§5-16B-4. Children's health policy advisory board created; qualifications and removal of members; powers; duties; meetings; and compensation.

(a) There is hereby created the West Virginia children's health insurance advisory board, which shall consist of the Director of the Public Employees Insurance Agency, the Secretary of the Department of Human Services, or his or her designee, and six citizen members appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall represent children's interests and one of whom shall be a certified public accountant, to assume the duties of the office immediately upon appointment. A member of the Senate, as appointed by the Senate President and a member of the House of Delegates, as appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, shall serve as ex officio members. All appointments shall be for terms of three years, except that an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term only: Provided, That the citizen members appointed prior to July 1, 2022, shall serve for the remainder of his or her term of appointment and be deemed a member of the advisory board. Three of the citizen members shall have at least a bachelor's degree and experience in the administration or design of public or private employee or group benefit programs and the children's representative shall have experience that demonstrates knowledge in the health, educational, and social needs of children. No more than three citizen members may be members of the same political party and no board member may represent or have a pecuniary interest in an entity reasonably expected to compete for contracts under this article. Members of the board shall assume the duties of the office immediately upon appointment. The director of the agency shall serve as the chairperson of the board. Vacancies in the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(b) The purpose of the advisory board is to present recommendations and alternatives for the design of the annual plans and to advise the director with respect to other actions necessary to be undertaken in furtherance of this article.

(c) The board shall meet by the call of the director.

(d) Each member of the advisory board shall receive reimbursement for reasonable and necessary travel expenses for each day actually served in attendance at meetings of the board in accordance with the state's travel rules. Requisitions for the expenses shall be accompanied by an itemized statement, which shall be filed with the auditor and preserved as a public record.