Parliamentarian (consultant)
Encyclopedia
A parliamentarian is an expert on parliamentary procedure
who advises organizations and deliberative assemblies
. This sense of the term "parliamentarian" is distinct from the usage of the same term to mean a member of Parliament
.
Some parliamentarians are officers or employees of the deliberative assembly
that they serve, as in the case of the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate
. Others have a contractual relationship, much like outside attorneys or accountants. They may be called in to assist in drafting bylaws, for instance. The parliamentarian should unobtrusively call the attention of the presiding officer to serious errors in procedure. However, the advice of a parliamentarian is generally not binding on the presiding officer of an assembly. The highest certifications of parliamentarians are the Professional Registered Parliamentarian, or PRP (issued by the National Association of Parliamentarians
) and the Certified Professional Parliamentarian Teacher, or CPP-T (issued by the American Institute of Parliamentarians
).
In most state legislative bodies, the secretary or chief clerk of the body serves as parliamentarian.
Parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of clubs, organizations, legislative bodies, and other deliberative assemblies...
who advises organizations and deliberative assemblies
Deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...
. This sense of the term "parliamentarian" is distinct from the usage of the same term to mean a member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Some parliamentarians are officers or employees of the deliberative assembly
Deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...
that they serve, as in the case of the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate
Parliamentarian of the United States Senate
The Parliamentarian of the United States Senate is the official advisor to the United States Senate on the interpretation of Standing Rules of the United States Senate and parliamentary procedure....
. Others have a contractual relationship, much like outside attorneys or accountants. They may be called in to assist in drafting bylaws, for instance. The parliamentarian should unobtrusively call the attention of the presiding officer to serious errors in procedure. However, the advice of a parliamentarian is generally not binding on the presiding officer of an assembly. The highest certifications of parliamentarians are the Professional Registered Parliamentarian, or PRP (issued by the National Association of Parliamentarians
National Association of Parliamentarians
The National Association of Parliamentarians , is the largest non-profit association of professional parliamentarians in the world.NAP was organized in 1930. As of June 2008, NAP had a membership of about 3,560 parliamentarians in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and internationally...
) and the Certified Professional Parliamentarian Teacher, or CPP-T (issued by the American Institute of Parliamentarians
American Institute of Parliamentarians
The American Institute of Parliamentarians is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1958 for the advancement of parliamentary procedure. From a first-year membership of only 48 members, AlP has grown into a progressive association with active chapters and regions...
).
In most state legislative bodies, the secretary or chief clerk of the body serves as parliamentarian.