(a) Appointments. - In appointing members to public bodies set forth in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the appointing authority should select, from among the most qualified persons, those persons whose appointment would promote membership on the body that accurately reflects the proportion that each gender represents in the population of the State as a whole or, in the case of a local body, in the population of the area represented by the or body, as determined pursuant to the most recent federal decennial census, unless the law regulating such appointment requires otherwise. If there are multiple appointing authorities for the body, they may consult with each other to accomplish the purposes of this section.
(b) Reports Generally. - Each appointing authority described in subsection (a) shall submit a report to the Secretary of State annually which discloses the number of appointments made during the preceding year and the number of appointments of each gender made, expressed both in numerical terms and as a percentage of the total membership of the body. In addition, each appointing authority shall designate a person responsible for retaining all applications for appointment, who shall ensure that information describing each applicant's gender and qualifications is available for public inspection during reasonable hours. Nothing in this section requires disclosure of an applicant's identity or of any other information made confidential by law. The Secretary of State shall prescribe the form used to report these appointments and may accept these reports by electronic means. Reports by appointing authorities shall be due in the Department of the Secretary of State on or before September 1. From these reports, the Secretary of State shall generate an annual composite report that shall be published by December 1. Copies of the report shall be submitted to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(c) State Reporting. - Each State appointing authority that makes appointments to a statutorily created public body, however denominated, except those having only advisory authority, shall file a report with the Secretary of State as prescribed in subsection (b) of this section. The Secretary shall submit to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore by July 1 of each year the names of all State bodies that an appointing authority must report on pursuant to this section.
(d) Reporting by Local Units of Government. - In those cases where a county or a city is the appointing authority, the reporting required by subsection (b) of this section shall be submitted to the Secretary of State by the clerk of that appointing authority. Appointments to the following local, municipal, or county public bodies, or to public bodies however denominated that have the functions of the following public bodies, must be reported:
(1) City or county ABC board, or local board created pursuant to G.S. 18B-703.
(2) Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee.
(3) Airport Authority.
(4) Community Child Protection Team or a Child Fatality Prevention Team.
(5) Civil Service Board or similarly named board established by local act.
(6) Community Relations Committee.
(7) Council of Governments.
(8) Criminal Justice Partnership Task Force.
(9) Emergency Planning Committee.
(10) Board of Equalization and Review.
(11) Local Board of Health.
(12) Hospital Authority.
(13) Housing Authority.
(14) Human Relations Commission.
(15) County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority.
(16) Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.
(17) Library Board of Trustees.
(18) Community College Board of Trustees.
(19) Economic development commission.
(20) Area mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse board.
(21) Adult care home community advisory committee.
(22) Local partnership for children.
(23) Planning Board.
(24) Recreation Board.
(25) County board of social services.
(26) A public transportation authority created pursuant to Article 25 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, a regional public transportation authority created pursuant to Article 26 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, or a regional transportation authority created pursuant to Article 27 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes.
(27) Local tourism development authority.
(28) Water and sewer authority.
(29) Workforce Development Board.
(30) Zoning Board of Adjustment.
(31) Planning and Zoning Board.
(32) Board of Adjustment.
(33) Historic Preservation Commission.
(34) Redevelopment Commission.
(35) City board of education (if appointive).
(36) Metropolitan Planning Organization.
(37) Rural Planning Organization. (1999, c. 457, s. 1(b), (c); 2007-167, s. 1.)
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Last modified: March 23, 2014