10A ncac 63c .0506      ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION

(a)  The Division shall provide for the biennial election of a State Elected Committee of Blind Vendors (ECBV) that, to the extent possible, shall be fully representative of all blind licensees and operators in the Business Enterprises Program on the basis of such factors as geography and vending facility type, with a goal of providing for proportional representation of blind vendors on federal property and blind vendors on other property. Participation by any blind vendor in any election shall not be conditioned upon the payment of dues or any other fees.

(b)  The ECBV membership shall be composed of operators who represent all licensees and operators in the Business Enterprises Program, as elected based on the four geographic regions and the one federal region that encompasses all federal facilities. Two representatives shall be elected from each designated ECBV region.

(c)  The term of office for ECBV members shall be two years beginning on April 1 following the election. Each region shall have one term expire in even-numbered years and one term expire in odd-numbered years. The ECBV members may serve unlimited terms.

(d)  Unexpired terms in the elective offices shall be filled by majority vote of the ECBV. Filling an unexpired term on the ECBV shall not be considered countable time toward the two-year term of office.

(e)  The officers of the ECBV shall be a chair and a vice-chair, as elected by the ECBV from among ECBV members.

(f)  The ECBV chair and vice-chair may serve unlimited terms.

(g)  The ECBV shall hold quarterly business meetings and at other times upon the call of the chair with majority approval of the ECBV. The chair shall provide the Business Enterprises Program with a written meeting agenda ten business days before each meeting.

(1)           The chair shall preside over all business meetings of the ECBV.

(2)           The chair shall conduct meetings according to Roberts Rules of Order.

(3)           A majority shall constitute a quorum.

(4)           The chair shall create subcommittees as the business of the ECBV warrants, excluding those subcommittees specifically required in Paragraph (h) of this Rule.

(5)           In the absence or disability of the chair, the vice-chair shall assume all the duties of the chair.

(h)  The ECBV chair shall serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of all subcommittees. The ECBV shall maintain the following standing subcommittees: Operator Relations Subcommittee, Transfer and Promotion Subcommittee and the Training and Retraining Subcommittee.

(1)           Operator Relations Subcommittee, whose function is to receive and transmit appeals at the verbal or written request of an operator or licensee.

(A)          This subcommittee shall be elected by the ECBV from its members.

(B)          The ECBV chair shall appoint temporary replacements to this subcommittee to fill vacancies until a new member is elected.

(C)          The ECBV chair shall appoint a temporary replacement for an Operator Relations Subcommittee member who has filed an appeal and whose appeal is pending before the Operator Relations Subcommittee.

(2)           Transfer and Promotion Subcommittee, whose function is to actively participate with the Division in the development and administration of a system for the transfer and promotion of operators; and

(3)           Training and Retraining Subcommittee, whose function is to actively participate with the Division in the development of training and retraining programs and to assist the Division in sponsoring meetings and instructional conferences for the operators and licensees.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 111‑27; 143B-157; 34 C.F.R. 395.14; 20 U.S.C. Sec. 107;

Eff. October 1, 1978;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2002; May 1, 1996; February 1, 1984; February 1, 1983;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2018.