(a) There is hereby established with the Kansas commission on veterans affairs office an advisory board known to be the Persian Gulf War veterans health initiative board. The board shall be advisory to the director in the implementation and administration of this act.

(b) The board shall consist of nine members appointed as follows:

(1) At least three members shall be veterans. The director shall notify the state level unit of the disabled American veterans, the veterans of foreign wars of the United States and the American legion and request a list of three nominations of veterans from each such veterans’ organization. The governor shall appoint one veteran as a member from each list.

(2) One member shall be qualified from each of the medical specializations of epidemiology, toxicology and genetics. One member shall be qualified in one of the behavioral sciences in the specialty area of family dynamics. The director shall notify one or more professional societies or associations which represent the medical or behavioral science specialty area required and request a list of three nominations from that specialty area, of which the director shall appoint one member of the board from each list.

(3) Two legislators, one from each house, shall be appointed to the board with the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the senate each appointing a member. One legislator shall be a member of the democratic party and one legislator shall be a member of the republican party.

(c) Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the governor, the director, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate shall appoint the initial members of the board. Of the initial appointments to the board by the governor, one shall be for a term of one year, one shall be for a term of two years and one shall be for a term ending three years after the date of the initial appointment. Of the initial appointments to the board by the director, two shall be for a term of one year, one shall be for a term of two years and one shall be for a term ending three years after the date of the initial appointment. After the initial appointments, terms of office of the members appointed by the governor or the director shall be for three years, but no person shall be appointed for more than two successive three-year terms. The term of office of each member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives or the president of the senate shall end on the first day of the regular session of the legislature which commences in the first odd-numbered year occurring after the year such member was appointed.

(d) Each member of the board shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board for any reason other than the expiration of a member’s term of office, the governor, the director, speaker of the house of representatives or president of the senate shall appoint a successor of like qualifications to fill the unexpired term in accordance with this section. In the case of any vacancy occurring in the position of a board member who was appointed from a list of nominations submitted by a veterans’ organization, the governor shall notify that veterans’ organization of the vacant position and request a list of three nominations of veterans from which the governor shall appoint a successor to the board. In the case of any vacancy occurring in the position of a board member who is qualified in one of the specialty areas listed in subsection (b)(3) [(b)(2)] after the initial appointments, the director shall notify one or more professional societies or associations which represent the medical or behavioral science specialty required for the vacant position and request a list of three nominations from that specialty area from which the director shall appoint a successor to the board.

(e) Annually, the board shall elect a chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary from among its members and shall meet at least four times each year at the call of the chairperson.

(f) The members of the board attending meetings of the board or attending a subcommittee meeting thereof authorized by the board shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be paid subsistence allowances, mileage and other expenses as provided in subsections (b), (c) and (d) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3223, and amendments thereto.