Sec. 01.01.2010.13. Governor’s Commission on Small Business

A. There is a Governor’s Commission on Small Business (the Commission).

B. Membership.The Commission shall consist of the following voting members:

(1) Two members of the Maryland Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(2) Two members of the Maryland House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates;

(3) Seventeen members appointed by the Governor representing small businesses.

C. The Commission shall have five nonvoting ex-officio members:

(1) The Secretary of Business and Economic Development, or the Secretary’s designee;

(2) The Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the Secretary’s designee;

(3) The Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, or the Secretary’s designee;

(4) The Secretary of General Services, or the Secretary’s designee; and

(5) The Special Secretary of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs, or the Special Secretary’s designee.

D. Members appointed by the Governor shall be representative of the geographic regions and industries in the State, and shall reflect the racial and gender diversity of the population of the State.

E. (1) Members appointed by the Governor shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor for up to two consecutive three year terms.The terms of the members are staggered as required by the initial terms provided for those members of the Commission on June 11, 2010.Of the initial terms, five shall expire in 2011, six shall expire in 2012, and six shall expire in 2013.

(2) Members appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates shall serve at the pleasure of the President or the Speaker.

(3) The Governor shall designate a Chair from among the members of the Commission.The Chair shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

(4) In the event of a vacancy on the Commission, the applicable appointing authority shall appoint a successor.

F. Procedures.

(1) The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair, but at least four times each year.Notice of meetings shall be published to encourage public attendance.

(2) A majority of Commission members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.

(3) The Commission may adopt such other procedures and by-laws as may be necessary to ensure the orderly transaction of business.

(4) By June 30 of each year, the Commission shall submit an annual report to the Governor detailing its activities in the preceding calendar year, along with any appropriate recommendations.

G. Expenses.Members of the Commission may not receive any compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.

H. Operational Support.The Commission will be staffed by the Department of Business and Economic Development.

I. Duties.The Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

(1) Provide a forum for small businesses to articulate and address barriers to business growth;

(2) Recommend to the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly economic policy development measures to sustain and expand the economic impact of the small business community in the State;

(3) Oversee the implementation of the Small Business Task Force recommendations;

(4) Develop and recommend a standard definition of small business;

(5) Advocate for full employment and skills upgrades to support business development and job creation in emerging and growth industries;

(6) Identify and implement an outreach initiative;

(7) Collaborate with the Maryland Economic Development Commission on small business policy recommendations;

(8) Review and analyze State regulations affecting Maryland’s small businesses;

(9) Identify public/private partnership opportunities to supplement small business economic programs and financial incentives;

(10) Identify methods to improve resource accessibility for small Minority Business Enterprises

(11) Recommend ways to foster youths’ interest in entrepreneurship; and

(12) Perform any other duties as requested by the Governor.

Effective Date: June 1, 2010.