Section 43-47-3. Creation of board; composition; terms of office; vacancies; election of chairperson; divisions

   (a) There is created a State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers. The board shall be comprised of 15 members:

   (1) Three members shall be independent used car dealers;

   (2) Three members shall be appointed from the public at large and shall have no connection whatsoever with the sale of used cars or parts;

   (3) The state revenue commissioner, or a designated agent, shall be a permanent ex officio member and shall be authorized to vote on all matters before the board;

   (4) The administrator of Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10, the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," or a designated agent, shall be a permanent ex officio member and shall be authorized to vote on all matters before the board;

   (5) One member shall be a representative of the automobile auction industry;

   (6) One member shall be an auto salvage pool operator;

   (7) Two members shall be used motor vehicle parts dealers who are not rebuilders;

   (8) One member shall be a rebuilder;

   (9) One member shall be a pawnbroker as defined in Code Section 44-12-130 who is in the business of pawning automobile titles and is licensed as a used car dealer; and

   (10) One member shall be a representative of the automobile insurance industry.

(b) The members of the board referred to in paragraphs (1), (2), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be appointed by the Governor and shall take office on July 1, 1995, or as soon thereafter as appointed. The initial terms of those 13 appointed members shall expire as follows: three on June 30, 1996; three on June 30, 1997; three on June 30, 1998; and four on June 30, 1999. Thereafter, the appointed members of the board shall serve terms of four years. All members shall be residents of this state. No more than two of the appointed members shall be from the same congressional district. The terms of the two ex officio members shall be coextensive with their terms of office.

(c) Any vacancies on the board shall be filled by the Governor for the remainder of the unexpired term. The members of the board shall annually elect one of their number to serve as chairperson for a term of two years. The board chairperson shall not also serve contemporaneously as the chairperson of either division under this chapter. The first term as chairperson of the board shall be served by a member or members elected from either division under this chapter; thereafter, the chairperson for each succeeding term shall not be elected from the same division as that of the chairperson from the immediately preceding term. In the event a chairperson of the board is unable to complete his or her term, his or her successor for the remainder of the term shall be elected from the same division as was the chairperson who is unable to complete the term. The chairperson of the board shall be an ex officio member of both divisions under this chapter, however, the chairperson of the board shall not be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present in the division meeting for the division in which he or she is not a regular member.

(d) (1) The board shall be composed of two divisions, a used car division and a used parts division.

   (2) The members of the used car division shall be the three independent used car dealers, two of the members from the public at large, the state revenue commissioner or a designated agent, the administrator of Part 2 of Article 15 of Chapter 1 of Title 10, the "Fair Business Practices Act of 1975," or a designated agent, the representative of the automobile auction industry, and the pawnbroker. All powers and duties relating to used car dealers which are not specifically reserved to the board shall be assigned to the used car division. The used car division shall elect one of its members to serve as chairperson of the division for a period of one year.

   (3) The members of the used parts division shall be the third member from the public at large, the state revenue commissioner or a designated agent, the auto salvage pool operator, the two used motor vehicle parts dealers who are not rebuilders, the rebuilder, and the representative of the automobile insurance industry. All powers and duties relating to used parts dealers which are not specifically reserved to the board shall be assigned to the used parts division. The used parts division shall elect one of its members to serve as chairperson of the division for a period of one year.

   (4) The chairperson of the board shall determine which of the two members from the public at large will serve in the used car division and which shall serve in the used parts division.

Ga. L. 1980, p. 1286, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1504, § 2; Ga. L. 1989, p. 154, § 2; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1903, § 9; Ga. L. 1990, p. 2423, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1060, § 2; Ga. L. 1995, p. 441, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 6, § 43; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 43; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 25-4/HB 501.