(1) The Colorado disability funding committee is hereby created within the department of personnel. The committee consists of thirteen members appointed by the governor. Of the thirteen members, at least seven members must be either a person with a disability, a care giver of a person with a disability, or a person who lives in a household with a person with a disability and is meaningfully involved in the care of a person with a disability. In making the appointments, the governor shall ensure that the committee has members with experience in or knowledge of business and business management; nonprofit entities and managing nonprofit entities; advocacy for persons with disabilities; the practice of medicine; and the practice of law with experience working with persons with disabilities. In addition to the thirteen members, the governor's council for persons with disabilities may, in consultation with the committee, appoint a representative to serve on the committee in an ex officio capacity.
Members of the committee serve three-year terms; except that four members as determined by the governor serve an initial term of one year, and four members as determined by the governor serve an initial term of two years. After the initial terms, every member serves a term of three years. The governor shall not appoint a member for more than two consecutive terms.
An act of the committee is void unless a majority of the appointed members hasvoted in favor of the act.
The committee shall implement this part 22 using the fund.
The committee is authorized to seek and accept grants or donations from private orpublic sources for the purposes of this part 22; except that the committee shall not accept a gift, grant, or donation that is subject to conditions that are inconsistent with this part 22 or part 13 of article 75 of this title regarding the status of grants and donations made to state agencies.
The committee has the following duties and powers:
(a) To sue and be sued and otherwise assert or defend the committee's legal interests; (b) To prepare and sign contracts;
To have and exercise all rights and powers necessary or incidental to, or impliedfrom, the specific powers granted in this part 22; and
To fix the time and place at which meetings may be held.
(7) (a) The committee may obtain the services of professional advisors or contract with employees to handle the conduct of all meetings, carry out its administrative functions for meetings and committee business, or handle the committee's auctions.
(b) The department of personnel may hire employees to handle the administrative aspects of supporting the committee resulting from the committee being within the department of personnel.
The attorney general is the legal counsel for the committee.
Committee members do not receive compensation for performing official duties ofthe committee but may receive a per diem or reimbursement for travel and other reasonable and necessary expenses for performing official duties of the committee. The per diem or reimbursement is paid from the fund.
Source: L. 2016: Entire part amended with relocations, (HB 16-1362), ch. 319, p. 1287, § 1, effective August 10.