Section 50-27-89. Bona Fide Coin Operated Amusement Machine Operator Advisory Board; membership; terms; policies and procedures; selection of vendors

   (a) There shall be a Bona Fide Coin Operated Amusement Machine Operator Advisory Board to be composed of ten members. The chief executive officer of the corporation shall serve as a member. Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two members by the Lieutenant Governor, and five members by the Governor; at least one appointee shall be a licensed location owner or location operator. At least seven members shall be Georgia operators with current master licenses representing the broadest possible spectrum of business characteristics of bona fide coin operated amusement machine operators.

(b) Members appointed to the advisory board shall serve terms of four years. Upon the expiration of a member's term of office, a new member appointed in the same manner as the member whose term of office expired as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section shall become a member of the advisory board and shall serve for a term of four years and until such member's successor is duly appointed and qualified. If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the advisory board, a new member shall be appointed for the unexpired term of office by the official who appointed the vacating member. Members may be reappointed to additional terms.

(c) The advisory board shall establish its own policies and internal operating procedures. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation or reimbursement of expenses. The advisory board may report to the corporation in writing at any time. The corporation may invite the advisory board to make an oral presentation to the corporation.

(d) The advisory board shall have the exclusive authority to initiate a process to determine a variety of cost-effective, efficacious, and fiscally responsible approaches for consideration by the corporation of a Class B accounting terminal authorized by Code Section 50-27-101; provided, however, that the board shall comply with the deadline contained in subsection (a) of Code Section 50-27-101 for procuring the centralized accounting terminal and communications network. The advisory board shall be further authorized to contract with the Department of Administrative Services to develop a request for proposal to receive bids to provide the Class B accounting terminal and shall submit a minimum of three recommended proposals to the corporation unless only two vendors respond. The corporation shall select one of the recommended proposals to serve as the Class B accounting terminal vendor.

(e) No advisory board member, corporation member, or immediate family of either may own a substantial interest in or be an employee, independent contractor, agent, or officer of any vendor recommended to or selected by the corporation. For the purposes of this Code section, "substantial interest" means the direct or indirect ownership of any privately held assets or stock or over $5,000.00 in publicly traded stock.

Code 1981, § 50-27-89, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 37, § 1-1/HB 487.