How to Write a Resolution to the MSMS House of Delegates
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How to Write a Resolution to the MSMS House of Delegates

Introduction

View our detailed Resolution Writing Instructions > > > 

 

The House of Delegates is the official policy-making body of the Michigan State Medical Society. Resolutions and Board Action Reports are the vehicles used to debate and determine the policies, priorities, and direction of MSMS during the ensuing 12 months and beyond. Therefore, a well-crafted resolution is essential in order to present the most effective case for those issues that are of importance and concern to you.

Resolutions are presented to the MSMS House of Delegates by voting delegates on behalf of their county delegation, specialty society, ethnic medical society, MSMS membership section, or as individual delegates. In order to be considered as regular business of the House of Delegates, resolutions must be submitted to MSMS by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026. Once received, resolutions are reviewed by MSMS staff for comparison to existing MSMS and AMA policy, legal considerations, and appropriate editing. They are then assigned numbers and referred to one of three House reference committees or placed on the "Reaffirmation Calendar."

All resolutions for which the Resolved statements re-state existing MSMS or AMA policy will be placed on a "Reaffirmation Calendar" and voted upon at Saturday's session. A delegate can ask the Committee on Internal Affairs to extract a resolution from the Reaffirmation Calendar for referral to a reference committee. The Committee on Internal Affairs meets on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Please note, pursuant to adopted HOD Resolution 65-14, any resolutions "submitted to the MSMS House of Delegates that require action by the AMA may only be submitted by MSMS members that are also members of the AMA."

The reference committees are responsible for listening to testimony on the rationale and merits of the submitted resolutions, discussing the issues raised for and against resolutions, and making recommendations to the House of Delegates on the fate of the resolutions.

Process

  • Use the template or template format for drafting your resolution.
  • Submit resolutions via the HOD website by clicking “Submit a Resolution” under the Additional House of Delegates Resources section or via email at MSMSHODResolutions@msms.org.
  • Submit resolutions as soon as possible to allow time for review of proper formatting prior to the deadline.

Deadline

11:59 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026

Late Resolutions

Resolutions received after the deadline, will be considered late resolutions and will be referred to the Reference Committee on Internal Affairs (C) which meets on March 25, 2026. The Committee reviews any late resolutions on the following criteria:

  • Could the resolution have been submitted before the deadline?
  • Did new developments after the deadline justify the acceptance of the resolution?
  • Were there any extenuating circumstances?
  • Are there any other resolutions that cover the same logic?

If the Committee on Internal Affairs agrees to accept a late resolution, the resolution will be added to the Committee's agenda for review that evening. The final recommendation as to the resolution’s fate will be submitted to the House as part of the respective committee's report.

If the Committee on Internal Affairs does not accept a late resolution, a delegate may ask to have the resolution extracted from the Report of the Committee on Internal Affairs at the House of Delegates and present their arguments before the Committee of the Whole. If the House concurs with the Committee on Internal Affairs' recommendation to not accept the late resolution, there is no further recourse, and the resolution will not be considered.

Structure of a Resolution

Please review the MSMS Resolution Template and Resolution Template Instructions.

Contacts

MSMS staff is available to answer additional questions you may have. Please direct questions to Stacey Hettiger at 517-336-5766 or shettiger@msms.org.

Thank you for your interest in helping to establish the business of the MSMS House of Delegates. Please remember, only resolutions using the template or template form and submitted via email as noted above will be accepted and they must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026.

Connect

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AMA
As part of CCB, and having become known in the HOD as a trusted and respected parliamentarian and advisor, he has been actively sought out by sections and delegations for his expertise and counsel, to ensure their concerns are met and can be adopted by the House. His commitment to open, fair and unbiased discussion and debate empowers colleagues wherever he leads, including in our House of Delegates.

ACEP
In addition to his commitments to MSMS, the AMA and CCB, Pino participates in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Section Council. This allows him to stay informed about the latest issues facing their specialty and the broader medical landscape across the country. The council comprises representatives from all over the US, who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table, and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing emergency medicine in different regions, and work collaboratively to develop solutions and best practices. This also allows him to build relationships across the country, which are key to getting the House to “yes.”

MSMS
Dr. Colone has been an active member of the AMA since his first year of medical school. He served as Chair of the Medical Student Section, Resident and Fellows Section, and the Young Physician Section of the Michigan State Medical Society, as well as representing each of those sections as delegate from MSMS to the AMA. He has served on the Michigan Delegation to the AMA for almost 30 years, and on the MSMS Board of Directors for 11 years during that time. He is also a recipient of the AMA Foundation Leadership Award.

In addition to influencing the national debate, Dr. Colone served as president of his county and state medical societies during times of crisis. He led his county medical society during the Flint water crisis and MSMS during the COVID pandemic from 2021-2022, standing up to outside efforts by lay persons and legislators and standing by science for the safety and betterment of the public. During his presidency he led a coalition of 50 patient and health care organizations to achieve comprehensive prior authorization reform removing barriers and improving the health of all Michiganders.

President of MSMS: Pino took the helm of MSMS as President during a tumultuous time. The COVID pandemic was entering its second year. Effective and, more importantly, ineffective treatments, were becoming better known, better understood, as physicians were learning every day how to best save lives. He stood by science and resisted pressures and endorsed science based treatments based on what we’d learned, over unproven, and even dangerous, treatments.

Health Can’t Wait Initiative: Pino advanced the Health Can’t Wait Initiative as President of MSMS, a coalition of over 50 health-focused groups that saw the successful passage of comprehensive prior authorization reform into law.

Read more about the coalition here

Organizations involved in the coalition 

PA Reform Signed into Law

“Today is a wonderful day for Michigan patients who can now rest easy knowing insurance company prior authorization practices will no longer prove to be an impassable roadblock between them and the timely care and treatment they too often desperately need," said MSMS President Pino Colone, MD. “Speaking on behalf of providers, patient advocacy groups and patients across the state, I want to thank Governor Whitmer and Michigan’s lawmakers for recognizing the need for reform in this area and then working to craft and enact legislation that delivers. In signing SB 247, Governor Whitmer has ushered in a new era where transparency, clinical validity and fairness to patients will all be factored into the prior authorization process, protecting Michigan patients from costly and dangerous delays in access to health care. Officially signing this bill into law is a tremendous—and much needed—win for countless Michigan patients and the providers who serve them.”

Scope of Practice: He has testified on scope of practice helping legislators understand that nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) do not have the training or education to safely care for our families, and that medical school matters. (include the graphic from the article) and link the article: https://www.mha.org/newsroom/tag/pino-colone/

Pino spent six years as chair of the MSMS Task Force on Opioid Stewardship, advocating for naloxone to be available to residents of Michigan without a prescription, collaborating with colleagues and state officials, and disseminating timely and accurate information to MSMS members. In this role, he was pivotal in shaping MSMS’s strategic plan to reduce opioid-related overdose, eliminate stigma, and support harm reduction efforts by fighting to make naloxone available over the counter.

He was also a member of the MSMS Executive Task Force on Health Care Disparities. 

Genesee County Medical Society
Pino was also president of the GCMS during the water crisis of its largest city, Flint. He led efforts by the Society to disseminate accurate information about lead in drinking water and its effects on health. With the city and state in the national spotlight, Pino stood firm against pressure from government officials to endorse what would later prove to be flawed information, putting the expertise of his physician colleagues and the safety of local residents first.
Read more about Pino’s service as county medical society president below: 

§  November 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  December 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  January 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  February 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  March 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  April 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  May 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  June 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  July 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  August 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  September 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  October 2020 GCMS Bulletin

Op-Eds

§  Twindemic – 2021-2022

§  COVID-19 vaccination