At its June 2026 meeting, the ATSA Board of Directors approved a restated set of bylaws. Most of the revisions are housekeeping (renumbering sections, updating headers), but two are worth bringing to your attention because they change how the organization works and how members can plug in.

Chapters now have a home in our bylaws

For the first time, the bylaws include a dedicated article authorizing ATSA to charter chapters within defined geographic or functional areas. This matters because so much of the urgent work in our field happens at the state and local level. Members have been carrying that work for years, often without a formal connection back to the national organization.

The new article changes that. Chartered chapters now operate under a clear framework, with operating guidelines approved by the Board and a defined relationship to ATSA. In return, ATSA commits to supporting chapters with policy guidance, help with financial management and tax filing, governance and leadership development, and communications support. The goal is straightforward. Give members who are organizing in their own states and regions the standing, and the backing, to do it well.

The Editor-in-Chief of Sexual Abuse joins the Board

The bylaws now give the Editor-in-Chief of our journal, Sexual Abuse, a standing ex-officio, non-voting seat on the Board of Directors.

The journal keeps the full editorial independence it has always had. The seat carries no editorial influence from the Board, and the rigor of the journal's work is protected exactly as before. What the seat does is put the editor at the governance table, which keeps the science and the strategy in the same room. The people steering the organization stay close to the journal and understand the challenges it faces. ATSA staff can promote it and market the latest articles and special editions. And the journal's perspective becomes part of how decisions get made. The seat is non-voting and is not counted toward the Board's authorized size, so it adds a voice without shifting the balance of governance.

Both changes took effect with the Board's approval of the restated bylaws this June. The full document is available on the member portal, and questions are always welcome.