§5-11-5. Composition; appointment, terms, and oath of members; compensation and expenses.

The commission shall be composed of nine members, all residents and citizens of the State of West Virginia and broadly representative of the several racial, religious, and ethnic groups residing within the state, to be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than five members of the commission shall be members of the same political party and not more than five members shall be appointed from any one congressional district.

Members of the commission shall be appointed for terms of three years commencing on July 1 of the year of their appointments, except that the nine members first appointed hereunder shall be appointed for terms of from one to three years, respectively, so that the terms of three members of the commission will expire on June 30 of each succeeding year thereafter. Upon the expiration of the initial terms, all subsequent appointments shall be for terms of three years each, except that appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired term thereof. Members shall be eligible for reappointment. Before assuming and performing any duties as a member of the commission, each commission member shall take and subscribe to the official oath prescribed by section 5, article IV of the Constitution of West Virginia, which executed oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

The members of the commission shall not receive a salary, but each appointed member shall be paid $50 per diem for actual time spent in the performance of duties under this article and shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incident to the performance of their duties, upon presentation of an itemized and sworn statement thereof. The foregoing per diem and reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses shall be paid from appropriations made by the Legislature to the commission.