Section 44-1-51

Membership; officers; appointment, term of office and compensation of members; filling of vacancies; records of proceedings.

(a) The governor shall be the ex officio chairman of the youth services board.

(b) The board shall be composed of 18 voting members, five of whom shall be the commissioner of the state department of pensions and security, the state superintendent of education, the commissioner of the state department of mental health, the state health officer and the director of the Alabama law enforcement planning agency, each of whom may delegate his or her vote to any agent or employee of the said agencies by written notification 10 days prior to a meeting of the board.

(c) The chairman, vice-chairman and secretary of the board shall be elected by the members thereof. The chairman shall vote only in the case of a tie.

(d) The speaker of the Alabama house of representatives shall appoint two members to be selected from the membership of said house and the presiding officer of the Alabama senate shall appoint two members to be selected from the membership of said senate. The president of the Alabama council of juvenile court judges shall appoint one member to be selected from the membership of said council. The chairman of the Alabama chief probation officers association shall appoint one member to be selected from the membership of said association. The governor shall appoint the remaining seven members of the board, as representatives of the public, one such member to be selected from each of the congressional districts of the state as they existed on January 19, 1972.

(e) The term of each member representative of the public appointed by the governor shall be determined by lot at the first meeting of the board following September 3, 1973. Two of such members shall serve five-year terms, two shall serve two-year terms and one each shall serve three, four and six-year terms, respectively. Thereafter, the term of any such member representative of the public shall be six years. The terms of office of the appointed legislative members shall be for the duration of their respective elected terms of office to the senate or house of representatives. The term of office of the member representative of the Alabama council of juvenile court judges and the member representative of the chief probation officers association shall be six years.

(f) If any appointed legislative member should die, cease to be a member of the legislature or resign from the board, such vacancy shall be filled by the speaker of the house or presiding officer of the senate, such member to be selected from the respective legislative body. Vacancies in other positions appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives or the presiding officer of the senate shall be filled by said appointing authorities. If the appointed juvenile court judge should die, cease to be a juvenile court judge or resign from the board, the president of the Alabama council of juvenile court judges shall appoint a successor for the unexpired term of such a member. If the appointed chief probation officer should die, cease to be a probation officer or resign from the board, the chairman of the Alabama chief probation officers association shall appoint a successor for the unexpired term of such a member. If a vacancy occurs in the appointed membership, upon certification thereof by the board, the governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term of said member. If any person holding any state office named in this section should cease to hold such office by reason of death, resignation, expiration of term of office or for any other reason, then his successor in office shall take his place as a member of the board.

(g) No member of the board shall draw any salary in addition to that now authorized by law for any service he may render or for any deed he may perform in connection with the board. The member representative of the Alabama council of juvenile court judges, the member representative of the Alabama chief probation officers association and each member representative of the public shall receive $25.00 per day and mileage expense at the state rate of mileage reimbursement while attending meetings of the board or while engaged in other official duties at the request of the board. The legislative members shall receive their regular legislative compensation and mileage when actively engaged in board business.

(h) All proceedings of the board shall be reduced to writing by the secretary of the board, shall be signed by at least six members of the board and shall be recorded in a substantially bound book and filed in the office of the secretary, who shall be the custodian of the records of the board. Copies of such proceedings, when certified by the secretary of the board, shall be received in all courts as prima facie evidence of the matters and things therein set forth.

(Acts 1973, No. 816, p. 1261, §5; Acts 1980, No. 80-741, p. 1506.)