meeting must be turned in to the administrative contractor for the Co-Chairs’ review and a copy attached to the travel form.

Each Committee Chair will provide a brief report to the HPC on his/her committee’s activities since the last meeting. Reports may be made for information and/or to provide recommendations.

Resignations from committees are addressed to the appointing power.

Committees may not adopt their own rules except as authorized in the Bylaws or in instructions given to the committee.

HPC members may be reimbursed for some expenses related to participating in the community planning process.  The Executive Committee must approve any and all travel authorizations prior to the event.  Reimbursement is allowable only if the expenses cannot be reimbursed by another entity.  All South Carolina state government rules for travel, per diem, etc. will be followed. 

Mileage, lodging, and meals may be reimbursed as required for official meetings of the HPC or committees of the HPC.  An official meeting for reimbursement must consist of the following:  1) meeting is called by Chair to discuss official business and notice is given to the administrative contractor; 2) a quorum is present and the chair or designated representative is present; 3) an agenda of official HPC business is submitted to the administrative contractor; and 4) attendance and minutes are submitted to the administrative contractor after the meeting.  Documentation in the way of agenda, attendance sheet, minutes, or reports exist and are submitted to the Co-Chairs to verify the completion of business.  Mileage, lodging, and meals may also be reimbursed for special events (i.e., any conferences or training events required of HPC members in their role as member), with pre-approval of the Executive Committee.  HPC members may attend said events at the request and with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Reimbursement will occur based upon authorization of the Executive Committee and at the approved state rates when performing official duties related to the HPC.

1.         The per diem allowance for consumers is $35.00 per day.  Full-time DHEC, other governmental agency, and other organization staff are not eligible for this allowance.

2.         Reasonable and actual lodging expenses incurred solely as a result of attending an approved meeting or event may be reimbursed.  A paid receipt must be submitted with the required travel voucher.  All out of state travel must be supported with copies of meeting agendas and/or minutes of the meetings attended.

3.         Actual expenses incurred for meals with an overnight stay may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $25.00 per day within the State of South Carolina and up to a maximum of $32.00 per day outside the State, subjected to the following allowable limits:

4.         A charge of 44.5 cents per mile is allowed for the use of a personal automobile for non-DHEC staff.  Other necessary transportation charges would be reimbursed with a receipt.

HPC members, other than the DHEC Co-Chair, may receive Executive Committee-approved reimbursements by completing and turning in the attached “Travel Expense Report.”[1]  The DHEC Co-Chair will be reimbursed by DHEC directly.  Any State employee filing for reimbursement using the Travel Expense Report must obtain his/her State supervisor’s signature on the form prior to reimbursement.

To claim reimbursement, HPC members must completely and accurately fill in the “Travel Expense Report” as adopted by the Executive Committee.  Incomplete forms will be returned to the HPC member and may delay the reimbursement process.  For help in completing this form, contact the administrative contractor.

Travel expenses will be reviewed periodically by the Executive Committee to determine if any further changes are needed in the reporting form.  The administrative contractor will keep copies of all vouchers submitted by the HPC members and supporting documentation for a minimum of three years and have them available for review and/or audit by DHEC and/or the CDC and/or HRSA.

1.      Every HPC Council member will treat everyone else with respect- as an intelligent person with a legitimate right to be a part of discussions and decision-making.  All members will have the opportunity to speak – and to be listened to – without interruptions.  There will be no personal attacks.  Disagreements will focus on issues, not individuals.

2.      The Co-Chairs or Facilitator will establish procedures for discussion, and may limit the length of individual presentations and set reasonable time limits on discussion or debate.  A primary responsibility of the Co-Chairs or Facilitator will be to assure that everyone is enabled and encouraged to participate in the discussion.  The parliamentarian or a timekeeper may be selected to assist with this process.

3.      Decision-making will occur in an agreed upon manner, and every member will accept and support the decisions, regardless of his/her personal position.  The method to be used for decision-making – whether majority rule, some form of “super majority” (e.g., two-thirds vote), consensus, etc. – will be determined before discussions and debates begin.  Unless the group specifically determines another method, decision-making will be by majority rule.  The group may want to agree ahead of time that certain critical decisions will require a super majority (perhaps a two-thirds rather than a majority vote).

4.      Information presented in confidence will be held in confidence and not discussed outside the meeting.  This is particularly true of matters related to assessments of particular programs or other information about specific consumers, communities, or organizations.

5.      Members will behave in a manner that reflects his/her responsibility to represent a community or constituency, and to act in a manner that benefits it rather than for his/her own personal or organizational benefit.

6.      All members will agree to follow the HPC’s policies and procedures regarding conflict of interest, and will work actively to prevent both real and perceived conflicts of interest.

7.      All members will take positive responsibility for helping to prevent and resolve conflicts within the group.  Recognizing that disagreements are inevitable, all members will help to focus on the issues (not personalities), to accept the need for compromise, and to help find mutually acceptable solutions wherever possible.

8.      All members will accept shared responsibility for determining the highest priority needs for various populations or groups, recognizing that resources are not sufficient to meet all legitimate needs, and that critical needs of many different groups must be met.

9.      Any participant who feels he/she cannot support the mission, policies, processes, and/or leadership of the HPC as agreed upon by the members should leave the group, rather than disrupting its proceedings.

10.  Every participant in the HPC will take responsibility not only for following these ground rules, but also for speaking out to assure that all other members follow them.

11.  All members shall only use cellular phones and pagers on vibrate or silent mode for calls, accepting only emergency calls (taking the discussion out of the meeting room) to allow for minimum interruption and maximum participation.