2015 Arkansas Code
Title 16 - Practice, Procedure, And Courts
Subtitle 7 - Particular Proceedings And Remedies
Chapter 123 - Civil Rights
Subchapter 3 - Arkansas Fair Housing Commission
§ 16-123-303 - Creation -- Members.

(a) There is created the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission.

(b) (1) The Arkansas Fair Housing Commission shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members, to be selected as follows: Seven (7) appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate, three (3) appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three (3) appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as set forth in this subchapter, for terms of four (4) years whose terms begin on January 1 and end on December 31 of the fourth year or when their respective successors are appointed and qualified.

(2) (A) (i) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of residential real estate sales for not fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her appointment.

(ii) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of multifamily real estate property management for no fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her appointment.

(iii) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of real estate for no fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her appointment.

(B) The Governor shall appoint members to fill vacancies under subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section after consulting the Arkansas Realtors Association, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(3) (A) One (1) member shall have been a licensed homebuilder engaged in the homebuilding business for not fewer than five (5) years.

(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section after consulting the Arkansas Home Builders Association and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(4) (A) One (1) member shall have been a mortgage broker employed for not fewer than five (5) years by a registered mortgage loan company or loan broker.

(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(4)(A) of this section after consulting the Arkansas Mortgage Bankers Association and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(5) (A) One (1) member shall have been a banker engaged in the banking business for not fewer than five (5) years.

(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(5)(A) of this section after consulting Arkansas Community Bankers and the Arkansas Bankers Association and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(6) (A) (i) Seven (7) members shall represent consumers and shall not be actively engaged in or retired from the business of real estate, homebuilding, mortgage lending or banking, including one (1) member who shall be appointed by the Governor to represent persons meeting the definition of "disabled" in this subchapter after consulting the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(ii) Three (3) of the members to be appointed pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one (1) member who shall be a fair housing attorney or advocate with at least five (5) years of experience in advocacy for fair housing issues.

(iii) Three (3) of the members to be appointed pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one (1) member of whom shall be sixty (60) years of age or older who shall represent the elderly.

(B) A minimum of four (4) appointments made pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be given to persons protected under §§ 16-123-310 -- 16-123-316.

(c) All members shall be full voting members of the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission.

(d) (1) Members of the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission appointed by the Governor shall at all times include one (1) member from each Arkansas congressional district.

(2) Appointments by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be as follows:

(A) The three (3) members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall be from the First Congressional District and the Second Congressional District and the three (3) members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be from the Third Congressional District and the Fourth Congressional District;

(B) At the next time for appointments, the three (3) members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall be from the Third Congressional District and the Fourth Congressional District and the three (3) members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be from the First Congressional District and the Second Congressional District; and

(C) Future appointments shall alternate between the requirements of subdivisions (d)(2)(A) and (B) of this section.

(e) The Arkansas Fair Housing Commission shall elect a chair from its membership.

(f) The Arkansas Fair Housing Commission shall meet at least quarterly.

(g) (1) The members of the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission shall serve four-year terms, except that the initial appointees shall serve staggered terms determined by a procedure established by the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission so that six (6) serve a two-year term and seven (7) serve a four-year term.

(2) No member may serve more than two (2) four-year terms.

(h) Each commissioner may receive expense reimbursement and stipends in accordance with § 25-16-905.