(A) Whenever an election is to be held by the General Assembly in joint session, for trustees to state-supported colleges and universities, Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School, and the Old Exchange Building Commission, a College and University Trustee Screening Commission, composed of eight members, shall be appointed to consider the qualifications of the candidates and make nominations to the General Assembly. The commission must be composed of four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker and four members of the Senate appointed by the President. The commission shall meet as soon after its appointment as practicable and elect one of its members as chairman and other officers as it considers desirable.

(B) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to fulfill the purposes of the commission. The rules shall address, among other things:

(1) the conduct of proceedings before the commission;

(2) receipt of public statements in support of or in opposition to any of the candidates;

(3) procedure to review the qualifications of the candidates; and

(4) procedure for determining the residency of the candidates when running for an office to be filled from a congressional district, judicial circuit, or other area of the State, but not from the State at large.

(C) Five members of the commission constitute a quorum.

(D) No member of the commission shall receive any compensation for commission services, except those set by law for travel, board, and lodging expenses incurred in the performance of commission duties.

(E) The commission must use professional employees of the General Assembly for its staff, who must be made available to the commission. The costs and expenses of the commission and staff must be paid for by approved accounts of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

HISTORY: 2017 Act No. 17 (S.213), Section 1, eff May 9, 2017.