Bills/funding requests and resolutions for the academic year will be seen starting at the second RHA meeting of the year, in September, continuing through the spring semester until the second to last meeting of the year, 2 weeks prior to the last week of classes. Bills and resolutions must be submitted by Wednesday at 5 PM the week prior to the week they will be seen, at the latest. Note that no bills are seen during elections (typically take place in March), and that the last RHA meeting of each semester is the week prior to the last week of classes. There is also typically a meeting cancelled in mid to late November and February due to conference attendance.
Check the RHA Resources page for updates about the RHA meeting schedule or bill and resolution submission timeline.
What is a resolution, and who can write and submit them?
A resolution is a non-monetary request for support for an initiative or change on campus, or for internal operations of RHA. Any CSU student, organization, or employee may submit a resolution. The value of getting approval of a resolution by RHA is that support by RHA indicates support by the majority of residents on campus, as RHA represents the interests and needs of all campus residents and governs the Regional Councils.
Please use our template for submitting resolutions to RHA: RHA Resolution Template.
Authors of resolutions must get at least one sponsor, which must be an RHA or NRHH Cabinet member, RHA Senator, or RC President who has a clear understanding of and support for the resolution’s purpose. Sponsors assist resolution authors by providing feedback or suggestions that may improve the way that the RHA Senate perceives the resolution when it is presented. RHA or NRHH Cabinet members, RHA Senators, and RC Presidents are not required to sponsor the requested resolution if there is reasonable doubt of the resolution being complete, and sponsorship of a resolution does not guarantee that the resolution will pass or the sponsor’s final “yes” vote.
What is the timeline for resolution submission and Senate voting?
Resolutions must be submitted to the RHA president’s email by 5 PM on the Wednesday before the meeting at which you want the resolution to be seen by the Senate. Please note that some periods in the year are busier than others and we must sometimes limit how many bills and resolutions are seen in one meeting, so we recommend that you submit your resolution well in advance to ensure the resolution can be seen with enough time for it to be voted on and give you adequate time to prepare for the next steps of the initiative or project. Particularly busy times of the year for RHA, when many bills in particular are submitted, include the weeks around Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and the end of each semester.
All resolutions must be tabled for a week so that the senators can consult with their regional councils regarding their thoughts on the resolution and how the council would like the senator(s) to vote.
What is the process for presenting a resolution?
At the Senate meeting, resolution authors will be given the opportunity to present. Presentations are intended to give authors time to elaborate on their request or initiative as well as answer questions proposed by RHA Senators. Please note that others may also be presenting bills, resolutions, or other business at RHA, so you may need to wait for others before your resolution is seen. You will have 5 minutes to present, 5 minutes for Q + A, and the senate body will discuss for 10 minutes (QA and discussion is extendable). Voting will be tabled until the following RHA meeting. At the following RHA meeting, the Senate will vote whether or not to approve/support the proposed resolution, and resolution authors will be notified of the result within 48 hours.