KRS 154.10-010: Kentucky Economic Development Partnership -- Membership --

Vacancies -- Meetings.

(1) (a) The Kentucky Economic Development Partnership, a board governing the

Cabinet for Economic Development, is created and established, performing

essential governmental and public functions and purposes essential to

improving and promoting the health and general welfare of the people of the

Commonwealth through sustainable economic development, as prescribed in

KRS 154.1-020.

(b) The board shall have reo rganization powers and authority as prescribed in

KRS 12.028 and shall constitute an administrative body as defined in KRS

12.010, but it and the cabinet shall not be subject to reorganization by the

Governor, KRS Chapter 12 notwithstanding.

(c) The board shall serve as the governing body of the cabinet and shall exercise

all powers and authorities conferred upon it by statute, including, but not

limited to, the following functions:

1. Strategic planning;

2. Finance;

3. Business assistance;

4. Marketing and promotion;

5. Community development;

6. Workforce development;

7. Innovation; and

8. All economic development powers and authorities not specifically

conferred by statute to another agency or authority of state government.

(2) The board shall consist of f ourteen (14) voting members and two (2) nonvoting

members. The fourteen (14) voting members shall consist of the Governor, the

secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet, the secretary of the Public

Protection Cabinet, the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, the

secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet, the Commissioner of Agriculture or

his or her designee, and eight (8) private sector members who shall be appointed by

the Governor. The secretary of the Governor's Executive Cabine t shall serve as a

voting member upon the absence of the Governor. The secretary of the Education

and Cabinet for Economic Development and the secretary of the Tourism, Arts and

Heritage Cabinet shall serve as nonvoting members.

(3) The governing bodies of each of the following organizations shall nominate two (2)

persons from each of the six (6) Congressional districts of the Commonwealth and

two (2) persons from the state at large, as candidates for appointment as private

sector members to the board:

(a) The Kentucky Association for Economic Development;

(b) The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers;

(c) The Kentucky State AFL-CIO;

(d) The Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation;

(e) The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; and

(f) The National Federation of Independent Businesses/Kentucky.

(4) The Governor shall select the original eight (8) private sector members from the

aggregation of the lists provided pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, with at

least one (1) appointment being chosen from each organization's list and at least one

(1) appointment being chosen from each Congressional district. Appointments to

vacancies shall be made in the same manner as prescribed in this subsection and

subsection (3) of this section, except that there is no requirement that the vacancy be

filled from the same organization's list as the original appointment.

(5) All appointments shall be for four (4) years.

(6) In making appointments to the board, the Governor shall assure broad geographical

representation, as well as representation from the major sectors of Kentucky's

economy by leading executives with a knowledge of the problems of large and

small businesses, local economic development, and the transfer of research and

development from the laboratory to t he marketplace. In filling vacancies, the

Governor shall assure the continuous representation on the board of broad

constituencies of Kentucky's economy, including manufacturing and agriculture.

(7) Vacancies on the board which may occur from time to time shall be filled as

follows:

(a) Any vacancy which occurs shall be filled for the unexpired term in accordance

with the procedures established in subsections (3) and (4) of this section.

(b) If any private sector member misses more than two (2) consecutive meetings

of the board, then that position shall be declared vacant and filled in

accordance with this section.

(8) The board shall meet semiannually and at other times upon call of the chairman or a

majority of the board.

(9) A quorum shall be a majority of the voting membership of the board.

(10) A quorum shall be required to organize and conduct the business of the board,

except that an affirmative vote of eight (8) or more members of the entire board

shall be required to terminate the employment of the c abinet's secretary, and to

adopt or amend the strategic plan.

(11) Private sector members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed

for all reasonable, necessary, and actual expenses.

(12) All existing duties, responsibilities, functions, pe rsonnel, programs, funds,

obligations, records, and real and personal property of the Cabinet for Economic

Development, as of July 14, 1992, shall be under the authority and control of the

board.

(13) The Cabinet for Economic Development shall give prompt notice to the

Commissioner of Agriculture when the cabinet receives information about an

agriculture-related economic development opportunity, including but not limited to

the following:

(a) Agricultural production;

(b) Food or beverage processing; or

(c) An economic activity that uses agricultural products as inputs.