2013 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 51 - Trade and Commerce
RS 51:955.3 - Creation of council; members; terms; meetings; vacancies; quorum

§955.3. Creation of council; members; terms; meetings; vacancies; quorum

A.(1) The Louisiana Broadband Advisory Council is hereby created within the governor's Office of Rural Development and shall consist of twenty-four members, including six ex officio members, one member appointed by the president of the Senate, one member appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, and sixteen members appointed by the governor.

(2) The following shall serve as ex officio members of the council and shall serve terms concurrent with their terms of office:

(a) The governor or her designee.

(b) The executive director of the governor's Office of Rural Development or his designee.

(c) The superintendent of the Department of Education or his designee.

(d) The chief information officer of the state.

(e) The commissioner of higher education or his designee.

(f) The secretary of the Department of Economic Development or his designee.

(3) Other than members appointed pursuant to Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Paragraph who shall be appointed by the presiding officer of their respective house of the legislature, the following members shall be appointed by the governor:

(a) One member from the Louisiana Senate who represents a rural area of the state.

(b) One member from the Louisiana House of Representatives who represents a rural area of the state.

(c) One member from the Public Service Commission.

(d) One member appointed from a list of three nominees submitted by the Louisiana Municipal Association.

(e) One member appointed from a list of three nominees submitted by the Louisiana Policy Jury Association.

(f) One member appointed from a list of three private sector individuals submitted by electric utility companies doing business within the state.

(g) Three members who shall be private sector individuals representing local telephone exchange carriers. One such member shall be from a predominant incumbent local exchange carrier; one shall represent the Louisiana Telecommunications Association; and one shall represent a competitive local exchange carrier.

(h) Two members who shall be private sector individuals representing satellite or wireless communications companies.

(i) Two members who shall be private sector individuals representing cable communications companies.

(j) One member who shall be a private sector individual representing a carrier whose predominant business is intrastate and/or interstate interexchange telecommunications services.

(k) One member who shall be a private sector individual representing an Internet service provider.

(l) Three members who shall be private sector individuals representing businesses located in rural areas that utilize advanced telecommunication and information services or need such services to further develop their businesses.

(4) The appointed members of the council shall represent the geographic, gender, and racial diversity of the state. However, no more than nine of the appointed members of the council shall be affiliated with the following: local exchange telephone carriers, rural telephone cooperatives, broadband service providers, wireless or satellite communications carriers, and cable communications companies.

(5)(a) The two appointed members of the council who are members of the legislature shall serve terms concurrent with their terms of office.

(b) Of the remaining initial appointees to the council, three shall serve two-year terms, three shall serve three-year terms, and three shall serve four-year terms. Thereafter, any such successive appointed members shall serve four-year terms.

B. The governor shall convene the first meeting of the council and shall designate one of the appointed members of the council as the chairman. The council shall designate a vice chairman and such other officers as it deems necessary.

C. All members of the council shall remain in office until their successors are appointed. All vacancies shall be filled in the same manner prescribed in Subsection A of this Section for the remainder of the unexpired term.

D. The council shall meet at least quarterly and at such other times upon the call of the chairman or a majority of the members.

E. A quorum to transact business shall be a majority of the members of the council.

F. Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 438, §11(B).

Acts 2004, No. 167, §1; Acts 2009, No. 438, §11(B).