§ 5002. Racial Equity Advisory Panel

(a) The Racial Equity Advisory Panel is established. The Panel shall be organized and have the duties and responsibilities as provided in this section. The Panel shall have the administrative, legal, and technical support of the Agency of Administration.

(b)(1) The Panel shall consist of five members, as follows:

(A) one member appointed by the Committee on Committees who shall not be a current legislator;

(B) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House who shall not be a current legislator;

(C) one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who shall not be a current legislator;

(D) one member appointed by the Governor who shall not be a current legislator; and

(E) one member appointed by the Human Rights Commission who shall not be a current legislator.

(2) Members shall be drawn from diverse backgrounds to represent the interests of communities of color throughout the State, have experience working to implement racial justice reform and, to the extent possible, represent geographically diverse areas of the State.

(3) The term of each member shall be three years, except, so that the term of one regular member expires in each ensuing year of the members first appointed, one shall serve a term of: one year, to be appointed by the Human Rights Commission; two years, to be appointed by the Governor; three years, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; four years, to be appointed by the Committee on Committees; and five years, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. As terms of currently serving members expire, appointments of successors shall be in accord with the provisions of this subsection. Appointments of members to fill vacancies or expired terms shall be made by the authority that made the initial appointment to the vacated or expired term. Members shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed. Members shall serve not more than three consecutive terms in any capacity.

(4) Members of the Panel shall elect by majority vote the Chair of the Panel, who shall serve for a term of three years after the implementation period. Members of the Panel shall be appointed on or before September 1, 2018 in order to prepare as they deem necessary for the establishment of the Panel, including the election of the Chair of the Panel. Terms of members shall officially begin on January 1, 2019.

(c) The Panel shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) work with the Executive Director of Racial Equity to implement the reforms identified as necessary in the comprehensive organizational review as required by subsection 5003(a) of this title;

(2) advise the Executive Director to ensure ongoing compliance with the purpose of this chapter, and advise the Governor on strategies for remediating systemic racial disparities in statewide systems of government; and

(3) on or before January 15, 2020, and annually thereafter, report to the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs and the Senate Committee on Government Operations on:

(A) the extent to which the State is achieving the performance targets and measures as developed pursuant to subsection 5003(c) of this title; and

(B) the nature and quality of the collaboration between the Governor’s Cabinet and the Executive Director.

(d) Each member of the Panel shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1010. (Added 2018, No. 9 (Sp. Sess.), § 3, eff. June 28, 2018.)