SECOND REGULAR SESSION

[I N T R O D U C E D]

SENATE BILL NO. 715

88th GENERAL ASSEMBLY


S2546.01I

AN ACT

To repeal section 226.445, RSMo 1994, relating to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the same subject.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI,

AS FOLLOWS:

Section A. Section 226.445, RSMo 1994, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof to be known as section 226.445, to read as follows:

226.445. 1. The commission shall be composed of [nine] eleven members [appointed by the governor. No more than five may be members of the same political party]. Each member appointed shall be a resident of the state of Missouri. Two of the commissioners shall be members of the senate appointed by the president pro tem of the senate, two shall be members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and seven shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. No more than one of the members appointed by the speaker of the house or appointed by the president pro tem of the senate shall be members of the same political party, and no more than four of the members appointed by the governor shall be members of the same political party. All members, other than legislative members, shall reside in counties which are adjacent to the Mississippi River. To the extent practicable, legislative members shall represent counties which are adjacent to the Mississippi River. The chief engineer of the highways and transportation department or his designee; the director of the division of tourism of the department of economic development or his designee; [and] the director of the department of conservation or his designee; the director of the division of state parks [and recreation] of the department of natural resources or his designee; the director of the department of agriculture or his designee and the director of the department of economic development or his designee shall be ex officio members in addition to the [nine] eleven members provided.

2. [Three members shall be appointed for a term of one year, three members shall be appointed for a term of two years, and three members shall be appointed for a term of three years. Their successors shall serve a three-year term. In event of a vacancy in a term of office through death, resignation or otherwise, the governor shall appoint a person to serve the unexpired portion of the term. A member may be reappointed to succeed himself.] Commission members serving on the effective date of this section shall continue to serve the remainder of their term. The first two terms to expire shall be filled by one appointment by the speaker of the house and one by the president pro tem of the senate. The speaker of the house and president pro tem of the senate shall each appoint one other member after the effective date of this section. The governor shall fill the remaining seven positions on the commission as their terms expire. The term of each member appointed by the governor after the effective date of this section shall be five years. Legislative members shall serve during their term of office as a member of the general assembly or five years, whichever is shorter. A chairman shall be chosen from the membership for a two-year term during the first regular meeting of the commission in odd-numbered years; however, no member of the general assembly shall serve as chairman of the commission. All members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies on the commission shall be filled in the same manner and by the same appointing authority as the original appointment. The national commission shall be notified of all such appointments, and shall be given the names and addresses of the appointed members.

3. The governor may remove [a] any member appointed by him for cause or for continued nonfeasance.

4. The members of the commission shall not receive any compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission from moneys appropriated therefor from general revenue.

5. The commission shall be assigned to the department of highways and transportation. No staff or personnel shall be hired, employed, or contracted for by the commission, but the department of highways and transportation may provide such staff services as may be necessary for the commission.