Tennessee § 7-86-302 - Emergency communication board established — Members — Terms of office — Officers — Meetings.

§ 7-86-302. Emergency communication board established — Members — Terms of office — Officers — Meetings.

There is created in the department of commerce and insurance an emergency communications board, referred to in this part as “the board”, for the purpose of assisting emergency communications district boards of directors in the areas of management, operations, and accountability, and establishing emergency communications for all citizens of this state. The board shall, upon being constituted, exercise its powers and duties in accordance with this part, relative to all emergency communications districts established pursuant to this chapter or by any public or private act. The board shall be composed of nine (9) members, as follows: The comptroller of the treasury or the comptroller's designee. The appointment of the comptroller's designee to the board shall be for the term of office of the comptroller; One (1) member, appointed by the governor, who has no connection to emergency communications districts and who does not fulfill any other requirements for appointment to the board; One (1) representative of county government, appointed by the speaker of the senate; One (1) representative of city government, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; Three (3) members, appointed by the governor, each of whom shall be either a current director of an emergency communications district or a current member of an emergency communications district board of directors at the time of their appointment. The members appointed pursuant to this subdivision (b)(1)(E) shall each reside in a separate grand division of the state; One (1) at large member appointed by the speaker of the senate, who at the time of the member's appointment is either a current director of an emergency communications district or a current member of an emergency communications district board of directors; and One (1) at large member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, who at the time of the member's appointment is either a current director of an emergency communications district or a current member of an emergency communications district board of directors. No more than one (1) member appointed pursuant to subdivisions (b)(1)(E)-(G) shall be from the same county. In appointing members to the board, the appointing authorities shall strive to ensure that the composition of the board represents: The diversity of persons in Tennessee by considering race, gender, age, and geographical and political interests; Emergency communication districts in urban and rural areas of the state; and Emergency communication districts that employ both E-911 operators and dispatchers. The governor shall appoint a successor to the member who has no connection to emergency communications districts following the expiration of that member's term on June 30, 2016, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(B). The speaker of the senate shall appoint a successor to the member who represents county government following the expiration of that member's term on June 30, 2018, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(C). The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint a successor to the member who represents city government following the expiration of that member's term on June 30, 2017, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(D). The governor shall appoint successors to the three (3) members who represent emergency communication districts following the expiration of those members' terms on June 30, 2018, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(E). The speaker of the senate shall appoint a successor to the member who represents an emergency communications district following the expiration of that member's term on June 30, 2016, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(F). The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint a successor to the member who represents an emergency communications district following the expiration of that member's term on June 30, 2017, in accordance with subdivision (b)(1)(G). Members appointed in accordance with subsection (c) shall serve three-year terms, to begin on July 1 and terminate on June 30, three (3) years thereafter. Members shall be selected to serve on the board for no more than two (2) successive terms. The board shall elect a chair and other officers as it may deem necessary and appropriate. The officers shall be elected for two-year terms. The board shall meet quarterly, and at the call of the chair. A quorum shall consist of five (5) or more members; and all official action of the board shall require a quorum. Any member of the board who fails to attend at least fifty percent (50%) of the regularly scheduled meetings of the board within any twelve-month period shall automatically be removed from the board and a successor member shall be appointed by the appointing authority to serve out the remaining term of the member being replaced. Subdivision (i)(1) shall not apply to meetings held in accordance with § 7-86-314(a). All meetings of the board shall be subject to the open meeting provisions of title 8, chapter 44, and the public records provisions of title 10, chapter 7. The executive director shall compile a report of the board's expenditures by item and revenue by source for the quarter prior to each board meeting, with the most recent report to be posted and prominently displayed on the board's web site each quarter. Acts 1998, ch. 1108, § 5; 2013, ch. 438, § 3; 2015, ch. 350, § 3. Compiler's Notes. The emergency communications board, created by this section, terminates June 30, 2021. See §§ 4-29-112 , 4-29-242 . Amendments. The 2015 amendment rewrote the section, which read: “(a) There is created in the department of commerce and insurance an emergency communications board, referred to in this part as ‘the board’, for the purpose of assisting emergency communications district boards of directors in the area of management, operations, and accountability, and establishing emergency communications for all citizens of the state. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the board shall, upon being constituted, exercise its powers and duties, in accordance with the provisions of this part, relative to all emergency communications districts established pursuant to this chapter or by any public or private act.“(b)(1) The board shall be composed of nine (9) members as follows: (A) One (1) member, appointed by the governor, who has no connection to emergency communications districts and who does not fulfill any other requirements for appointment to the board; (B) The comptroller of the treasury or the comptroller's designee. The appointment of the comptroller's designee to the board shall be for the term of office of the comptroller; (C) One (1) representative of county government, appointed by the governor, who may be appointed from lists of qualified persons submitted by interested county services groups including, but not limited to, the Tennessee County Services Association; (D) One (1) representative of city government, appointed by the governor, who may be appointed from lists of qualified persons submitted by interested municipal groups including, but not limited to, the Tennessee Municipal League; and (E) (i) Five (5) members, appointed by the governor, who shall either be current directors of emergency communications districts or current members of emergency communications district boards of directors at the time of their appointment. The governor may appoint such members from lists of qualified persons submitted by interested emergency communications groups including, but not limited to, the Tennessee Emergency Number Association, or from a nominating resolution adopted by an emergency communications district. No more than two (2) members appointed pursuant to this subdivision (b)(5) shall be residents of the same congressional district. (ii) Nominations shall be made not less than thirty (30) days before the end of a term, and shall be filed with the governor and the board. In appointing members, the governor shall strive to ensure that the composition of the board represents the diversity of persons in Tennessee by considering race, gender, age, and geographical and political interests. (2) The governor shall consult with interested groups including, but not limited to, the organizations listed in subdivision (b)(1) to determine qualified persons to fill positions on the board.“(c) Members shall be appointed to four-year terms, except as provided in this subsection (c). Two (2) of the members appointed by the governor shall be appointed to serve an initial term of two (2) years, two (2) members shall be appointed to serve an initial term of three (3) years, and the remaining four (4) members shall be appointed for an initial term of four (4) years. The governor may select the members whose initial terms are less than four (4) years. Thereafter, such members shall be appointed and serve four-year terms. Members appointed by the governor may be appointed to successive terms.“(d) The board shall elect a chair and such other officers as it may deem necessary and appropriate. Such officers shall be elected for two-year terms.“(e) The board shall meet at least quarterly, and at the call of the chair.“(f) A quorum shall consist of five (5) or more members; and all official action of the board shall require a quorum.“(g) All meetings of the board shall be subject to the open meeting provisions of title 8, chapter 44, and the public records provisions of title 10, chapter 7.” Effective Dates. Acts 2015, ch. 350, § 6. May 4, 2015.