SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[P E R F E C T E D]
SENATE BILL NO. 783
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MATHEWSON.
Pre-filed December 1, 2003, and ordered printed.
Read 2nd time January 8, 2004, and referred to the Committee on Financial and Governmental Organization, Veterans' Affairs and Elections.
Reported from the Committee February 9, 2004, with recommendation that the bill do pass and be placed on the Consent Calendar.
Taken up March 1, 2004. Read 3rd time and placed upon its final passage; bill passed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
3180S.01P
AN ACT
To repeal section 262.217, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the state fair commission, with an emergency clause.
Section A. Section 262.217, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 262.217, to read as follows:
262.217. Effective September 1, 1995, there is created a "State Fair Commission" whose domicile for the purposes of sections 262.215 to 262.280 shall be the department of agriculture of this state. The commission shall consist of nine members, two of whom shall be active farmers, two of whom shall be either current members or past presidents of county or regional fair boards, one of whom shall be the director of the department of agriculture, one of whom shall be employed in agribusiness, and three at-large members who shall be Missouri residents. The director of the department of agriculture shall be the chairman of the commission until January 31, 1997, and shall not be counted against membership from a congressional district, at which time the chairman shall be elected from among the members of the commission by the commission members. Such officer shall serve for a term of two years. Commissioners shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred when attending meetings of the commission, to be paid from appropriations made therefor. Commissioners shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. The county fair association in the state may submit to the governor a list of nominees for appointment, three from each congressional district, for those commission members who are required to be current members or past presidents of county fair boards. Not more than four commissioners excluding the director of agriculture shall be members of the same political party. Each commissioner shall be a resident of the state for five years prior to his appointment. The eight initial commissioners shall be appointed as follows: two shall be appointed for terms of one year, two for terms of two years, two for terms of three years and two for terms of four years. Their successors shall be appointed for terms of four years. A commissioner shall continue to serve until his successor is appointed and qualified. Whenever any vacancy occurs on the commission, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term of the commissioner who was replaced. [There shall be no more than two commission members from any congressional district.]
Section B. Because of the need for the State Fair Commission to better serve the citizens of this state, section A of this act is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace and safety, and is hereby declared to be an emergency act within the meaning of the constitution, and section A of this act shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and approval.