Excerpt From the APA Bylaws Regarding Membership Status and Dues
	Membership – article II 16. A Member (to include Fellows), Associate member or Affiliate may be dropped from membership or otherwise disciplined for conduct which violates the Ethical Principles of the Association, which tends to injure the Association or to affect adversely its reputation, or which is contrary to or destructive of its objects. Allegations of such conduct shall be submitted to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee shall formulate rules and procedures governing the conduct of the ethics and disciplinary process. However, such rules and procedures and any changes therein must be approved by the Board of Directors acting on behalf of Council. The Ethics Committee, acting at its own discretion or on direction of the Board of Directors, shall review such rules and procedures periodically and may amend them from time to time, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, provided, however, that no such amendment shall adversely affect the substantive rights of a Member, Associate member or Affiliate whose conduct is being investigated or against whom formal charges have been filed at the time of amendment. 17. A person who has been dropped from membership pursuant to the rules and procedures of the Ethics Committee may reapply for membership after five years have elapsed from the date of termination of his/her membership. A person who has been permitted to resign under a stipulated agreement may reapply for membership only after the period of time stipulated in the agreement has elapsed, and all other conditions set forth in such agreement have been discharged. In all cases the Member, Associate member or Affiliate must show that he/she is ethically as well as technically qualified for membership. Such reapplications shall be considered first by the Ethics Committee, which shall make recommendation to the Membership Committee. 18. Resignations of Members, Associate members or Affiliates may be accepted only by the Board of Directors. In the ordinary course, the Board of Directors will, in its discretion, refuse to accept a resignation tendered by a Member, Associate member or Affiliate while such Member, Associate member or Affiliate is under the scrutiny of the Ethics Committee. Dues -- Article XIX 3. Nonpayment of dues for two consecutive years shall be considered as equivalent to a request for resignation from the Association. 4. There shall be made available to each Division a fixed amount, to be determined by Council, from the dues paid by each member of the Association who is a member of that Division. A Division may require additional dues of its own members. 5. Council may authorize special subscription rates to publications of the Association for special groups of subscribers. 6. Any Fellow, Member, or Associate member who has reached the age of sixty-five and has been a member of the Association for at least twenty-five years shall become eligible for a dues reduction process, culminating in dues exemption. Such members shall retain all rights and privileges of membership in the Association except the privilege of receiving those publications of the Association ordinarily provided to its members as a membership benefit. In order to permit the receipt of such publications, however, an option to pay a reasonable subscription price/servicing fee for them shall be made available to dues-exempt members. (For purposes of this Subsection, membership in the American Association of Applied Psychology prior to its amalgamation with the American Psychological Association shall be counted.) Also….. From the Association Rules as amended 2003: 10-9.  TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP 10-9.1  Membership in the Association may be terminated by the death of a member, resignation, dropping for nonpayment of dues, or as provided in the Ethics Committee's Rules and Procedures.   Notice of the death of a member or formal resignation should be forwarded to APA Central Office. Resignation will ordinarily be accepted forthwith, except while a member is under scrutiny by the Ethics Committee.  While under such scrutiny, a member may be permitted to resign under stipulated conditions in accordance with provisions in the Ethics Committee's Rules and Procedures.    A member is dropped from membership in the Association after two calendar years during which dues to the Association have remained unpaid.  "Benefit of membership" subscriptions (such as the APA Monitor on Psychology) will not be continued during this period of grace. 10-9.2   A member may resign from any division by not paying the dues or assessment of that division in connection with the annual Association dues statement. 10-10.    REINSTATEMENT OR READMISSION 10-10.1   The membership of a person who has voluntarily resigned or who has been dropped for nonpayment of dues may be fully reinstated at any time by the payment of all delinquent and current dues.  When fully reinstated, the person's membership dates from the original year of election. This option shall not be available to a former member who was under scrutiny by the Ethics Committee at the time membership was terminated. 10-10.2   The membership of a person who has voluntarily resigned or who has been dropped for nonpayment of dues may also be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year.   Reinstatement is effective as of the current year.  The period of nonpayment of dues shall not be counted toward the years needed to attain dues-exempt status. This option can be used only once and shall not be available to former members who were under scrutiny by the Ethics Committee at the time membership was terminated. 10-10.3   A person whose membership has been terminated under the provisions of Article II, Section 17 of the APA Bylaws or who has resigned while under the scrutiny of the Ethics Committee may request reinstatement of membership under the conditions stated in Article II, Section 18.  Accordingly, the Membership Committee will automatically inform the Ethics Committee of all such reinstatement requests and the Ethics Committee shall be responsible for furnishing the Membership Committee with a recommendation as provided in its Rules and Procedures.    10-10.4   Ordinarily, individuals who have previously resigned or been expelled from membership must reinstate into the previously held membership status and dues category and may not reapply as a new member.  Exceptions regarding the membership status and dues category of reinstating members may be made by the chief staff officer or the Membership Committee. 10-11.   LIFE MEMBERSHIP STATUS (DUES EXEMPTION) 10-11.1  Any member who has reached the age of 65 and has belonged to the APA for a total of 25 years, may choose to begin the dues-reduction process, culminating in dues exemption by so advising Central Office of his or her eligibility.  Any member, who, regardless of age or length of membership, has been adjudged totally and permanently disabled, may choose to become exempt from dues by so advising Central Office of his or her eligibility.  Ordinarily, the transfer in status will become effective as of the January 1 immediately following the member's request, but in appropriate circumstances the change in status may be made effective as of the previous January 1. These members will be exempt from further payment of APA dues, as well as division dues, division assessments, or other assessments established by the Council.  However, these members will have the option of paying a subscription price/service fee if they choose to receive the American Psychologist and the APA Monitor on Psychology.  The subscription price/service fee will be determined by Council to allow for dues distribution to those APA divisions to which the dues- exempt member belongs and to help defray the costs of the American Psychologist, the APA Monitor on Psychology, and for administering services. Dues-exempt members shall pay the same price for journals as dues-paying members.  However, subscriptions to the American Psychologist and the APA Monitor on Psychology are included in the subscription price/servicing fee set by Council to cover such subscriptions and to help defray the cost of administering services to dues-exempt members.  (see also Association Rule 100-6 LIFE MEMBERSHIP STATUS (DUES-EXEMPTION).  The journal credit applies only to dues- paying members.
			Return to Home Page