(a) There is hereby created the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee to be composed of:
(1) Two (2) members of the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(2) One (1) member of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Commerce to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(3) One (1) member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(4) One (1) member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(5) One (1) member of the House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(6) One (1) member of the Senate Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs to be appointed by the chair of the committee;
(7) Three (3) members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(8) Three (3) members of the Senate to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(b) (1) The following shall be nonvoting ex officio members of the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee:
(A) One (1) member representing the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, to be recommended by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(B) One (1) member representing the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, to be recommended by the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(C) One (1) member representing the Arkansas County Judges Association, to be recommended by the Arkansas County Judges Association and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(D) One (1) member representing the Arkansas Rural and Volunteer Firefighters Association, to be recommended by the Arkansas Rural and Volunteer Firefighters Association and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(E) One (1) member representing the Arkansas Professional Fire Fighters Association, to be recommended by the Arkansas Professional Fire Fighters Association and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(F) One (1) member representing the Arkansas Municipal League, to be recommended by the Arkansas Municipal League and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(G) One (1) member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to be recommended by the Arkansas State Firefighters Association;
(H) The Director of the Arkansas Forestry Commission or his or her designee;
(I) The Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission or his or her designee;
(J) The Manager of the Rural Fire Protection Program of the Arkansas Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils, Inc.;
(K) The State Fire Marshal or his or her designee;
(L) The Insurance Commissioner or his or her designee;
(M) The State Fire Service Coordinator of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management or his or her designee;
(N) The President of the Arkansas Forestry Association or his or her designee;
(O) The State Geographic Information Officer or his or her designee;
(P) Two (2) firefighters representing volunteer fire departments, to be recommended by the cochairs of the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(Q) Two (2) fire chiefs representing volunteer fire departments, to be recommended by the Arkansas Association of Fire Chiefs and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(R) One (1) member representing nonprofit fire departments, to be recommended by the cochairs of the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(S) A fire department consultant, to be recommended by the cochairs of the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(T) One (1) member representing the Insurance Services Office, Inc., to be recommended by the cochairs of the Rural Fire Departments Study Committee and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(2) If an ex officio nonvoting member no longer represents the organization from which he or she was selected, a vacancy shall exist and the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(c) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall select one (1) of the Representatives as a cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall select one (1) of the Senators as a cochair.
(d) (1) A member of the committee shall continue to serve on the committee until he or she no longer wishes to serve or no longer qualifies to represent or no longer is a member of the committee, body, or organization which he or she was appointed to represent.
(2) Any vacancy on the committee shall be filled by the original appointing authority with another qualifying member of the committee, body, or organization.
Section: 14-272-102 14-272-103 14-272-104 NextLast modified: November 15, 2016