§ 1700. Creation; membership; officers; quorum

(a) There is created the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel that shall consist of the following:

(1) The Secretary of Human Services, ex officio, or designee.

(2) The Secretary of Natural Resources, ex officio, or designee.

(3) The Commissioner of Public Service, ex officio, or designee.

(4) The Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, ex officio, or designee.

(5) One member of the House Committee on Energy and Technology, chosen by the Speaker of the House.

(6) One member of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, chosen by the Committee on Committees.

(7) One representative of the Windham Regional Commission or designee, selected by the Regional Commission.

(8) One representative of the Town of Vernon or designee, selected by the legislative body of that town.

(9) Six members of the public, two each selected by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Under this subdivision, each appointing authority initially shall appoint a member for a three-year term and a member for a four-year term. Subsequent appointments under this subdivision shall be for terms of four years.

(10) Two representatives of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS or Station) selected by the owner of the Station.

(11) A representative of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers (IBEW) selected by the IBEW who shall be a present or former employee at the VYNPS.

(12) One member who will represent collectively the Towns of Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Richmond, Swanzey, and Winchester, New Hampshire, when selected by the Governor of New Hampshire at the invitation of the Commissioner of Public Service.

(13) One member who will represent collectively the Towns of Bernardston, Colrain, Gill, Greenfield, Leyden, Northfield, and Warwick, Massachusetts, when selected by the Governor of Massachusetts at the invitation of the Commissioner of Public Service.

(b) Ex officio members shall serve for the duration of their time in office or until a successor has been appointed. Members of the General Assembly shall be appointed for two years or until their successors are appointed, beginning on or before January 15 in the first year of the biennium. Representatives designated by ex officio members shall serve at the direction of the designating authority.

(c) The Commissioner of Public Service shall serve as the Chair until the Panel elects a chair or co-chairs under subsection (d) of this section.

(d) The Panel annually shall elect a chair or co-chairs, and a vice chair, for one-year terms commencing with its first meeting following the effective date of this section.

(e) A majority of the Panel's members shall constitute a quorum. The Panel shall act only by vote of a majority of its entire membership and only at meetings called by the Chair or Co-Chair or by any five of the members. The person or persons calling the meeting shall provide adequate notice to all its members.

(f) Members of the panel who are not ex officio members, employees of the State of Vermont, representatives of the VYNPS, or members representing towns outside Vermont, and who are not otherwise compensated or reimbursed for their attendance shall be entitled to $50.00 per diem and their necessary and actual expenses. Funds for this purpose shall come from the monies collected under 30 V.S.A. § 22 for the purpose of maintaining the Department of Public Service. Legislative members shall not be entitled to a per diem under this section for meetings while the General Assembly is in session.

(g) The Commissioner of Public Service shall:

(1) manage the provision of administrative support to the Panel, including scheduling meetings and securing meeting locations, providing public notice of meetings, producing minutes of meetings, and assisting in the compilation and production of the Panel's annual report described in section 1701 of this title;

(2) keep the Panel informed of the status of matters within the jurisdiction of the Panel;

(3) notify members of the Panel in a timely manner upon receipt of information relating to matters within the jurisdiction of the Panel;

(4) upon request, provide to all members of the Panel all relevant information within the control of the Department of Public Service relating to subjects within the scope of the duties of the Panel;

(5) provide workshops or training for Panel members as may be appropriate; and

(6) hire experts, contract for services, and provide for materials and other reasonable and necessary expenses of the Panel as the Commissioner may consider appropriate on request of the Panel from time to time. Funds for this purpose shall come from the monies collected under 30 V.S.A. § 22 for the purpose of maintaining the Department of Public Service and such other sources as may be or become available. (Added 1997, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 271, eff. April 29, 1998; amended 2009, No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.233, eff. June 9, 2014; 2017, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 63a.)