§16-7-2. Membership; appointment; terms; vacancies; per diem and expenses.

The commission shall consist of seven members, one from each of the congressional districts in the state as they are constituted on the 15th day of January, 1980. The members shall be residents and qualified electors of the State of Alabama. No member of the commission shall hold any other office of profit or trust under the United States, the State of Alabama or any political subdivision thereof. The five members of the commission serving on May 28, 1980, shall continue to serve as commissioners from their respective congressional districts for the remainder of the unexpired portions of their 10-year terms. The two additional commissioners shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, within 15 days after May 28, 1980; one of the commissioners is to be appointed from one of the congressional districts from which there is no commissioner on May 28, 1980 and the other is to be appointed from the other congressional district from which there is no commissioner on May 28, 1980. One of the two new commissioners shall be appointed originally for a term of eight years and the other for a term of six years. The successors of all commissioners shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for a term of 10 years. Commissioners shall be eligible for reappointment. If a vacancy occurs at a time when the Senate is in session, the Governor shall, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint another commissioner for the unexpired term. If such vacancy occurs when the Senate is not in session, the Governor shall appoint a commissioner who shall take office immediately, but his appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate at the next session of the Legislature. If the appointment of such commissioner is confirmed by the Senate he shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Each member of the commission shall be entitled to receive $25.00 for each day actually engaged in the performance of his duties, not to exceed $1,200.00 in any one year, plus an allowance for expenses for official travel in the state, not to exceed $10.00 for each day he is entitled to compensation, and the actual cost of his transportation and no more. In the event a member uses a privately owned automobile for official travel, he shall be reimbursed for mileage actually traveled in attending meetings of the commission and in the performance of his official duties at the rate established by law for state officers and employees.

(Acts 1953, No. 81, p. 124, §2; Acts 1980, No. 80-766, p. 1595, §1.)