If a council board approves a proposal, they may send it directly to GSUSA prior to the established deadline. However, it’s best if the council which approves the proposal sends it to all other Girl Scout Councils, asking for support by approving the same proposal. That means they should send their proposal to other councils as soon as possible, so the other councils’ boards of directors have ample time to consider approval and vote. The more councils whose boards approve a proposal, the greater the chance the proposal will get on the agenda. If 15% of councils (currently 17 councils) approve a proposal, the National Board must place that proposal on the agenda, unless the proposal in question is an amendment to the GSUSA Constitution. (Our constitution gives the National Board sole discretion to decide whether a proposed amendment to the constitution is appropriate.)
Source: GSUSA Constitution/ARTICLE V/PROPOSALS TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL & ARTICLE XVII/ AMENDMENTS