(a) A State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is created. It shall be the duty of the board to administer this chapter. The board shall consist of five members licensed as professional engineers, two members licensed as professional land surveyors, and two public members. One of the professional land surveyor members may also be licensed as a professional engineer. All members shall be appointed by the Governor. The five professional engineers shall be appointed from a list of three persons nominated for each appointment by a professional engineer nominating committee; the two professional land surveyors shall be appointed from a list of three persons nominated for each appointment by the Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors; and, once the board has adopted rules establishing a public member nominating committee, the two public members shall be appointed from a list of three persons nominated for each appointment by the public member nominating committee. Nominations shall be made to the Governor as vacancies on the board occur, whether by the expiration of a term or otherwise. To the extent possible, the nominating committees, the Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors, and the Governor shall select those persons whose appointments ensure that the membership of the board is inclusive and reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state. Each member of the board, before beginning his or her term of office, shall file with the Secretary of State his or her written oath or affirmation for the faithful discharge of his or her duties.

(b) The professional engineer nominating committee shall consist of one professional engineer appointed or elected by each of the professional organizations specified in the rules of the board, and the public member nominating committee shall consist of one representative appointed or elected by each of the business development organizations specified in the rules of the board. Any other organization in the state having membership qualifications comparable to those professional organizations outlined in the rules of the board may petition the board for membership on a nominating committee. The board, by rule, may establish nominating committee operating guidelines and, by rule, may establish procedures for the removal of nonparticipating members of a nominating committee.

(c) Members of the board shall serve five-year terms. The members of the board shall continue to serve under this chapter until their respective terms expire. On the expiration of the term of each member, the Governor shall in the manner provided in this section appoint an individual to take the place of the member whose term on the board is about to expire. Vacancies occurring during a term shall be filled by appointment by the Governor, in the manner provided in this section, for the unexpired term. Each member shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which the member is appointed or until a successor is duly appointed and qualified. The terms of the members of the board shall be staggered, so that the terms of no more than two members shall expire in any year. No member of the board shall serve more than two consecutive full terms. The completion of the unexpired portion of a full term shall not constitute a full term for the purposes of this section. The initial appointment term for one public member shall be for two years and one term for the other public member shall be for five years. All subsequent terms for the public members shall be for five years. Board members serving on July 1, 2018 shall serve until the end of the term they are currently serving. At the conclusion of those terms, the appointment process will be adjusted to allow for the conversion to staggered terms.