350.031  Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council.--

(1)  There is created a Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council consisting of nine members. At least one member of the council must be 60 years of age or older. Three members, including one member of the House of Representatives, shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three members, including one member of the Senate, shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; and three members shall be selected and appointed by a majority vote of the other six members of the council. All terms shall be for 4 years, except those members of the House and Senate, who shall serve 2-year terms concurrent with the 2-year elected terms of House members. Vacancies on the council shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as original appointments to the council.

(2)(a)  No member or spouse shall be the holder of the stocks or bonds of any company, other than through ownership of shares in a mutual fund, regulated by the commission, or any affiliated company of any company regulated by the commission, or be an agent or employee of, or have any interest in, any company regulated by the commission or any affiliated company of any company regulated by the commission, or in any firm which represents in any capacity either companies which are regulated by the commission or affiliates of companies regulated by the commission. As a condition of appointment to the council, each appointee shall affirm to the Speaker and the President his or her qualification by the following certification: "I hereby certify that I am not a stockholder, other than through ownership of shares in a mutual fund, in any company regulated by the commission or in any affiliate of a company regulated by the commission, nor in any way, directly or indirectly, in the employment of, or engaged in the management of any company regulated by the commission or any affiliate of a company regulated by the commission, or in any firm which represents in any capacity either companies which are regulated by the commission or affiliates of companies regulated by the commission."


This certification is made as condition to appointment to the Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council.

(b)  A member of the council may be removed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate upon a finding by the Speaker and the President that the council member has violated any provision of this subsection or for other good cause.

(c)  If a member of the council does not meet the requirements of this subsection, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as appropriate, shall appoint a legislative replacement.

(3)  A majority of the membership of the council may conduct any business before the council. All meetings and proceedings of the council shall be staffed by the Office of Legislative Services and shall be subject to the provisions of ss. 119.07 and 286.011. Members of the council are entitled to receive per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, which shall be funded by the Florida Public Service Regulatory Trust Fund. Applicants invited for interviews before the council may, in the discretion of the council, receive per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061, which shall be funded by the Florida Public Service Regulatory Trust Fund. The council shall establish policies and procedures to govern the process by which applicants are nominated.

(4)  A person may not be nominated to the Governor until the council has determined that the person is competent and knowledgeable in one or more fields, which shall include, but not be limited to: public affairs, law, economics, accounting, engineering, finance, natural resource conservation, energy, or another field substantially related to the duties and functions of the commission. The commission shall fairly represent the above-stated fields. Recommendations of the council shall be nonpartisan.

(5)  It is the responsibility of the council to nominate to the Governor not fewer than three persons for each vacancy occurring on the Public Service Commission. The council shall submit the recommendations to the Governor by October 1 of those years in which the terms are to begin the following January, or within 60 days after a vacancy occurs for any reason other than the expiration of the term.

(6)  The Governor shall fill a vacancy occurring on the Public Service Commission by appointment of one of the applicants nominated by the council only after a background investigation of such applicant has been conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. If the Governor has not made an appointment by December 1 to fill a vacancy for a term to begin the following January, then the council, by majority vote, shall appoint by December 31 one person from the applicants previously nominated to the Governor to fill the vacancy. If the Governor has not made the appointment to fill a vacancy occurring for any reason other than the expiration of the term by the 60th day following receipt of the nominations of the council, the council by majority vote shall appoint within 30 days thereafter one person from the applicants previously nominated to the Governor to fill the vacancy.

(7)  Each appointment to the Public Service Commission shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate. If the Senate refuses to confirm or rejects the Governor's appointment, the council shall initiate, in accordance with this section, the nominating process within 30 days.