Creation; membership; meetings; expense allowance; perpetual existence; records

(a) There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Authority which shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the State of Georgia and a public corporation; and by that name, style, and title such body may contract and be contracted with, bring and defend actions, implead and be impleaded, and complain and defend in all courts of this state. (b) The authority shall consist of nine members. Initially, members shall serve staggered terms of office as follows: two members for one year, two members for two years, two members for three years, and three members for four years. Thereafter, each member shall serve for a term of four years. All members shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate and shall serve until the appointment and qualification of their successors. The members appointed by the Governor shall be selected from the state at large but shall be representative of all of the geographic areas of the state. Such members also shall represent the state’s music industry. The Governor is authorized to appoint any elected or appointed state, county, municipal, or school board official or employee, except officials and employees of the legislative or judicial branches of state government, as members of the authority, and any person so appointed is authorized to serve as a member of the authority. All successors shall be appointed in the same manner as original appointments. Vacancies in office shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term. (c)(1) The authority shall hold a meeting each year in July, and, at each July meeting, the authority shall elect its own officers. Officers shall serve for terms of one year each beginning with their election and qualification and ending with the election and qualification of their respective successors. No person shall hold the same office for more than one consecutive term, and no member of the authority shall hold more than any one office of the authority. No vacancy on the authority shall impair the right of the quorum to exercise all rights and perform all duties of the authority. (2) The authority is assigned to the Department of Economic Development for administrative purposes only, as specified in Code Section 50-4-3. (d) Each member of the authority who is not otherwise a state officer or employee shall receive for each day that such member is in attendance at a meeting of the authority a daily expense allowance and reimbursement for transportation costs as provided for in Code Section