(a)

(1) A State Interagency Council composed of at least fifteen (15) members with a maximum of twenty-five (25) members is established.

(2) The council members and the cochairs of the council shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of three (3) years. One (1) cochair shall be the parent of a child specified in subdivision (b)(1) of this section. In making appointments to the council, the Governor shall ensure that the membership reasonably represents the population of the state.

(b) The council shall be composed of the following:

(1) At least twenty percent (20%) of the membership shall include parents, including minorities, of infants and toddlers with disabilities, or a child with a disability who is twelve (12) years of age or younger, with knowledge of or experience with programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, and at least one (1) of the members shall be a parent of a child who is six (6) years of age or under;

(2) At least twenty percent (20%) of the members shall be public or private providers of early intervention services;

(3) At least one (1) member shall be a member of the General Assembly;

(4) At least one (1) member shall be involved in personnel preparation;

(5) At least one (1) member shall be from an agency involved in the provision of or payment for early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;

(6) At least one (1) member shall be from the state educational agency responsible for preschool services to children with disabilities and shall have sufficient authority to engage in policy planning and implementation on behalf of the agency;

(7) At least one (1) member shall be from the state agency responsible for the state Medicaid program;

(8) At least one (1) member shall be a representative from a Head Start agency or similar program in the state;

(9) At least one (1) member shall be a representative from a state agency responsible for child care;

(10) At least one (1) member shall be from the state agency responsible for the regulation of health insurance;

(11) At least one (1) member shall be a representative designated by the Office of Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths;

(12) At least one (1) member shall be a representative from the state child welfare agency responsible for foster care; and

(13) At least one (1) member shall be a representative from the state agency responsible for children's mental health.

(c) The council shall meet at least quarterly and in those places that it deems necessary. The meetings shall be publicly announced and, to the extent appropriate, open and accessible to the general public.

(d) The council shall:

(1) Advise and assist the lead agency designated in § 20-14-503(b)(9) in the performance of the responsibilities set out in Pub. L. No. 99-457 and in preparation of the budget required, particularly the identification of the sources of fiscal and other support for services for early intervention programs, assignment of financial responsibility to the appropriate agency, and the promotion of the interagency agreements;

(2) Advise and assist the lead agency in the preparation of applications and amendments thereto; and

(3) Prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and to the United States Secretary of Education on the status of early intervention programs for handicapped infants and toddlers and their families which are operated within the state.

(e) No member shall cast a vote on any matter which would provide direct financial benefit to that member or otherwise give the appearance of a conflict of interest under state law.

(f) The members shall not receive compensation for their services as members but may receive expense reimbursement in accordance with § 25-16-901 et seq.