Council membership

(1) The appointing authorities shall conduct the appointment process in a transparent manner to provide interested individuals an opportunity to apply for membership on the council. All members of the council must be full-time residents of Colorado. (2) (a) The council consists of twelve voting members appointed as follows: (I) The president of the senate shall appoint three members, including: (A) One representative from academic research in the state who receives grant funding for rare disease research; (B) One geneticist practicing in Colorado; and (C) One physician licensed and practicing in Colorado with experience treating rare diseases; (II) The minority leader of the senate shall appoint three members, including: (A) One registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse licensed and practicing in Colorado with experience treating rare diseases; (B) One pharmacist with experience dispensing drugs used to treat rare diseases; and (C) One person who has a rare disease; (III) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint three members, including: (A) One representative of a rare disease patient organization operating in Colorado that is not affiliated with the facilitator; (B) One representative of the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry; and (C) One representative of a health insurer; and (IV) The minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint three members, including: (A) One person who has a rare disease; (B) One parent whose child or children have been diagnosed with a rare disease; and (C) One caregiver of a person with a rare disease. (b) The director of the office of health equity, created in section 25-4-2204, or the director's designee, shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the council. (3) (a) The appointing authorities shall make their initial appointments to the council by October 1, 2022. In making appointments, to the extent practicable, the appointing authorities shall consider gender, ethnicity, geographic diversity, and other considerations that will result in a diverse and inclusive council. (b) Each member who is appointed pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section serves at the pleasure of the official who appointed the member. Any vacancy in membership is filled by the appointing authority. (c) Members shall serve three-year terms; except that, in order to provide continuity and knowledge transfer among council members, during the initial appointments to the council and for any members appointed in the first five years after the council is established, members may serve initial terms of up to four years. (4) (a) Members of the council serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses incurred by the members in serving on the council or participating in council activities. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) of this section, a council member may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses relating to the council's duties to the extent that the council receives gifts, grants, or donations to cover the cost of reimbursement.