(A)(1) There is created the Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education and a permanent standing subcommittee of the partnership for the purpose of reviewing the implementation of the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984 and recommending other major education initiatives.

(2) The Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education consists of the following persons:

(a) Thirty-two prominent civic and business leaders of which fourteen are appointed by the Governor; six appointed by the State Superintendent of Education; three appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; three appointed by the President of the Senate; three appointed by the Chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives; and three appointed by the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate;

(b) Twenty educators of which eight are appointed by the State Superintendent of Education; four appointed by the Governor; two appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; two appointed by the President of the Senate; two appointed by the Chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives; and two appointed by the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate;

(c) Chairman of the Committee on Children or his designee;

(d) Chairman of the Education Oversight Committee or his designee;

(e) The Governor and State Superintendent of Education shall serve as ex officio members.

(3) The term of office of the members of the Business-Education Partnership must be four years except that of those first appointed an equal number must serve terms of two, three, and four years respectively as determined by lot. Except in those cases where the term of a member of the Business-Education Subcommittee has not expired, no member of the Business-Education Partnership may serve more than two consecutive terms. The number of appointments provided for in subitems (a) and (b) above must be reduced proportionately by the membership requirements of subsection (B).

(4) The chairman of the Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education must be elected by the members of the partnership and must be chosen from among the thirty-two business and civic leaders serving on the partnership. The Business-Education Partnership must meet at the call of the chairman but not less than quarterly. The Governor must preside at all regular and special meetings of the partnership in which he is in attendance; at those meetings at which the Governor is not in attendance the State Superintendent of Education must preside, and in the absence of the Superintendent, the chairman of the partnership must preside.

(5) The partnership in conjunction with the State Department of Education may cause to be held statewide public forums for the purpose of fostering open discussions regarding the impact of the Education Improvement Act on the state’s education system and education reform in general.

(B) The Business-Education Partnership must establish a permanent standing subcommittee called the Business-Education Subcommittee. The subcommittee must be composed of sixteen members of the Business-Education Partnership elected by the Business-Education Partnership. The composition of the subcommittee must be:

(1) ten civic and business leaders; and

(2) six educators.

The eighteen members serving on the Joint Business-Education Subcommittee must remain on the Business-Education Subcommittee as reconstituted on the effective date of this section. The term of office for members of the Business-Education Subcommittee must be six years except that of the initial members an equal number must serve terms of two, four, or six years respectively as determined by lot. The chairman of the subcommittee is to be elected by the members of the subcommittee and must be one of the ten civic and business leaders serving on the subcommittee. Vacancies on the subcommittee must be filled from the membership of the Business-Education Partnership by a majority vote of the members of the partnership.