§16-5P-7. Creation and composition of the West Virginia council on aging; terms of citizen representative; vacancies; officers; meetings.

(a) There is created the West Virginia Council on Aging, which shall be composed of five government members and ten citizen members, and shall serve as an advisory board to the commissioner.

(b) The five government members shall be: (1) The director of the bureau of health; (2) the director of the bureau of medical services; (3) one administrator designated by the secretary of the Department of Health; (4) one administrator designated by the superintendent of the West Virginia state police; and (5) the director of the Division of Rehabilitation Services.

(c) The citizen members shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No more than five of the citizen members shall belong to the same political party, and no more than six members shall be of the same gender. The members shall be selected in a manner to provide balanced geographical distribution.

(d) The designated administrators and the citizen representatives of the council shall be appointed for terms of four years each, and shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. The citizen representatives appointed to staggered terms pursuant to section two, article fourteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code to the state commission on aging shall continue to serve the remainder of their term or until their successors are appointed and qualified.

(e) A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The council shall elect a chair, a vice-chair, and such other officers as it deems necessary. The council shall meet at least two times each year. Each government representative shall designate a person with the authority to attend meetings and act on behalf of the government representative, who shall be considered a member of the council for the purpose of obtaining a quorum for the transaction of business.