In this subtitle, “Commission” means the Maryland Economic Development Commission.

There is a Maryland Economic Development Commission staffed by the Department. The purpose of the Commission is to: establish economic development policy in the State; advise the Secretary on economic development policy in the State; oversee the operations of the Department and its units, including the Department’s efforts to support the creation of, attract, and retain businesses and jobs; and monitor the operations of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, and the Maryland Public–Private Partnership Marketing Corporation, including the efforts of those entities to support the creation, attraction, and retention of businesses and jobs.

The Commission consists of: not more than 21 voting members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; two voting members appointed by the President of the Senate of Maryland; two voting members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; one member of the Senate of Maryland, designated by the President of the Senate; and one member of the House of Delegates, designated by the Speaker of the House; and the following representatives of State units and instrumentalities of the State: the Executive Director of the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, or the Executive Director’s designee; the Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, or the Chief Executive Officer’s designee; the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee; and the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee. The Secretary and the Secretary of Labor or their designees, State unit or instrumentality representatives, and members of the General Assembly are nonvoting ex officio members of the Commission. A designee under subparagraph (i)5 of this paragraph may be an administrator or a senior official of the unit or instrumentality. The geographic representation of the Commission shall cover the entire State and shall include at least one representative from: the upper Eastern Shore; the lower Eastern Shore; Calvert County, Charles County, or St. Mary’s County; Allegany County or Garrett County; and Carroll County, Frederick County, or Washington County. The industries represented by members of the Commission shall: be diverse; and include at least one representative from: the life sciences industry; and the manufacturing industry. The members appointed shall reflect the racial and gender diversity of the population of the State. The appointed members of the Commission shall have substantial interest or experience in business or knowledge of business and economic development. The Commission and its members are subject to the Maryland Public Ethics Law. The term of an appointed member is 3 years. At the end of a term, an appointed member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies. A member appointed after a term has begun serves only for the remainder of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Commission on October 1, 2008. A member may be removed by the Governor with or without cause.

The Governor shall designate a chair or cochairs from the voting members of the Commission. The Commission may elect an executive committee or form special subcommittees from its members to exercise the powers and functions of the Commission between meetings of the Commission.

The Commission shall meet as often as its duties require, but not less than quarterly. The chair or cochairs shall designate a time and place for meetings of the Commission. A majority of the voting members of the Commission is a quorum. A voting member of the Commission: may not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but is entitled to reimbursement in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations as provided in the State budget. The Department shall provide staff support to the Commission.

The Commission may: adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business; hire consultants; and do anything necessary or convenient to carry out its powers and the purposes of this subtitle. The Commission shall: develop and update an economic development strategic plan for the State; seek ideas and advice from each region of the State to develop the economic development strategic plan; recommend to the Governor and the Secretary the program and spending priorities needed to implement the economic development strategic plan; review the allocation of financing incentives; participate in encouraging new businesses to locate in the State; conduct periodic reviews of the economic development activities of the Department, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, and the Maryland Public–Private Partnership Marketing Corporation for compliance with the economic development strategic plan; make recommendations to the Governor and the Secretary to improve economic development activities that fail to achieve economic development strategic goals or are inconsistent with priorities under the economic development strategic plan; and carry out other economic development activities that the Governor or the Secretary requests.

On or before January 15 of each year, the Commission shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on its activities during the previous year. The report shall include a review of initiatives taken by the Commission and the Department to implement the economic development strategic plan.