A. The Committee shall have a total membership of 15 members that shall consist of 8 legislative members, five nonlegislative citizen members, and two ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: three members of the Senate, each of whom shall be a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Health, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; five members of the House of Delegates, each of whom shall be a member of either the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions or a member of the House Committee on Education, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; three nonlegislative citizen members, one of whom shall be an educator at a public school in the Commonwealth, one of whom shall be a school nurse at a public school in the Commonwealth, and one of whom shall be a public health expert, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and two nonlegislative citizen members, one of whom shall be an educator at a public school in the Commonwealth and one of whom shall be a public health expert, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Health Commissioner, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Committee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the Committee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth for the purpose of attending meetings. Legislative members and ex officio members of the Committee shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office.
Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed.
Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of two years.
The Committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.