regional commissions

regional commissions Sec. 502. (a) Upon designation of development regions, the Secretary shall invite and encourage the States wholly or partially located within such regions to establish appropriate multistate regional commissions. (b) Each such commission shall be composed of one Federal member, hereinafter referred to as the “Federal cochairman”, appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and one member from each participating State in the region. Each State member may be the Governor, or his designee, or such other person as may be provided by the law of the State which he represents. State members of the commission shall elect a cochairman of the commission from among their number. (c) Decisions by a regional commission shall require the affirmative vote of the Federal cochairman and of a majority, or at least one if only two, of the State members. In matters coming before a regional commission, the Federal cochairman shall, to the extent practicable, consult with the Federal departments and agencies having an interest in the subject matter. (d) Each State member of a regional commission shall have an alternate, appointed by the Governor or as otherwise may be provided 79 Stat. 565by the law of the State which he represents. The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint an alternate for the Federal cochairman of each regional commission. An alternate shall vote in the event of the absence, death, disability, removal, or resignation of the State of Federal cocliairman for which he is an alternate. (e) The Federal cochairman to a regional commission shall be compensated by the Federal Government from funds authorized by this Act up to level IV of the Federal Executive Salary Schedule. His alternate shall be compensated by the Federal Government from funds authorized by this Act at not to exceed the maximum scheduled rate for grade GS–18 of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, and when not actively serving as an alternate for the Federal cochairman shall perform such functions and duties as are delegated to him by the Federal cochairman. Each State member and his alternate shall be compensated by the State which they represent at the rate established by the law of such State. (f) If the Secretary finds that the State of Alaska or the State of Hawaii meet the requirements for an economic development region, he may establish a Commission for either State in a manner agreeable to him and to the Governor of the affected State.