143B-1391. Criminal Justice Information Network Governing Board - creation; purpose; membership; conflicts of interest.

(a) The Criminal Justice Information Network Governing Board is established within the Department of Information Technology, as a Type II transfer, to operate the State's Criminal Justice Information Network, the purpose of which shall be to provide the governmental and technical information systems infrastructure necessary for accomplishing State and local governmental public safety and justice functions in the most effective manner by appropriately and efficiently sharing criminal justice and juvenile justice information among law enforcement, judicial, and corrections agencies. The Board is established within the Office of the State Chief Information Officer, for organizational and budgetary purposes only and the Board shall exercise all of its statutory powers in this Part independent of control by the Office of the State Chief Information Officer.

(b) The Board shall consist of 21 members, appointed as follows:

(1) Five members appointed by the Governor, including one member who is a director or employee of a State correction agency for a term to begin September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1997, one member who is an employee of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for a term beginning September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1997, one member selected from the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police for a term to begin September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1999, one member who is an employee of the Juvenile Justice Section of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety, and one member who represents the Division of Motor Vehicles.

(2) Six members appointed by the General Assembly in accordance with G.S. 120-121, as follows:

a. Three members recommended by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, including two members of the general public for terms to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1997, and one member selected from the North Carolina League of Municipalities who is a member of, or an employee working directly for, the governing board of a North Carolina municipality for a term to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1999; and

b. Three members recommended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, including two members of the general public for terms to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1999, and one member selected from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners who is a member of, or an employee working directly for, the governing board of a North Carolina county for a term to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1997.

(3) Two members appointed by the Attorney General, including one member who is an employee of the Attorney General for a term to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1997, and one member from the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association for a term to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1999.

(4) Six members appointed by the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, as follows:

a. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, or an employee of the Administrative Office of the Courts, for a term beginning July 1, 1997, and expiring June 30, 2001.

b. One member who is a district attorney or an assistant district attorney upon the recommendation of the Conference of District Attorneys of North Carolina, for a term beginning July 1, 1998, and expiring June 30, 1999.

c. Two members who are superior court or district court judges for terms beginning July 1, 1998, and expiring June 30, 2001.

d. One member who is a magistrate upon the recommendation of the North Carolina Magistrates' Association, for a term beginning July 1, 1998, and expiring June 30, 1999.

e. One member who is a clerk of superior court upon the recommendation of the North Carolina Association of Clerks of Superior Court, for a term beginning July 1, 1998, and expiring June 30, 1999.

(5) One member appointed by the State Chief Information Officer.

(6) One member appointed by the President of the North Carolina Chapter of the Association of Public Communications Officials International, who is an active member of the Association, for a term to begin on September 1, 1996 and to expire on June 30, 1999.

The respective appointing authorities are encouraged to appoint persons having a background in and familiarity with criminal information systems and networks generally and with the criminal information needs and capacities of the constituency from which the member is appointed.

As the initial terms expire, subsequent members of the Board shall be appointed to serve four-year terms. At the end of a term, a member shall continue to serve on the Board until a successor is appointed. A member who is appointed after a term is begun serves only for the remainder of the term and until a successor is appointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the Board shall be filled by the same appointing authority that made the appointment, except that vacancies among members appointed by the General Assembly shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122.

(c) Members of the Board shall not be employed by or serve on the board of directors or other corporate governing body of any information systems, computer hardware, computer software, or telecommunications vendor of goods and services to the State or to any unit of local government in the State. No member of the Board shall vote on an action affecting solely the member's own State agency or local governmental unit or specific judicial office.