§16-29E-4. Creation of a Legislative Oversight commission on health and human resources accountability.

(a) There is continued a joint commission of the Legislature known as the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability. The commission shall be composed of six members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate and six members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. No more than five of the six members appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, respectively, may be members of the same political party. In addition, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates shall be ex officio nonvoting members of the commission and shall designate the cochairpersons. At least one of the Senate appointees and one of the House of Delegates appointees shall be the chairperson of the Committee on Health and Human Resources of the Senate and House of Delegates, respectively, and at least one of the Senate appointees and at least one of the House of Delegates appointees shall be a member of the Committee on Finance of the Senate and House of Delegates, respectively. The members shall serve until their successors shall have been appointed as heretofore provided.

(b) Members of the commission shall receive such compensation and expenses as provided in §4-2A-1 et seq. of this code. Such expenses and all other expenses including those incurred in the employment of legal, technical, investigative, clerical, stenographic, advisory, and other personnel shall be paid from an appropriation to be made expressly for the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability: Provided, That if no such appropriation be made, such expenses shall be paid from the appropriation under "Fund No. 0175 for Joint Expenses" created pursuant to the provisions of said chapter: Provided, however, That no expense of any kind payable under the account for joint expenses shall be incurred unless first approved by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

(c) The commission shall meet at any time both during sessions of the Legislature and in the interim or as often as may be necessary.