Name

The name of the organization shall be the Citizen Advisory Committee to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and shall be referred to hereinafter as the Advisory Committee.

Purposes

The Advisory Committee, established under the Pennsylvania Urban Mass Transportation Law of 1967, P.L. 42, No. 8, as amended most recently by Act No. 3 of 1994, P.L. 20, No. 3, acts as an independent representative and advocate on behalf of the users and potential users of public transportation in the five county region of Southeastern Pennsylvania and contiguous areas served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, also known as SEPTA. The major concerns of the Advisory Committee are the quality of SEPTA service, including reliability and frequency, speed, cleanliness, safety and security, as well as fares, policies, financing and planning, and accountability of SEPTA and other governmental agencies that affect public transportation for the region served by SEPTA.

To carry out the purpose described herein, the Advisory Committee shall receive and review comprehensive transit plans, capital and operating budgets, current and proposed service plans and rate structures, and other matters of concern to all persons served by SEPTA. The Advisory Committee will seek to advise the chief operations officer of SEPTA prior to scheduled actions being taken on the foregoing. The Advisory Committee is authorized to formulate proposals, suggestions and plans to be submitted to SEPTA with the goal of improving mass transit in the region. The Advisory Committee is authorized to solicit and receive public comment concerning SEPTA. The Advisory Committee may testify before or submit written comments to any public or private body. The Advisory Committee is authorized to take or refrain from taking all such other actions as shall be consistent with the foregoing purpose and not in contravention of law.

Membership

The membership of the Advisory Committee shall consist of (i) between 14 and 24 members, the specific number to be as determined by the chief operations officer of SEPTA by formula, from time to time, appointed by the county commissioners, county council or mayor, as the case may be, of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and (ii) five members, one resident from each such county, appointed by the chief operations officer of SEPTA. The composition of the membership of the Advisory Committee appointed pursuant to subsection (a) (i) above shall reflect the proportionate distribution of total ridership among the five counties listed in subsection (a) above.

Each member, at the time of appointment and during his or her term of service, shall be a regular user of SEPTA.

Each member shall serve as a member of at least one standing subcommittee at all times during his or her term.

Each member shall be subject to the Attendance and Leave of Absence Policy set forth in Appendix B, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Officers

The officers of the Advisory Committee shall be a Chair, two Vice Chairs, one of whom shall be chair of the Transit Subcommittee and one of whom shall be chair of the Railroad Subcommittee, and a Secretary.

The officer shall be elected annually at a scheduled plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee by a majority of those members (who are in good standing) in attendance and voting. A vacancy in an office shall be filled by special election at a scheduled plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee by a majority of those members in attendance and voting, and the officer so elected shall serve for the unexpired term of the office to which elected.

The Chair shall call and conduct all plenary meetings of the Advisory Committee and may call and conduct special meetings of the Advisory Committee.

The Chair, or a member designated by the Chair, shall be the official spokesperson for the Advisory Committee.

A Vice Chair designated by the Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of the latter, and shall perform functions as directed by the Chair or the Executive Subcommittee.

The Secretary shall maintain the minutes of all meetings of the Advisory Committee and the Executive Subcommittee, and receive and distribute minutes of the meetings of the subcommittees. The secretary shall be responsible for permitting public inspection of any and all written proposals, resolutions, minutes, or comments maintained by the Advisory Committee, the Executive Subcommittee and the subcommittees.

Elective Subcommittee

The Executive Subcommittee shall consist of the officers of the Advisory Committee and the chairs of all other standing subcommittees.

The Executive Subcommittee shall act in place of the Advisory Committee when, because of time constraints, it is not possible to call a meeting of the Advisory Committee.

The Executive Subcommittee shall meet regularly to perform administrative functions for the Advisory Committee, including, but not limited to, preparing and mailing meeting notices and agendas and establishing and monitoring Advisory Committee finances.

The Executive Subcommittee may establish subcommittees not described in BY-LAW SIX as necessary, and shall prepare their charges and appoint their chairs and members. The Executive Subcommittee shall encourage members to volunteer to serve as members of such other subcommittees.

The Executive Subcommittee may establish, amend and revoke policies to facilitate the purposes of the Advisory Committee. Any such policy, or an amendment thereof, shall only be effective with the advise and consent of a simple majority of general members of the Advisory Committee and shall be attached hereto and made a part hereof.

The Executive Subcommittee shall report on its activities to the Advisory Committee on a regular basis, either in writing or at each plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee.

To the extent practical all Advisory Committee members shall receive the written notices of Executive Subcommittee meetings.

Subcommittees

The standing subcommittees of the Advisory Committee shall be the Transit Subcommittee and the Railroad Subcommittee. The Transit Subcommittee and Railroad Subcommittee shall study and report, on a regular basis, to the Advisory Committee on matters relating to transit and railroad operations, respectively, of SEPTA. Such subcommittees shall recommend action to the Advisory Committee and, at the Executive Subcommittee's direction, take action if due to time constraints it is not practical to call and hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee to take action. If such a standing subcommittee takes action in lieu of action by the Advisory Committee, the chair of such subcommittee shall report at the immediately following plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee on the action and request that the Advisory Committee ratify the action of the standing subcommittee.

The Executive Subcommittee may establish other standing subcommittees in accordance with subsection (d) of BYLAW FIVE. Each such standing subcommittee shall operate in a fashion similar to that described above with respect to matters for which it is responsible, unless otherwise provided by the Executive Subcommittee.

There shall be as a regular subcommittee of the Advisory Committee a Nominating Subcommittee to nominate officers to serve for the ensuing year. The Nominating Subcommittee shall operate under the Nominating Subcommittee Policy set forth in Appendix C, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

The Executive Subcommittee may establish other regular subcommittees in accordance with subsection (d) of BYLAW FIVE. The charge of any such regular subcommittee shall be as set forth in the directive of the Executive Subcommittee establishing such subcommittee.

At the request of the Advisory Committee the Executive Subcommittee may establish such other subcommittees as it shall determine are necessary or appropriate for the Advisory Committee to carry out its purposes. The charge of any such subcommittee shall be as set forth in the directive of the Executive Subcommittee establishing such subcommittee.

Each standing subcommittee shall meet regularly, during the months of September through July. Each member of a standing subcommittee shall be sent a written meeting notice and agenda in advance of the meeting. Each other subcommittee shall meet as necessary or appropriate to carry out its function.

Each subcommittee shall cause to be prepared minutes of its meetings and such reports as shall be necessary or appropriate reasonably to inform the Advisory Committee of its activities. Copies of minutes and reports shall be sent to the Secretary for inclusion with the minutes of the Advisory Committee.

All subcommittee meetings shall be open to the members of the Advisory Committee and the public.

Plenary Meeting

The Advisory Committee shall hold a plenary meeting twelve times a year. Each member shall be sent a written notice and agenda in advance of the meeting.

Special plenary meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chair. Reasonable notice shall be given to each member.

All plenary meetings shall be open to the public. To the extent possible, consistent with an orderly conduct of the meeting, members of the public may comment on issues before the Advisory Committee.

The Chair may limit debate or discussion or determine and enforce time limitations that provide for an orderly progression of the meeting. The Chair's discretion is subject to review by a majority of members present at a meeting.

The Advisory Committee may act at a scheduled plenary meeting while a quorum is present. A quorum shall consist of fifty-one percent of the membership in good standing.

All decisions made at a plenary meeting, except as otherwise noted herein, shall be by a majority of those members present, after opportunity for discussion.

The structure and procedures of the Advisory Committee shall be subordinate to the goals and purposes of the organization. To this end, the rules for meetings and these By-Laws assume good will on the part of all members. Members have a common interest in improving mass transportation for the residents of the Delaware Valley. Therefore, reasonable and appropriate discussion shall take place on each issue with the goal of joining each member in the Advisory Committee's decisions. Parliamentary procedure that might tend to inhibit the orderly conduct of the meeting shall be kept to a minimum.

Amendments

Amendments to these By-Laws must be presented at one plenary meeting of the Advisory Committee and approved by a two-thirds vote of those present at the next plenary meeting in order to take effect.

Adopted as of 11/11/81
Amended as of 11/13/84
Amended and restated as of 6/21/94
Amended and restated as of 1/1/95
Amended and restated as of 3/28/06

Appendix A to By-Laws

Membership

Appointed by Counties or the Mayor

Bucks County	1
Chester County	1
Delaware County	3
Montgomery County	2
Philadelphia County	17
Total	24

Appointed by the Chief Operations Officer

Bucks County	1
Chester County	1
Delaware County	1
Montgomery County	1
Philadelphia County	1
Total	5