A. The Board of Coal Mining Examiners shall have a total membership of five members that shall consist of four nonlegislative citizen members and one ex officio member. The four nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed by the Governor as follows: one who is a miner who holds a first-class mine foreman's certificate with at least five years of experience in underground coal mining and who is employed at an underground coal mine in the Commonwealth in a nonmanagerial, nonsupervisory capacity at the time of appointment; one who is a miner with at least five years of experience in surface coal mining and is employed at a surface coal mine in the Commonwealth in a nonmanagerial, nonsupervisory capacity at the time of appointment; one who holds a first-class mine foreman's certificate with at least five years of experience in the operation of underground coal mines and is (i) an operator of an underground coal mine, (ii) an officer or director of a corporation operating an underground coal mine, (iii) a general partner of a partnership operating an underground coal mine, or (iv) an employee in a managerial or supervisory capacity of an operator of an underground coal mine in the Commonwealth at the time of appointment; and one who has at least five years of experience in the operation of surface coal mines and is (a) an operator of a surface coal mine, (b) an officer or director of a corporation operating a surface coal mine, (c) a general partner of a partnership operating a surface coal mine, or (d) an employee in a managerial or supervisory capacity of an operator of a surface coal mine in the Commonwealth at the time of appointment. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Board shall be residents of the Commonwealth. The Chief or his designee shall serve ex officio with voting privileges.
B. Members of the Board shall be appointed for terms of four years. The Chief shall serve a term coincident with his term of office. Vacancies occurring on the Board among appointed members shall be filled by the Governor for the unexpired term. All members may be reappointed.
C. The Chief shall serve as chairman of the Board.
D. The Board shall meet at least once a year and shall be called by the Chief to meet at such other times as he deems necessary. The Board shall meet at a place and at times as designated by the Chief and the Board shall remain in session until its work is completed, but no one session of the Board shall continue more than three days.
Code 1950, §§ 45-18 to 45-21, 45-26; 1954, c. 191; 1960, c. 61; 1966, c. 594, §§ 45.1-7, 45.1-10; 1978, cc. 120, 729; 1980, c. 728; 1984, c. 590, § 45.1-7; 1994, c. 28, §§ 45.1-161.24, 45.1-161.25; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.