(a) The office shall establish a nonprofit public benefit corporation, to be known as the Health Professions Education Foundation, that shall be governed by a board consisting of nine members appointed by the Governor, one member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and two members appointed by the Medical Board of California. The members of the foundation board appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, and Senate Committee on Rules may include representatives of minority groups which are underrepresented in the health professions, persons employed as health professionals, and other appropriate members of health or related professions. All persons considered for appointment shall have an interest in health programs, an interest in health educational opportunities for underrepresented groups, and the ability and desire to solicit funds for the purposes of this article as determined by the appointing power. The chairperson of the commission shall also be a nonvoting, ex officio member of the board.

(b) The Governor shall appoint the president of the board of trustees from among those members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Medical Board of California.

(c) The director, after consultation with the president of the board, may appoint a council of advisers comprised of up to nine members. The council shall advise the director and the board on technical matters and programmatic issues related to the Health Professions Education Foundation Program.

(d) Members of the board and members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for any actual and necessary expenses incurred in connection with their duties as members of the board or the council. The Medical Board of California shall reimburse the members it appointed to the foundation board for any actual and necessary expenses incurred in connection with their duties as members of the foundation board.

(e) The foundation shall be subject to the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law (Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110) of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Corporations Code), except that if there is a conflict with this article and the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law (Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110) of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Corporations Code), this article shall prevail.

(f) This section shall become operative January 1, 2016.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 775, Sec. 113. (SB 798) Effective January 1, 2018.)