Sec. 10-393. Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee. Members. Terms and duties.

(a) There shall be a Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee which shall consist of twenty-eight voting members and nonvoting ex-officio members. Such ex-officio members shall be the executive directors of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and the Connecticut Humanities Council, the State Poet Laureate, the State Historian and the State Archaeologist. The State Poet Laureate, the State Historian and the State Archaeologist shall serve as members without being appointed and without receiving compensation for such service. The remaining twenty-three members shall be appointed as follows:

(1) The Governor shall appoint seven members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from within the state; (B) three members shall be individuals with knowledge of or experience or interest in history or humanities; (C) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts; and (D) two members shall be selected at large.

(2) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from the western regional tourism district, established under section 10-397; (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in history or humanities; and (C) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(3) The president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint three members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from the central regional tourism district, established under section 10-397; (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in history or humanities; and (C) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(4) The majority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint two members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from the central regional tourism district, established under section 10-397; and (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(5) The majority leader of the Senate shall appoint two members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from the eastern regional tourism district; and (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(6) The minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from within the state; (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in history or humanities; and (C) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(7) The minority leader of the Senate shall appoint three members: (A) One member shall be an individual with knowledge of and experience in the tourism industry from the western regional tourism district, established under section 10-397; (B) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in history or humanities; (C) one member shall be an individual with knowledge of or experience or interest in the arts.

(b) Each member shall serve a term that is coterminous with such member's appointing authority.

(c) The voting members shall elect annually: A member from among the voting members to serve as chairperson of the advisory committee and one member as vice-chairperson. Members shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties, but may be reimbursed for their necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The advisory committee shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary or upon the request of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

(d) Thirteen voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members present at a meeting of the advisory committee shall be sufficient for any action taken by the advisory committee. Any recommendations by the advisory committee may be authorized by resolution at any regular or special meeting and shall take effect immediately unless otherwise provided in the resolution.

(e) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall provide administrative assistance to the advisory committee. The commissioner shall have the authority to: Establish rules for the internal operation of the advisory committee; contract for facilities, services and programs to implement the purposes of the commission established by law; and enter into agreements for funding from private sources, including corporate donations and other commercial sponsorships. The commissioner is authorized to do all things necessary to apply for, qualify for and accept any funds made available under any federal act for the purposes established under section 10-392. All funds received under this subsection shall be deposited into the culture and tourism account within the department, established under section 10-395. The commissioner may enter into contracts with the federal government concerning the use of such funds.

(June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 211; P.A. 04-20, S. 4; 04-205, S. 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 30; P.A. 06-172, S. 2; P.A. 07-217, S. 47; 07-220, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 13, 60; P.A. 11-48, S. 99.)

History: June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-20 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(7), effective April 16, 2004; P.A. 04-205, effective June 3, 2004, and May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, effective May 12, 2004, both replaced Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism; P.A. 06-172 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the number of members from 29 to 35 and to provide that the new members have experience relating directly to the production of digital media or motion pictures; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 07-220 amended Subsec. (a) to delete having an interest in tourism as requirement for each of the commissioners and to provide that their knowledge and experience shall be in the tourism industry and amended Subsec. (b) to delete prohibition against members of boards of directors of regional tourism districts serving as commissioner, effective July 5, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a) to change number of voting commissioners and nonvoting ex-officio members from 35 to 28, make conforming changes and delete provisions re appointment of commissioners with experience relating directly to production of digital media or motion pictures, effective October 5, 2009, and to change references to southwestern and northwestern tourism districts to western regional tourism district, change references to central and south central tourism districts to central regional tourism district, and change reference to eastern tourism district to eastern regional tourism district, effective January 1, 2010; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism with Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee and changing commissioners to members, amended Subsec. (b) by changing commissioner to member, amended Subsec. (c) by eliminating provision re executive director, changing commissioner to member, changing commission to advisory committee, deleting provision re commissioners to elect others as officers, deleting provision re meeting upon request of majority of commissioners and deleting provision re establishment of bylaws, amended Subsec. (d) by changing commissioner to member, changing commission to advisory committee, deleting provision re vacancies not affecting quorums and changing “action taken” to “recommendations” and amended Subsec. (e) by changing commissioner to member, changing commission to advisory committee, changing executive director of commission to Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, deleting provision re administering laws under jurisdiction of commission and changing Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism account to culture and tourism account within department, effective July 1, 2011.