(1) There is created the Department of Elderly Affairs Advisory Council which shall be located for administrative purposes in the Department of Elderly Affairs. It is the intent of the Legislature that the advisory council shall be an independent nonpartisan body and shall not be subject to control, supervision, or direction by the department.

(2) The council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of Elderly Affairs to assist the secretary in carrying out the purposes, duties, and responsibilities of the department, as specified in this chapter. The council may make recommendations to the secretary, the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate regarding organizational issues and additions or reductions in the department’s duties and responsibilities.

(3)(a) The advisory council shall be composed of one member appointed by the Governor from each of the state’s planning and service areas, which are designated in accordance with the Older Americans Act, two additional members appointed by the Governor, two members appointed by the President of the Senate, and two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The members shall be appointed in the following manner:

1. The Governor shall appoint one member from each planning and service area and shall select each appointment from a list of three nominations submitted by the designated area agency on aging in each planning and service area. Nominations submitted by an area agency on aging shall be solicited from a broad cross-section of the public, private, and volunteer sectors of each county in the respective planning and service area. At least one of the three nominations submitted by an area agency on aging shall be a person 60 years of age or older.

2. The Governor shall appoint two additional members, one of whom shall be 60 years of age or older.

3. The President of the Senate shall appoint two members, one of whom shall be 60 years of age or older.

4. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members, one of whom shall be 60 years of age or older.

5. The Governor shall ensure that a majority of the members of the advisory council shall be 60 years of age or older and that there shall be balanced minority and gender representation.

6. The Governor shall designate annually a member of the advisory council to serve as chair.

7. The Secretary of Elderly Affairs shall serve as an ex officio member of the advisory council.

(b) Members shall be appointed to 3-year terms in the following manner:

1. In order to stagger the terms of office, one of the initial appointees of the President of the Senate shall be appointed to a 2-year term and one of the initial appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be appointed to a 2-year term. Additionally, one-third of the total initial appointees of the Governor shall be appointed to 1-year terms, one-third shall be appointed to 2-year terms, and one-third to 3-year terms. If the initial appointments of the Governor are not of a number divisible into thirds, and there results one additional appointee, that appointee shall be appointed to a 2-year term. If the initial appointments of the Governor are not of a number divisible into thirds, and there results two additional appointees, one of the additional appointees shall be appointed to a 1-year term and the other appointee shall be appointed to a 2-year term.

2. Vacancies occurring during an appointee’s initial term shall be filled in the same manner as the initial appointments, pursuant to subparagraph 1. After the terms referred to in subparagraph 1. have expired, members shall be appointed to 3-year terms.

(4) In order to enhance its understanding of the various needs of the state’s elderly population and to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, the advisory council shall identify any council, committee, task force, or similar group that is statutorily mandated to represent the interest of older persons, and shall invite a member aged 60 years or older, or a younger member if there are no members aged 60 years or older, from each identified group to serve as a nonvoting ex officio member of the advisory council.

(5) The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently as needed.

(6) The Department of Elderly Affairs shall provide staff support to assist the advisory council in the performance of its duties.

(7) Members of the advisory council shall receive no salary, but are entitled to reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses, as provided in s. 112.061, while performing their duties under this section.

History.—ss. 5, 8, ch. 91-115; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 96, ch. 97-103.