Coalition memberships

1. Improving access to women’s preventive healthcare to improve maternal and child health.
2. A belief that education, counseling, and provision of the full range of FDA- approved contraceptive methods are essential components of women’s preventive healthcare.
3. Encouraging the adoption of program policies for ample women’s preventive program funding.
4. To empower women to take personal responsibility for their health and their future.
5. Preventive care includes health history; contraceptive care; appropriate screenings, access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC); and preconception care.
6. Advocating for the elimination of barriers, including systemic or historic inequities in care, to preventive healthcare services – including prescription contraceptive drugs and devices.

Supporters
Any individual, group or organization can be a supporter of the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition (TWHC), regardless of affiliation or IRS tax status. Supporters are not required to endorse TWHC Principles but can indicate their support of TWHC. Supporters do not have voting privileges within the coalition and may not speak on behalf of the Coalition.

Supporters can:

● Subscribe to the general TWHC lists;
● Participate in open coalition meetings; and
● Donate to TWHC.

Members
Members of TWHC are groups or organizations that endorse TWHC Principles. By endorsing the Principles, members agree to be publicly associated with the Coalition.

Members can:

● Participate in open coalition meetings;
● Participate in decision-making and voting;
● Subscribe to the general TWHC listserv; and
● Participate in member-only discussion forums.

Additionally, Coalition members may be asked to participate in the following activities, according to their organizational capacity:

● Attend Coalition meetings and events;
● Participate in Coalition media events and public statements;
● Speak on behalf of the Coalition at media and other public events
● Provide legislative testimony;
● Engage, educate, and involve their own constituents and members in
the work of the Coalition (for example, through email alerts or other
communication);
● Disseminate the messages and materials of TWHC;
● Host a presentation about TWHC and/or women’s healthcare issues;
● Participate in legislative lobby visits;
● Conduct strategic outreach and membership recruitment on behalf of
the Coalition; and
● Support the Coalition with funding and in-kind resources.

While only nominated organizations may become members, individuals or non-nominated organizations can participate as Supporters of TWHC.

New Membership

TWHC membership operates on a nomination-only model, where all TWHC members may nominate organizations for membership. The Steering Committee reserves the authority to approve all nominations. Organizations may contact current TWHC members for nomination. Current members must complete the TWHC nomination form and submit it to TWHC staff for review. If the nominated organization does not align with TWHC’s mission, there is a possibility of membership denial. If the Steering Committee approves the nominee organization, TWHC staff will send the nominee organization the TWHC application form. TWHC Staff will conduct an internal review and notify the nominee organization of membership status upon completion of application review. Potential members, whose nominations have been approved by the Steering Committee, will receive an enrollment packet including the Coalition principles and bylaws.

General Coalition Meetings
General Coalition Meetings take place on a quarterly basis and may be held virtually or in person. Meetings are held more frequently during legislative sessions. All members and supporters are encouraged to attend. Agendas for Coalition meetings will be provided at least 7 days in advance by Coalition staff.

Agenda Items
Any Coalition member may propose an agenda item for the general meetings by submitting a request in writing to Coalition staff at least one month in advance. Coalition staff and the steering committee will review and approve/decline agenda topics.

Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is composed of Coalition members and is tasked with ensuring that TWHC moves forward with its objectives and agenda. In addition to the responsibilities of all members, the Steering Committee:

● Provides thoughtful leadership for Coalition initiatives and will
propose specific legislative ideas based on the Coalition’s mission,
adopted principles, and past legislative agendas;
● With input from the general membership, makes high-level, strategic
Coalition decisions;
● Works with TWHC staff to make operational decisions necessary for
carrying the Coalition forward;
● May act as the face and the first point of contact to the Coalition for
media and the public;
● Commits to providing support to the Coalition, such as: staff or
individual time, meeting space, printing, e-communications,
teleconference hosting, and other supports;
● Commits to meeting virtually on a monthly basis, or as scheduled;
● Commits to review of membership applications as needed.
● Participates in biennial reviews of Coalition bylaws.

The Steering Committee will have a maximum of 15 members. Only TWHC members are eligible to serve as Steering Committee members. A TWHC member may self-nominate or be nominated by a member of the TWHC to become a Steering Committee member. To qualify as a Steering Committee member, the member must have attended at least 50 percent of Coalition meetings in the preceding 12 months. The Steering Committee will decide by a 4/5 vote whether to accept the nomination. If Steering Committees are unable to fulfill the meeting requirement as well as participate in TWHC virtual and/or in person activities, they may be removed from the Steering Committee.

Decisions of the Steering Committee are ideally made by consensus. If a vote is needed, the Steering Committee will decide by a 4/5 vote. Each organizational member of the Steering Committee has one vote, although member organizations are welcome to send more than one individual to participate in Steering Committee meetings. Votes may be submitted ahead of time and/or via email by any member of the Steering Committee if they are unable to attend a meeting or send a proxy. In the case that a member organization objects to a new organization’s inclusion in the Coalition, the Steering Committee will review the objection and use a simple majority to vote the organization in question in or out. Steering Committee Chair. The Steering Committee Chair is nominated and elected by the Steering Committee and must commit to serving as Chair for at least one legislative session. The Steering Committee Chair must have been an active Steering Committee member by attending at least 50 percent of Steering Committee and/or General Coalition meetings in the year prior to nomination.

Chair responsibilities include:
● Calling meetings of the general membership and Steering Committee;
● Presiding over meetings of the general membership and Steering
Committee; and
● Working with the Steering Committee, Coalition membership, and
Coalition staff to ensure successful implementation of decisions.

Coalition Decision-Making Process
Recognizing the importance of developing an inclusive and representative collective body, TWHC will make its best effort to solicit input from supporters and members to make strategic decisions about legislative and organizing initiatives. To the extent that it is possible, large-scale decisions will be discussed by participants at open quarterly meetings of the Coalition. Members and supporters will be given an opportunity to discuss and provide input into such decisions. In the case of a decision being voted on, all Coalition members (i.e. those organizations who have endorsed the Coalition’s principles) will be allowed one vote to affect the outcome of the decision although member organizations are welcome to send more than one individual to participate in Coalition meetings. The passage or failure of a proposal will be determined by a two-thirds majority of those who choose to vote (e.g. If 18 out of 20 members vote, at least 12 must vote the same way).

Because we strive to be a statewide Coalition, we will work to accommodate those who cannot physically be in the room by providing teleconference or webinar capabilities and an ability to submit votes by email. Specific instructions on how to vote via these avenues will be provided with each decision item. Inevitably, there will be decisions and items that will need to be addressed by the Coalition Steering Committee, such those that are time sensitive or which concern the everyday workings of the Coalition. However, the goal will always be to solicit and include the will of the Coalition in all decision-making processes, where appropriate.

Coalition Staff
Currently, TWHC receives staff support from Healthy Futures of Texas. The staff member(s) is/are responsible for convening the Coalition and the Steering Committee, providing logistical and administrative support for the Coalition at large, helping coordinate the Coalition’s policy and advocacy efforts, and communicating with national partner organizations that work on access issues concerning preventive healthcare, preconception care, and contraception.