2010 Tennessee Code
Title 68 - Health, Safety and Environmental Protection
Chapter 55 - Head and Spinal Cord Injury Information System
Part 1 - In General
68-55-102 - Advisory council established Composition.

68-55-102. Advisory council established Composition.

(a)  (1)  There is  created the traumatic brain injury advisory council established for the purpose of providing recommendations to the department on program and policy issues and concerns regarding health and human services for survivors of traumatic brain injury.

     (2)  The advisory council shall be composed of nine (9) members to be appointed by the governor as follows:

          (A)  Five (5) members shall be family members, survivors or primary care givers and no more than two (2) members from this category shall reside in each of the three (3) grand divisions. Appointments shall be made from nominees submitted by the Tennessee Head Injury Association, the state university and community college system, the University of Tennessee and other interested parties;

          (B)  One (1) member who is knowledgeable on TBI shall represent the department of mental health and developmental disabilities, to be selected from up to three (3) nominees of the department of mental health and developmental disabilities;

          (C)  One (1) member who has experience in providing special education services or actual therapy to persons with TBI shall represent the department of education/special education, to be selected from up to three (3) nominees of the department of education;

          (D)  One (1) member who is knowledgeable on TBI shall represent the department of human services, vocational rehabilitation, to be selected from up to three (3) nominees of the department of human services; and

          (E)  One (1) member shall be a health care professional whose practice includes at least fifty percent (50%) of providing direct care to head-injured individuals or a health care provider who provides care to traumatic brain-injured individuals, to be selected from three (3) nominees of the Tennessee Hospital Association.

(b)  The members shall be appointed to serve two-year terms. The initial appointments shall be staggered so that the terms of one half (½) of the members appointed are for one (1) year and one half (½) of the members are for two (2) years. Thereafter, members are appointed for two-year terms.

(c)  The governor shall appoint the first chair for a two-year term from among those persons appointed to the advisory council. Thereafter, the advisory council shall nominate and elect a chair by a majority vote for a two-year term.

(d)  The advisory council shall by a majority vote appoint persons to fill a vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(e)  The governor may remove any member from the advisory council for cause.

(f)  Members of the council shall receive no compensation for service on the advisory council but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations promulgated by the department of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter.

(g)  The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly.

(h)  The advisory council shall adopt written bylaws.

[Acts 1993, ch. 443, § 3; 2000, ch. 947, § 6.]