Florida Senate - 2009 SB 1152 By Senator King 8-00994-09 20091152__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to the Florida Energy and Climate 3 Commission; amending s. 377.6015, F.S.; providing that 4 terms for members of the Florida Energy and Climate 5 Commission begin and end on specified dates; providing 6 an effective date. 7 8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 9 10 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 11 377.6015, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 12 377.6015 Florida Energy and Climate Commission.— 13 (1) The Florida Energy and Climate Commission is created 14 within the Executive Office of the Governor. The commission 15 shall be comprised of nine members appointed by the Governor, 16 the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Chief Financial 17 Officer. 18 (a) The Governor shall appoint one member from three 19 persons nominated by the Florida Public Service Commission 20 Nominating Council, created in s. 350.031, to each of seven 21 seats on the commission. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall 22 appoint one member from three persons nominated by the council 23 to one seat on the commission. The Chief Financial Officer shall 24 appoint one member from three persons nominated by the council 25 to one seat on the commission. 26 1. The council shall submit the recommendations to the 27 Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Chief 28 Financial Officer by September 1 of those years in which the 29 terms are to begin the following October or within 60 days after 30 a vacancy occurs for any reason other than the expiration of the 31 term. The Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the 32 Chief Financial Officer may proffer names of persons to be 33 considered for nomination by the council. 34 2. The Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the 35 Chief Financial Officer shall fill a vacancy occurring on the 36 commission by appointment of one of the applicants nominated by 37 the council only after a background investigation of such 38 applicant has been conducted by the Department of Law 39 Enforcement. 40 3. Members shall be appointed to 3-year terms; however, in 41 order to establish staggered terms, for the initial 42 appointments, the Governor shall appoint four members to 3-year 43 terms, two members to 2-year terms, and one member to a 1-year 44 term, and the Commissioner of Agriculture and the Chief 45 Financial Officer shall each appoint one member to a 3-year term 46 and shall appoint a successor when that appointee's term expires 47 in the same manner as the original appointment. The terms of 48 members shall begin on October 1 and end on September 30. 49 4. The Governor shall select from the membership of the 50 commission one person to serve as chair. 51 5. A vacancy on the commission shall be filled for the 52 unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original 53 appointment. 54 6. If the Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture, or the 55 Chief Financial Officer has not made an appointment within 30 56 consecutive calendar days after the receipt of the 57 recommendations, the council shall initiate, in accordance with 58 this section, the nominating process within 30 days. 59 7. Each appointment to the commission shall be subject to 60 confirmation by the Senate during the next regular session after 61 the vacancy occurs. If the Senate refuses to confirm or fails to 62 consider the appointment of the Governor, the Commissioner of 63 Agriculture, or the Chief Financial Officer, the council shall 64 initiate, in accordance with this section, the nominating 65 process within 30 days. 66 8. The Governor or the Governor's successor may recall an 67 appointee. 68 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.