1. Any Full Member or Club may prefer charges against a member or a club for conduct prejudicial to the interests of USMRA. The allegations must be submitted in writing and must be sworn to before a Notary Public. The charge(s) shall be forwarded to the USMRA Secretary with a deposit of an amount predetermined by the Board of Directors for each charge. The deposit shall be forfeited for each charge that is not sustained or determined not to be relevant. To be heard, charges must be filed within three (3) months of the date of the alleged misconduct. Charges that solely concern business deals between USMRA members shall not be heard.
2. The “filing date” is the date that the charges were received by the Secretary. The Secretary shall send copies of said charges by mail or electronic mail (using read receipt), whichever is most efficient for the President and Board of Inquiry Members, to the President and each member of the Board of Inquiry within fifteen (15) days after the filing date. Amended December 2018
3. The Secretary shall send one (1) copy of the charges to the accused member by mail or electronic mail (using read receipt), whichever is most efficient for the accused member, not more than fifteen (15) days
   after the filing date. Amended December 2018
4. The accused may respond to charges in writing and may obtain written testimony from witnesses. Each written document must be sworn to before a Notary Public by the author of the document. All documents must be presented together, to the Secretary, within sixty (60) days of the filing date. The “response date” is the date the Secretary received the response, or 60 days after the filing date, whichever comes first. Within 15 days after the response date, the Secretary shall forward copies of the response and any written testimony to all members of the Board of Inquiry by mail or electronic mail (using read receipt). If no response is received from the accused, the Secretary shall so inform the Board of Inquiry. Amended December 2018
5. Within fifteen (15) days from the date the Board of Inquiry receives the response from the accused, or the information that no response is forthcoming, the Board shall determine whether the charges are relevant and whether they shall be considered by the Board of Inquiry. If not relevant, the accuser and accused shall be notified by the Secretary within fifteen (15) days of the Board’s decision.
6. If the charges are determined to be relevant, within forty five (45) days the Board of Inquiry shall, by majority vote, sustain or not sustain the charge(s). The accuser and accused shall be notified by the Secretary within fifteen (15) days of the Board’s decision.
7. If the charges are sustained, the Board of Inquiry shall recommend an appropriate disciplinary action which may or may not be imposed by the Board of Directors.
8. A member who has been suspended or expelled by USMRA may not participate in any activities sponsored by the association, or in activities sponsored by any of its clubs, for the duration of the suspension or permanently if expelled.
9. Disciplinary action taken by a local club against a member or members is an internal affair of the club and does not affect a person’s membership in USMRA. Such local disciplinary actions need not be recognized or honored by other local clubs.
10. If the charges fail to be heard by the Board of Inquiry within the time frame specified by Article V Section 3-7, as provided in these bylaws, all money deposited with the USMRA by the member filing charges will be refunded and a full report will be made to the Board of Directors. The Board of Inquiry or the accused may ask for reasonable extensions of the deadlines to deal with unforeseen circumstances. These deadline extensions shall be approved by the Board of Directors and shall be in the best interest of all concerned.
11. The Board of Directors by a majority vote may file charges against individual(s). The procedure shall be the same as described above for members.
12. Expulsion may be recommended by either the Board of Directors or Board of Inquiry, as a result of continued violation of the by-laws, code of conduct or major infractions as determined by either the BOD or BOI. In order to expel a member, there must be a majority combined vote of the Board of Directors and the Board of Inquiry present. Said vote will be via a special meeting combining both the BOD and BOI, in order to allow discussion amongst both the BOD and BOI. A quorum of the BOD must be present as defined in Article VI Board of Directors, Section 1(3). Three members of the BOI, which may include an alternate must also be present. Expulsion from the USMRA will be for no less than 3 years. Added December 2018

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