Section 6901.304 - Tuition Account Program Advisory Board(a) Creation.-- There is created a Tuition Account Programs Advisory Board. The board shall be composed of the State Treasurer, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, the Commissioner of Higher Education within the Department of Education, the Chairman of the Council of Higher Education and the Chancellor of the State System of Higher Education, all of whom shall be ex officio members. There also shall be 14 other members of the board. Of these 14 other members, four shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and six shall be appointed by the Governor. Of the four members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, two must be recommended by the Majority Leader and two must be recommended by the Minority Leader of the Senate. Of the four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two must be recommended by the Majority Leader and two must be recommended by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The members of the board appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives must have knowledge, skill and expertise in financial affairs. Of the six members appointed by the Governor, one must be the president of a State-related institution; one must be the president of one of the institutions operating under Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L. 30, No. 14), known as the Public School Code of 1949; one must be the president of a university in the State System of Higher Education; and one must be a president of a private or independent four-year, degree-granting college or university located within this Commonwealth.(b) Terms.--Board members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor shall be appointed for terms of four years each. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired terms of appointed members of the board in the same manner as original appointments.(c) Organizational meeting.--The Commissioner of Higher Education shall call the organizational meeting of the board, at which time a chairperson shall be selected from among the members. If a vacancy in the office of chairperson occurs, such vacancy shall be filled by a selection from among the members. Meetings of the board shall be held at least quarterly or at the call of the chairperson.(d) Duties.--The board shall consider, study and review the work of the Tuition Account Programs Bureau, shall advise the department on request and shall make recommendations on its own initiative for the improvement of the tuition account programs. The board shall report annually to the Governor and to the General Assembly, and may make such interim reports as are deemed advisable.(e) Employees.--The department shall have the power and its duty shall be to provide the board with experts, stenographers and assistants as necessary to carry out the work of the board. In addition, the board may enlist voluntary assistance as available from citizens, research organizations and other agencies.1992, April 3, P.L. 28, No. 11, § 304, imd. effective. Amended 2000, June 22, P.L. 418, No. 58, § 3, effective in 60 days.