A066 (Amend Canon V.1 to create a Custodian for the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church)
House of Bishops Message #94
The House of Bishops informs the House of Deputies that on Jun 25, 2024 it considered resolution A066 (Amend Canon V.1 to create a Custodian for the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church). The house acted to:
Adopt
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That Canon V.1 is amended as follows
<Amended text as it would appear if adopted and concurred. Scroll below the line of asterisks (******) to see the version showing all deleted and added text.>
Canon V.1
Sec. 5. There will be a Custodian of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, nominated by the Presiding Officers of the two Houses of the General Convention and confirmed by the Executive Council. A vacancy in the office shall be filled in the same way. The Custodian will hold office for a term beginning twelve months after the adjournment of the previous regular meeting of the General Convention and will remain in office until twelve months after the subsequent regular meeting of the General Convention, or until a successor is confirmed. The first Custodian of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church will be nominated by the Presiding Officers to be confirmed at the first Executive Council meeting following the adoption of this Canon. It will be the duty of the Custodian to certify that all digital and printed versions of the Constitution and Canons, including any amendment or amendments adopted at the most recent General Convention, conform to the Constitution and Canons as duly authorized by the General Convention.
Sec. 6 At the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, the Custodian of the Constitution and Canons, in consultation with the chancellor to the Presiding Bishop, the chancellor to the President of the House of Deputies, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Standing Commission on Governance, Structure, Constitution, and Canons, will (a) certify the changes, if any, made in the Canons, including a correction of the references made in any Canon to another, and to report the same, with the proper arrangement thereof, to the Secretary of the General Convention; (b) certify in like manner the changes, if any, made in the Constitution, or proposed to be made therein under the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution, and to report the same to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal, and (c) certify in like manner the changes, if any, made to the Joint Rules. The Custodian shall also have and exercise the power of renumbering of, and correction of references to, Articles, Sections and Clauses of the Constitution required by the adoption of amendments to the Constitution at a meeting of the General Convention in the same manner as provided with respect to the Canons and the Joint Rules.
Sec. 7 All Canons enacted by the General Convention, and all amendments and repeals of Canons, unless otherwise expressly ordered by act of the General Convention, shall take effect on the first day of January following the adjournment of the General Convention at which they were enacted or made.
And be it further
Resolved, that this change will take effect immediately upon adoption.
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<Proposed amended resolution text showing exact changes being made:>
Sec. 5. There will be a Custodian of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, nominated by the Presiding Officers of the two Houses of the General Convention and confirmed by the Executive Council. A vacancy in the office shall be filled in the same way. The Custodian will hold office for a term beginning twelve months after the adjournment of the previous regular meeting of the General Convention and will remain in office until twelve months after the subsequent regular meeting of the General Convention, or until a successor is confirmed. The first Custodian of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church will be nominated by the Presiding Officers to be confirmed at the first Executive Council meeting following the adoption of this Canon. It will be the duty of the Custodian to certify that all digital and printed versions of the Constitution and Canons, including any amendment or amendments adopted at the most recent General Convention, conform to the Constitution and Canons as duly authorized by the General Convention.
Sec. 5. 6. The Committee on Constitution and Canons of each House of the General Convention shall, at the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, appoint two of its members At the close of each regular meeting of the General Convention, the Custodian of the Constitution and Canons, in consultation with the chancellor to the Presiding Bishop, the chancellor to the President of the House of Deputies, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Standing Commission on Governance, Structure, Constitution, and Canons, will (a) to certify the changes, if any, made in the Canons, including a correction of the references made in any Canon to another, and to report the same, with the proper arrangement thereof, to the Secretary of the General Convention; and (b) to certify in like manner the changes, if any, made in the Constitution, or proposed to be made therein under the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution, and to report the same to the Secretary of the General Convention, who shall publish them in the Journal, and (c) certify in like manner the changes, if any, made to the Joint Rules. The committee Custodian shall also have and exercise the power of renumbering of, and correction of references to, Articles, Sections and Clauses of the Constitution required by the adoption of amendments to the Constitution at a meeting of the General Convention in the same manner as provided with respect to the Canons and the Joint Rules.
Sec. 6. 7. All Canons enacted during the General Convention of 1943, and thereafter, by the General Convention, and all amendments and repeals of Canons then or thereafter made, unless otherwise expressly ordered by act of the General Convention, shall take effect on the first day of January following the adjournment of the General Convention at which they were enacted or made.