Section 6-5-3. Georgia Aviation Authority created; membership and personnel; administrative purposes

   (a) There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the Georgia Aviation Authority which shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the state and a public corporation, and by that name, style, and title the body may contract and be contracted with, implead and be impleaded, and bring and defend actions in all courts. The authority shall consist of the Governor or his or her designee, the Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives or his or her designee, the commissioner of transportation, the commissioner of public safety, the commissioner of economic development, the commissioner of natural resources, the director of the State Forestry Commission, and two persons from the aviation business community with one such member of the aviation business community to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the other such member of the aviation business community to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The chairperson of the authority shall be a member of the authority elected for a two-year term by a majority vote of the members of the authority. A chairperson may not serve more than two consecutive terms as chairperson. The authority shall make rules and regulations for its own governance. It shall have perpetual existence.

(b) The authority is assigned to the Department of Administrative Services for administrative purposes only as prescribed in Code Section 50-4-3.

(c) The authority may in its discretion employ an executive director and other personnel. The authority may also by agreement with any department or agency of state government make use of personnel of such department or agency.

(d) The authority shall be subject to Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act."

(e) The authority may designate personnel positions employed by the authority as peace officers who shall be required by the terms of their employment to give their full time to the preservation of public order, the protection of life and property, the detection of crime, and such other duties as may be specified by the authority. Personnel in such positions shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 8 of Title 35, the "Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Act," and shall have the power of arrest in the performance of their duties.

Code 1981, § 6-5-3, enacted by Ga. L. 2009, p. 848, § 1/SB 85; Ga. L. 2011, p. 409, § 1/HB 414.