1. There is hereby created a Department of Transportation, administered by a seven-member Board of Directors consisting of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the State Controller, who serve ex officio, and four members who are appointed by the Governor. If one of the three constitutional offices is vacant, the Secretary of State shall serve ex officio on the Board until the vacancy is filled.

2. The Governor shall appoint as members of the Board four persons who are residents of Nevada, informed on and interested in the construction and maintenance of highways and other matters relating to transportation. The members so appointed must be residents of Nevada as follows:

(a) Two members who must reside in a highway district that includes a county whose population is 700,000 or more;

(b) One member who must reside in a highway district that includes a county whose population is 100,000 or more but less than 700,000; and

(c) One member who must reside in a highway district that does not include a county whose population is 100,000 or more.

3. All the members appointed pursuant to subsection 2 must be informed on and interested in the construction and maintenance of highways and other matters relating to transportation, and must possess at least one of the following qualifications:

(a) Knowledge of engineering evidenced by the possession of a bachelor of science degree in civil or structural engineering and licensure in this State as a professional engineer.

(b) Demonstrated expertise in financial matters and business administration.

(c) Demonstrated expertise in the business of construction evidenced by the possession of a license as a general contractor and experience as a principal officer of a firm licensed in this State.

The Governor shall not appoint to the Board any person who is currently employed in the field of or has a substantial financial interest in the construction or maintenance of highways in this State.

4. The Governor shall serve as the Chair of the Board and the members of the Board shall elect annually a Vice Chair.

5. Each member of the Board who is not a public officer is entitled to receive as compensation $80 for each day or portion of a day during which the member attends a meeting of the Board or is otherwise engaged in the business of the Board plus the per diem allowance and travel expenses provided for state officers and employees generally.

6. After the initial terms, the appointed members of the Board shall serve terms of 4 years.

7. As used in this section, “highway district” means a portion of this State designated by the Board as a highway district for the purposes of carrying out the duties of the Board.

(Added to NRS by 1989, 1296; A 2013, 3098)