08 LC
25 5210
Senate
Bill 515
By:
Senator Bulloch of the 11th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 4 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the Georgia Seed Development Commission, so as to change certain provisions
relating to the Georgia Seed Development Commission and its composition,
officers, bylaws, quorum, compensation, records, audits, and bonds; to change
certain provisions relating to the creation of an advisory board and its members
and functions; to change certain provisions relating to terms of office; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
4 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia
Seed Development Commission, is amended by revising Code Section 2-4-3, relating
to the Georgia Seed Development Commission and its composition, officers,
bylaws, quorum, compensation, records, audits, and bonds, as
follows:
"2-4-3.
(a)
The commission shall be composed of the following
ten
11
members:
(1)
The Lieutenant Governor;
(2)
The Commissioner of Agriculture;
(3)
An appointee of the Governor who is not the Attorney General;
(4)
The dean and coordinator of the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences of the University of Georgia;
(5)
The director of experiment stations of the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia;
(6)
The president of Foundation Seeds, Incorporated; and
(7)
Four members who are farmers, to be appointed as follows:
(A)
One member to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture;
(B)
One member to be appointed by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation;
(C)
One member to be appointed by the Georgia Seedmen´s Association;
and
(D)
One member to be appointed by Foundation Seeds, Incorporated.
(1)
Two members to be appointed by the Governor, each of whom shall be a farmer who
grows crops for seed or grows turf;
(2)
One member who shall be a farmer who grows crops for seed or grows turf, to be
appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(3)
One member who shall be a farmer who grows crops for seed or grows turf, to be
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(4)
The Commissioner of Agriculture;
(5)
Two representatives of the seed or turf industries or farm related
organizations, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate Agriculture and
Consumer Affairs Committee, and one of whom shall be appointed by the House
Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. Each committee shall make its
appointment with a quorum present and a majority of those present
concurring;
(6)
One officer or employee of the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.,
to be appointed by the president of the University of Georgia;
(7)
The dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the
University of Georgia;
(8)
A seed breeder employed by the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences of the University of Georgia, to be appointed by the dean of the
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia;
and
(9)
The associate dean for research of the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences of the University of Georgia.
(b)
The members of the commission shall enter upon their duties without further act
or formality. The commission shall
organize each
even-numbered year at the meeting next following July 1 of such year, at which
time the commission shall elect one of its
members as
chairman
chairperson
and another as
vice-chairman
vice
chairperson. It shall also elect a
secretary and a treasurer, who need not be members. The offices of secretary and
treasurer may be combined in one person. The commission may make such bylaws
for its government as
deemed
it
deems necessary but is under no duty to do
so.
(c)
Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum necessary for the
transaction of business, and a majority vote of those present at any meeting at
which there is a quorum shall be sufficient to do and perform any action
permitted the commission by this chapter. No vacancy on the commission shall
impair the right of a quorum to transact any and all business of the
commission.
(d)
The members shall not receive compensation for their services but shall be
reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties.
(e)
Members of the commission shall be accountable as trustees. They shall cause
adequate books and records of all transactions of the commission, including
records of income and disbursements of every nature, to be kept. The books and
records shall be inspected and audited by the state auditor at least once in
each year. The commission may require that an employee, an officer, member of
the commission, or any person doing business with the commission post a bond, in
an amount to be determined by the commission, for the faithful performance of
the duties imposed upon such employee, officer, member of the commission, or
person doing business with the commission. The principal of such bond of an
officer, employee, or member of the commission shall be paid by the
commission."
SECTION
2.
Said
chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 2-4-7, relating to the
creation of an advisory board and its members and functions, as
follows:
"2-4-7.
(a)
There is created
The commission
may appoint an advisory
board,
consisting of such number and qualifications of members as the commission may
determine, to advise and consult with the
commission in the performance of
its
the
commission´s duties.
The
advisory board shall consist of the following 13 members:
(1)
The Commissioner of Agriculture;
(2)
The dean and coordinator of the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences of the University of Georgia;
(3)
The director of the experiment stations of the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia;
(4)
The director of the Cooperative Extension Service;
(5)
The president of the Georgia Crop Improvement Association, Inc.;
(6)
The president of the Georgia Seedmen´s Association;
(7)
The president of the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation;
(8)
The chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Senate or some person
designated by him;
(9)
The chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee of the House of
Representatives or some person designated by him; and
(10)
Four members who are farmers, to be appointed as follows:
(A)
One member to be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture;
(B)
One member to be appointed by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation;
(C)
One member to be appointed by the Georgia Seedmen´s Association;
and
(D)
One member to be appointed by Foundation Seeds, Incorporated.
(b)
The function of
the
such
a board shall be advisory
only."
SECTION
3.
Said
chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 2-4-8, relating to terms of
office, as follows:
"2-4-8.
The
appointive members of the commission
shall serve
for terms of two years each commencing on July 1 of each even-numbered
year; and the appointive members of the
advisory
board, if
any, shall serve at the pleasure of the
appointing
officer or entity
commission."
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.