Proposed AFSA Bylaw Amendments

The AFSA Governing Board is proposing nine bylaw amendments to be voted on this summer. AFSA regularly proposes such updates to most effectively represent our members despite changing needs and environments.

The complete bylaw amendment procedures can be found in Article X of the AFSA Bylaws. The AFSA Committee on Elections is responsible for conducting all polling on amendments.

The process requires notification to the AFSA membership on May 8, 2026, with a 45-day period for submission of statements in opposition to proposed bylaw amendments. Any such statements must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, June 22, 2026, and must be signed by at least 10 AFSA members in good standing. No two statements shall be signed by the same member.

Electronic voting on these amendments will commence on July 6, 2026, and will remain open for 15 days. All votes must be cast by 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Paper ballots will be sent to members who do not have a valid email address on file with AFSA.

Adoption of a proposed amendment will require the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the valid votes received and will be effective immediately. 

The ballot will also include a referendum question asking members to approve a five percent increase in base dues to help AFSA maintain the staffing needed to defend the Foreign Service. This referendum question requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass.

Amendment Number 1: Election of Constituency Vice Presidents and Representatives

Amend Article V, Section 4(b) by striking: “The constituency vice presidents and representatives shall be elected from constituencies composed of the regular members belonging to the Foreign Service in each of the departments or agencies to which Chapter 10 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 applies, pursuant to Sec. 1003(a), and a single retired constituency for all former members of the Service from all such departments and agencies” and replacing it with: “The constituency vice presidents and representatives shall be elected from constituencies composed of the regular members belonging to the Foreign Service in each of the departments or agencies defined in Sections 103 and 202 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, and a single alumni constituency for all former members of the Service from all such departments and agencies.”

Justification: The bylaws currently define active-duty constituencies by union status. Given the uncertainty of AFSA’s future union status, the proposed amendment redefines active-duty constituencies by Foreign Service members in departments or agencies covered by the Foreign Service Act.

Amendment Number 2: Election of Constituency Vice Presidents and Representatives

Amend Article V, Section 4(b) by inserting at the end of the first sentence: “Candidates for election to active-duty constituency vice president and representative positions may also include former tenured members of that constituency who separated from the Service within five years prior to the start of the term of office.”

Justification: If AFSA has not regained union status prior to the call for nominations for election to the 2027–2029 board, potential candidates for active-duty constituency vice president positions will have no assurance of being able to fulfill the duties of those positions working 40 hours per week while drawing a government salary. The prospect of having to do all AFSA work after hours and on weekends could dissuade active-duty candidates from running.

In addition, some potential active-duty candidates for representative positions could decline to run due to a variety of personal concerns. Given the potential of having few or no active-duty candidates for those positions, it would be prudent to give voters the option of voting for a recently separated member from their constituency who might have more time to dedicate to the position.

Amendment Number 3: Governing Board Voting

Amend Article V, Section 5(b) by striking: “Board members required by Article V, Section 8 to participate via in-person residence may participate virtually two times in any 12-month period” and inserting: “Board members required by Article V, Section 8 to participate via in-person attendance may participate virtually six times in any 12-month period.”

Justification: A bylaw amendment three years ago authorized representatives from constituencies with fewer than 300 members to reside anywhere in the world and participate virtually in all board meetings because those constituencies often had too few domestic members to fill those positions.

That same amendment allowed all other board members to participate virtually in two board meetings per year but retained the requirement for in-person attendance at the remaining meetings, because experience showed that discussion and decision making are enhanced by in-person participation. This proposed amendment would allow those board members to attend up to six meetings virtually during any 12-month period.

Amendment Number 4: Board Vacancies

Amend Article V, Section 6 by inserting at the end of the paragraph: “However, if the board cannot find a suitable candidate, the board may appoint a former tenured member of the constituency who separated from the Service within five years prior to the start of the term of office.”

Justification: During the past year, resignations of elected board officers left vacant several active-duty constituency positions for which the board has been unable to find a member of that constituency to volunteer to fill. If that situation persists or recurs, this provision would allow the board to appoint a recently separated member from that constituency.

Amendment Number 5: Governing Board Attendance

Amend Article V, Section 8 by striking: “The president, secretary, treasurer, constituency vice presidents, and representatives of constituencies with more than 299 members shall participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the board within 60 days of taking office on July 15 or appointment to office thereafter, and throughout their term in office. If they are unable to participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the board, e.g., because of transfer, they shall submit their resignations” and inserting: “The president, secretary, treasurer, constituency vice presidents, and representatives of constituencies with more than 299 members shall participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the board within 60 days of taking office on July 15 or appointment to office thereafter, and throughout their term in office. Absent circumstances approved by a vote of the board, if they are unable to participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the board they shall submit their resignations.”

Justification: While experience has shown that discussion and decision making at board meetings are enhanced by in-person participation, events of the past year raise the prospect of unpredictable future circumstances preventing a board member from participating in person at board meetings.

Amendment Number 6: AFSA President Responsibilities

Amend Article VI, Section 2 by striking “retirees” and inserting “alumni” in the list of members represented by the AFSA president.

Justification: Given the recent increase in the number of AFSA members who separated from the Service prior to retirement eligibility, it seems appropriate to specify that the AFSA president represents all alumni members.

Amendment Number 7: Alumni Constituency

Amend Article VI, Section 6 by striking the entire section and replacing it with: “The Alumni Vice President. The alumni vice president serves as the primary advocate for former members of the Service and, in coordination with the president, takes the lead on advocacy and outreach on alumni issues. The alumni vice president is responsible for recommending to the Executive Committee and the board retired Foreign Service members to serve on and provide the Foreign Service perspective to the Foreign Service Grievance Board and the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board.”

Justification: AFSA’s retiree constituency has long included former Foreign Service members who separated prior to retirement eligibility. Previously, their numbers were small but increased significantly over the last year following reductions in force at USAID and the State Department. Changing the bylaws nomenclature from “retiree” to “alumni” makes the wording more inclusive. It does not change AFSA’s services or support for either group.

Amendment Number 8: Appointment of Special Board Member 

Amend Article V by adding a new Section 2 [renumber remaining sections] stating “Appointment of Special Board Member: Boards taking office in 2027 and 2029 may choose to appoint a special additional board member for a duration not to exceed that board’s term, to represent a specific constituency focusing on a specific set of issues. The appointee must be a regular member, and the appointment must be by a supermajority vote of two-thirds of the board. This bylaws section will expire on July 14, 2031.”

Justification: Depending on future legal and congressional developments, there may not be an active-duty USAID constituency entitled to representation on the next AFSA board. There will, however, remain unique USAID issues meriting AFSA focus. As such, the board would benefit from having a Special Board Member to bring forward those issues for the next few years without meriting the creation of a permanent board position with that focus.

Amendment Number 9: Governing Board Composition

Amend Article V, Section 4(b) by striking: “In addition, each constituency shall be entitled to one representative for every 2,000 members or fraction thereof, so long as the fraction is greater than half, as of the end of the month prior to the issuance of the call for nominations, provided that any constituency that for three consecutive months has a membership which would on that date have entitled it to an additional representative shall have an additional representative, who shall be appointed by the board” and inserting: “In addition, each active-duty constituency shall be entitled to one representative for every 1,500 members, not to exceed six representatives per constituency, and the alumni constituency shall be entitled to one representative for every 2,000 members, as of the end of the month prior to the issuance of the call for nominations. An additional representative is authorized if membership exceeds the relevant calculation factor by greater than half. Between elections, any constituency that for three consecutive months has a membership which would entitle it to an additional representative shall have an additional representative appointed by the board.”

Justification: AFSA’s active-duty membership fell by more than 25 percent over the past year. Depending on the membership totals at the time of the next Governing Board election, the number of State Department representative positions could drop from six to three. Given the vital role of active-duty members in charting their future, authorizing one representative for every 1,500 instead of 2,000 active-duty members would preserve five State representative positions on the 2027-2029 board if current membership totals remain unchanged at the time for call for nominations.

Since alumni membership has not declined over the past year, leaving the alumni representative calculation factor at 2,000 would preserve the current three alumni board members if current membership totals remain unchanged. The board could potentially have a total of six alumni members if the positions of president, secretary, and treasurer are filled by alumni members as they are now.

Referendum: One-Time Dues Increase

Increase annual base dues by five percent, effective as of December 1, 2026.

Justification: The March 2025 Executive Order and subsequent actions precipitated a more than 25 percent drop in AFSA dues revenue. At the same time, more members are coming to AFSA for legal assistance and the need for AFSA public and congressional advocacy has increased.

While AFSA has reduced staff and slashed discretionary spending, additional resources are needed to maintain core staffing to defend the Foreign Service. A one-time, five percent dues increase would generate an additional $200,000 in annual dues revenue at a modest cost to individual members. For example, annual dues increases would be: FS4-6 $12.52, FS1-3 $21.97, SFS $28.17, alumni with $75,000+ annuities $13.10, alumni with $50,000-$75,000 annuities $10.62, alumni with $25,000-$50,000 annuities $7.79, and non-annuitants $5.11.