§1196. Governing board; membership; appointment; terms; compensation

            A.(1) For a district created pursuant to this Chapter, the district shall be governed by a governing board.

            (2) The governing board shall be comprised of the following members:

            (a) The president of each parish governing authority within the department's Region IV, or his designee.

            (b) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his designee.

            (c) The executive director of the Louisiana Hospital Association, or his designee.

            (d) The executive director of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, or his designee.

            (e) The hospital administrator for University Medical Center, or his designee.

            B. All appointees shall serve terms of three years. No board member shall serve more than two three-year consecutive terms.

            C. A vacancy on a governing board shall be filled in the same manner as required for the original appointment.

            D. Each governing board member shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses and mileage at the same rate set by the division of administration for state employees for each day in actual attendance at governing board meetings or for representing the governing board in an official governing board-approved activity.

            E. The chairman shall be elected by a majority vote of the governing board. The term of the chairman shall be established under the governing board's bylaws.

            F. The governing board shall adopt bylaws to provide for its governance within ninety days of being established. Such bylaws shall include but not be limited to:

            (1) Procedures for the election of governing board officers, including terms of office and methods and grounds for removal. Governing board officers shall include, at a minimum, a chairman, treasurer, and secretary.

            (2) Procedures and grounds for the removal of any governing board member. Grounds for removal shall include the conviction of a felony. Grounds for removal may include failure to meet board attendance requirements, as provided in the bylaws.

            G. All governing board members of the district shall be subject to the Code of Governmental Ethics. No member of the governing board or of his immediate family shall own or have any interest in any public or private organization, business, company, or entity conducting business of any kind with the district. The prohibition provided for in this Subsection shall not prohibit members of the governing board from having contracts or employment agreements with healthcare institutions or organizations whose purpose is directly related to health care.

            Acts 2012, No. 857, §1.