§913.5. Governing board for Northeast Delta Human Services Authority; membership; appointment; terms

A. The Northeast Delta Human Services Authority shall be governed by a board of seventeen members. The board shall include four residents from the parish of Ouachita; two residents each from the parishes of Morehouse and Lincoln; and one resident each from the parishes of Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Madison, Richland, Tensas, Union, and West Carroll.

B. The members shall be appointed by the governing authority of each parish, with the exception of Ouachita Parish, in which they shall be appointed by the Ouachita Council of Government. All appointments shall require ratification by a plurality of the legislative delegation representing the twelve parishes which are included in the authority.

C. The seventeen-member board shall be comprised as follows:

(1) Two members with professional expertise in the field of mental health.

(2) Two members with professional expertise in the field of addictive disorders.

(3) Two members with professional expertise in the field of developmental disabilities.

(4) One member with professional expertise in finance, accounting, business enterprise, or auditing.

(5) One member who represents the judiciary, with particular emphasis on specialty courts.

(6) Three members who represent law enforcement, school-based healthcare, public health, or the coroner's office based on the needs of the respective appointing parishes.

(7) Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of mental health.

(8) Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of addictive disorders.

(9) Two members who are parents, consumers, or advocates in the field of developmental disabilities.

D. Each member shall serve for a three-year term. No board member shall serve more than three consecutive three-year terms.

E. Effective January 1, 2018, the board shall comply with the enumerated requirements of expertise in this Section. Any board member serving on the board prior to January 1, 2018, who satisfies at least one of the enumerated criteria shall be considered to have satisfied the requirement to serve and shall remain on the board for the duration of his unexpired term. Any board member who does not satisfy one of the enumerated criteria shall be replaced by January 1, 2018, and the newly appointed member shall begin a new three-year term. It shall be the responsibility of the executive director to ensure that the board satisfies the enumerated criteria herein. The executive director shall work with the local parish governmental authorities in the authority's statutory governance area to ensure compliance with the board requirements of this Section.

Acts 2017, No. 73, §1, eff. June 7, 2017.