Trustees of the Public Defender Service Corporation reviewed a package of proposed bylaw amendments at their Nov. 25 meeting that would modernize meeting notices, clarify remote participation and voting, change board composition, and enumerate the board's duties.

A presenter reviewing the draft told trustees the changes would remove rarely used references to the Supreme Court courtroom and instead refer to the Public Defender Service Corporation office as a location for meetings. The presenter said the draft also replaces a fixed “fourth Tuesday” schedule with language that lets the board set regular meetings while retaining emergency-notice provisions to allow flexibility.

The amendments under discussion would also change the method-of-voting language to address remote participation and how votes are recorded. Trustee discussion focused on whether remote participants should be permitted to vote and whether the bylaws should require roll-call votes when members participate remotely. One trustee noted that some entities (for example, airport boards) impose stricter limits on remote participation; others argued the PDSC should allow remote attendance to count as if physically present.

The package also includes changes to Article 2 (board composition and terms) and Article 4 (duties and powers). Proposed changes would increase the board’s size (from five to seven members in the draft under review), set two-year terms with term limits, clarify vacancy appointment timing and approval steps, and enumerate powers such as approving standards, setting indigency determinations, appointing an executive director, and adopting procurement and personnel policies. The presenter said prior board resolution 2-16 — which assigns certain hearing-officer roles in appeals — was not yet incorporated into the posted bylaws and should be added.

No final bylaw vote was taken. Trustees directed staff to prepare a consolidated, “clean” version of the bylaws and supporting materials and agreed to review and vote on the finalized packet at the board’s next meeting. The board’s packet and updated reporting for FY2025 were scheduled to be circulated in advance of that meeting.