Section 21-1-3. Continuation in office, dismissal, or appointment of members of constitutional or statutory boards or bodies for which membership based on residency within congressional district

   (a) Any member of any constitutional or statutory board or body who:

   (1) Is in office on January 1 of the year following the year in which members of Congress are first elected from Georgia under any congressional redistricting Act; and

   (2) Was appointed or otherwise selected (other than by election by the people) on the basis of residency within a congressional district

shall have his or her eligibility or ineligibility to continue to serve determined as provided in this subsection. Such member shall serve out the term for which the member was appointed and shall represent the congressional district in which the member resides unless more members of the board or body than authorized by the applicable constitutional provision or statute reside within the same congressional district. In the event any congressional district in which there are residing therein more members of any such board or body than the number of members specified by the applicable constitutional provision or statute, the appointing authority shall designate which member or members representing the congressional district shall continue to serve as a member or members of the board or body. Any member not designated for continued membership shall cease to hold office as of the date of such designation by the appointing authority. If a congressional district is not represented on a board or body as specified by the applicable constitutional provision or statute, a vacancy shall exist. Such vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority appointing to the board or body a member or members from the congressional district which does not have sufficient representation. In the case of an appointment to fill a vacancy created by the displacement of a member from a congressional district on the basis of residency, the initial appointment shall be for a term ending on the date on which the term of the member removed by the appointing authority in accordance with the foregoing requirement would have ended. The initial term of all other appointments to fill a vacancy as provided for in this Code section shall be set by the appointing authority in accordance with the schedule of expiration dates established by law for the terms of members of the board or body.

(b) The same rules provided for in subsection (a) of this Code section shall be applied insofar as may be practicable in the event a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order changing the composition of Georgia's congressional districts. In such event, such rules shall be applied as of January 1 of the year following the year in which members of Congress are first elected from Georgia under such court order. If such a court order is stayed, the application of this subsection shall likewise be stayed. If such a court order is subject to appeal but is not stayed and congressional elections are held under such court order, the application of this subsection likewise shall not be stayed.

Code 1981, § 21-1-3, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 208, § 5/HB 20EX.