(1) There is established the Office Against Interpersonal Violence (OAIV) within the Mississippi Department of Health under the direct supervision of the State Health Officer. The OAIV shall be responsible for administering certain state and federal pass-through victim-services funds and related monies, and for developing, promulgating and implementing certification and reporting standards for domestic violence and related victim service providers, and related activities.

(2)

(a) There is established an OAIV Advisory Board. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to make recommendations to the Department of Health and to assist the Department of Health in the development, promulgation and implementation of certification and reporting standards for domestic violence and other victim service providers, and in other related activities to be undertaken by the office. The Advisory Board shall not have independent authority to take official action on behalf of the office or the Mississippi Department of Health and its actions are purely advisory in nature.

(b) The Advisory Board shall consist of seven (7) members to be appointed by the State Health Officer as follows:

(i) One (1) licensed therapist or social worker, whose initial term shall be for two (2) years;

(ii) One (1) member of the faith community, whose initial term shall be for two (2) years;

(iii) One (1) licensed attorney, whose initial term shall be for three (3) years;

(iv) One (1) certified public accountant with experience in auditing, whose initial term shall be for three (3) years;

(v) One (1) business professional, whose initial term shall be for four (4) years;

(vi) One (1) medical professional with forensic experience who may be either a medical doctor or a registered nurse, whose initial term shall be for five (5) years; and

(vii) One (1) survivor of interpersonal violence whose initial term shall be for six (6) years.

All appointees must have general knowledge or first-hand knowledge, or both, of interpersonal violence, and successfully complete training on interpersonal violence provided by Department of Health staff. The members of the Advisory Board shall be women and men of recognized achievement who are representative of the ethnic, geographic, socioeconomic and cultural diversity of the State of Mississippi. Preference in appointments shall be given to appointees who have been members of the Domestic Violence Task Force established in Section 93-21-33. The initial appointments must be made within twenty (20) days after April 23, 2014. As the initial terms expire, the State Health Officer shall appoint members for terms of six (6) years.

(3) Members of the Advisory Board shall be entitled to travel and per diem expenses as provided in Sections 25-3-41 and 25-3-69.

(4) The Advisory Board shall create a steering committee at its first meeting. The purpose of the steering committee is to provide assistance and recommendations to the Advisory Board in the performance of its statutory duties. The steering committee shall consist of four (4) program directors actively engaged in the management of programs for interpersonal violence victims, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault, a representative of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Victim Assistance, and any other individuals whose experience or expertise are deemed necessary to the process or projects of the commission. The members of the steering committee shall be nominated and approved by the Advisory Board, and members of the steering committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board may authorize members of the steering committee to receive reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses as provided in Sections 25-3-41 and 25-3-69.