TITLE 50 STATE GOVERNMENT

Section 12. Commissions and Other Agencies, 50-12-1 through 50-12-147.

ARTICLE 2 GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS

50-12-22. Appointment of members; terms; vacancies; expenses; removal; chairperson; meetings.

1. The council shall consist of nine members who shall be appointed by the Governor. Councilmembers shall serve two three-year terms. The Governor shall fill any vacancies for unexpired terms. In addition to the nine members appointed by the Governor pursuant to this subsection, the Governor shall appoint two ex officio members from the General Assembly.
2. With regards to the composition of the council:
   1. The council shall be broadly representative of the major fields of the arts and related creative industries;
   2. The council should be a balanced representation of the entire state, accounting for, but not limited to, minority and ethnic groups, gender diversity, geographic diversity, large and small organizations, and the public and private sectors;
   3. Councilmembers shall be appointed from among private citizens who are widely known for their competence and experience in connection with the arts and related creative industries, as well as their knowledge of community and state interests; and
   4. Consideration shall be given to recommendations for membership made by persons or organizations involved in civic, educational, business, labor, professional, cultural, ethnic, and performing and creative arts fields, as well as those with knowledge of community and state interests.
3. Members shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the work of the council when authorized in advance by the commissioner of economic development.
4. Active and continuing participation by members of the council is needed. Any member who fails to attend three regularly scheduled, consecutive meetings may be removed by the council.
5. A chairperson shall be appointed annually by the Governor for a term ending on June 30 of the year following such appointment. The chairperson shall be a person widely recognized for his or her knowledge, experience, and interest in the arts industry, as well as his or her knowledge of community and state interests.
6. The council shall meet upon the call of the chairperson, but not less often than twice during each fiscal year. A majority of the members appointed to the council shall constitute a quorum.

(Ga. L. 1976, p. 748, § 3; Ga. L. 1979, p. 388, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 174, § 2; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1903, § 12; Ga. L. 2011, p. 514, § 1/HB 264; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1042, § 3/HB 338.)

The 2011 amendment, effective July 1, 2011, substituted "commissioner of economic development" for "director of the Office of Planning and Budget" at the end of subsection (b).

The 2013 amendment, effective July 1, 2013, substituted the present provisions of subsection (a) for the former provisions, which read: "The council shall consist of two members from each congressional district and four members representing the state at large who shall be appointed by the Governor. All members shall have demonstrated an interest in the arts. Except for certain members who were appointed in 1979, the term of office of each member shall be three years. In 1979, eight members were appointed for terms of office of one year, eight members for terms of two years, and eight members for terms of three years. The initial appointments were made so that no more than one member from each congressional district or two state-at-large members' terms of office would expire in any one year. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the same manner as the original appointment. Membership on the council shall be limited to two successive three-year terms, and a member may be reappointed after a lapse of one year. No member initially appointed to one-year or two-year terms of office shall be prohibited from serving two consecutive three-year terms of office."; added subsection (b); redesignated former subsections (b) through (e) as present subsections (c) through (f), respectively; in subsection (e), substituted "chairperson" for "chairman" in the first sentence and added the second sentence; and substituted the present provisions of subsection (f) for the former provisions, which read: "The council shall meet annually, or more often, on the call of the chairman."