§ 16-123-303 - Creation -- Members.
16-123-303. Creation -- Members.
(a) There is created the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission.
(b) (1) The commission shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members, to be selected as follows: Seven (7) appointed by the Governor, three (3) appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three (3) appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, as set forth in this subchapter, for terms of four (4) years whose terms begin on January 1 and end on December 31 of the fourth year or when their respective successors are appointed and qualified.
(2) (A) (i) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of residential real estate sales for not fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her nomination.
(ii) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of multifamily real estate property management for no fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her nomination.
(iii) One (1) member shall have been a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson engaged in the practice of real estate for no fewer than five (5) years prior to his or her nomination.
(B) The Governor shall appoint members to fill vacancies for the two (2) members to represent subdivisions (b)(2)(A)(i) and (ii) of this section from a list of four (4) nominees submitted by the Arkansas Realtors Association and a member to fill a vacancy for the one (1) member to represent subdivision (b)(2)(A)(iii) of this section not involving nominees from the Arkansas Realtors Association.
(3) (A) One (1) member shall have been a licensed homebuilder engaged in the homebuilding business for not fewer than five (5) years.
(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section from a list of four (4) nominees submitted by the Arkansas Homebuilders Association.
(4) (A) One (1) member shall have been a mortgage broker employed for not fewer than five (5) years by a registered mortgage loan company or loan broker.
(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(4)(A) of this section from a list of four (4) nominees submitted by the Arkansas Mortgage Bankers Association.
(5) (A) One (1) member shall have been a banker engaged in the banking business for not fewer than five (5) years.
(B) The Governor shall appoint a member to fill a vacancy for the member to represent subdivision (b)(5)(A) of this section from a list of four (4) nominees jointly submitted by the Arkansas Community Bankers and the Arkansas Bankers Association.
(6) (A) (i) Seven (7) members shall represent consumers and shall not be actively engaged in or retired from the business of real estate, homebuilding, mortgage lending or banking, including one (1) member who shall be appointed by the Governor to represent persons meeting the definition of "disabled" in this subchapter from a list of four (4) nominees submitted by the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities.
(ii) Three (3) of the members to be appointed pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one (1) member who shall be a fair housing attorney or advocate with at least five (5) years of experience in advocacy for fair housing issues.
(iii) Three (3) of the members to be appointed pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one (1) member of whom shall be sixty (60) years of age or older who shall represent the elderly.
(B) A minimum of four (4) appointments made pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i) of this section shall be given to persons protected under 16-123-310 -- 16-123-316.
(c) All members shall be full voting members of the commission.
(d) (1) Members of the commission appointed by the Governor shall at all times include one (1) member from each Arkansas congressional district.
(2) Members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall be chosen from Arkansas congressional districts rotating in order, with the initial commissioners being chosen from districts one (1) and two (2).
(3) Members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be chosen from congressional districts rotating in order with the initial members being chosen from districts three (3) and four (4).
(e) The commission shall elect a chair from its membership.
(f) The commission shall meet at least quarterly.
(g) (1) The members of the commission shall serve four-year terms, except that the initial appointees shall serve staggered terms determined by a procedure established by the commission so that six (6) serve a two-year term and seven (7) serve a four-year term.
(2) No member may serve more than two (2) four-year terms.
(h) Each commissioner may receive expense reimbursement and stipends in accordance with 25-16-905.