(a) There is hereby established and created a body politic and corporate, constituting a public instrumentality and political subdivision of the state of Connecticut established and created to be a public educational authority acting on behalf of the state of Connecticut, to be known as the State Education Resource Center. The center shall not be construed to be a department, institution or agency of the state.

(b) (1) The powers of the center shall be vested in and exercised by a board of directors, which shall consist of the following members: (A) Four appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly; (B) two appointed by the State Board of Education, with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly; (C) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (D) one appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (E) one appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (F) one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (G) one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (H) one appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; and (I) the Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee. Each member appointed by the Governor or the State Board of Education shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor but not longer than the term of office of the Governor or until the member's successor is appointed and qualified, whichever term is longer. Each member appointed by a member of the General Assembly shall serve in accordance with the provisions of section 4-1a. Any appointed member who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings of the board held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board. Each appointing authority shall make his or her initial appointment to the board not later than August 15, 2014. The first meeting of the board shall take place not later than September 15, 2014.

(2) The Governor shall appoint the chairperson of the board from among the members of such board with the advice and consent of both houses of the General Assembly. Such chairperson shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

(3) The chairperson shall, with the approval of the members of the board of directors, appoint an executive director of the center who shall be an employee of the center and paid a salary prescribed by the board. The executive director shall supervise the administrative affairs and technical activities of the center in accordance with the directives of the board.

(c) A majority of the appointed members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the State Education Resource Center. For the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the center, and except as otherwise provided in this section and sections 10-357b to 10-357d, inclusive, the center may act by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance.

(d) Members shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be entitled to reimbursement for such members' actual and necessary expenses incurred during the performance of such members' official duties. Members may engage in private employment, or in a profession or business, subject to any applicable laws, rules and regulations of the state regarding official ethics or conflict of interest. It shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner or officer of any person, firm or corporation, or any individual having a financial interest in a person, firm or corporation, to serve as a member of the board of directors of the center, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer or individual shall comply with all applicable provisions of chapter 10.

(P.A. 14-212, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 14-212 effective June 13, 2014.