This provision creates the St. Stephens Historical Commission board, sets its membership, and gives it powers to manage historical properties, adopt rules, and hire enforcement officers.
(a) A board of trustees to be known as the St. Stephens Historical Commission is hereby authorized to be appointed and established for the purpose of acquiring, maintaining, protecting, and promoting certain properties of historical interest at St. Stephens, in Washington County, in the general vicinity of the site of the first territorial capital of Alabama. The board shall be comprised of 11 members, and the first five enumerated appointees designated herein shall serve for terms of two, three, four, five, and six years, respectively, with subsequent appointees serving for terms of six years. The four board members appointed by the legislative delegation representing Washington County pursuant to subsection (b), including the initial appointees, shall serve terms of six years. At least one of the four new members appointed by the Washington County Legislative Delegation shall be African American. The ex officio board member shall serve a term on the board concurrent with the serving of the term of the elected public office. (b) The Board of Trustees of the St. Stephens Historical Commission shall consist of the following members: (1) Two members appointed by the Governor. (2) One member appointed by the Alabama Historical Commission. (3) Two members appointed by the Washington County Historical Society. (4) One member appointed by the Washington County Commission. (5) Four members appointed by the legislative delegation representing Washington County. (6) One ex officio, full member who shall be the member of the Alabama House of Representatives representing the geographical community of St. Stephens in Washington County. (c) The trustees shall serve without compensation other than payment of a per diem allowance and travel expenses in attending meetings of the board or in performing any actual service under the direction of the board. The expenses shall be paid in amounts prescribed in Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 36, and shall be payable out of any appropriation, donation, or grant, by a check drawn upon a bank account of the commission, after payment for the expenses has been approved by the board of trustees or the treasurer thereof. (d) The board, within its discretion, may acquire title, possession, or control of properties and also of objects of historic interest at St. Stephens as it may deem necessary or proper to be constructed, reconstructed, maintained, preserved, and protected on behalf of the State of Alabama, mark in a suitable manner the places or locations of historic interest at such point, and prepare and publish for distribution pamphlets or other printed matter with respect thereto. The expenses incurred for these purposes by the board of trustees shall be paid out of the appropriation upon a check drawn on the bank account of the commission, supported by an itemized account thereof approved by the board of trustees or the treasurer thereof. (e) The board shall hold an annual meeting at St. Stephens in Washington County each September on a day designated by the chair. Six members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Additional meetings may be held at such times and places within the state as may be necessary, desirable, or convenient, upon call of the chair or, in the case of his or her absence or incapacity, of the vice chair, or on the call of any five members of the board. (f) The board shall determine and establish its own procedure in accordance with this division, and shall have an official seal. (g) The board shall elect its chair, its vice chair, its secretary, and its treasurer, and these officers shall hold office for a period of two years or until a successor is elected. The board may require that the treasurer be bonded in an amount to be determined by the board. (h) The board may appropriate and expend funds and cooperate financially and otherwise with the Washington County Historical Society, the County of Washington, and any other historical organization, county, or municipality in this state to acquire, establish, maintain, and promote historical sites in and around the present community of St. Stephens, in the vicinity of the first territorial capital of Alabama. (i) The board shall promulgate rules and regulations having the force and effect of law governing its operations and activities, including, but not limited to, the management of any real property under its jurisdiction and providing for fines for certain violations. Violations of specified rules and regulations shall be a Class C misdemeanor. The board is further authorized to hire law enforcement officers to enforce the rules and regulations, as well as enforce all other laws and regulations as necessary or appropriate. The law enforcement officers shall have the general law enforcement authority of other peace officers of the State of Alabama and shall be required to meet the minimum standards of law enforcement officers as provided by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission or other standards as may be hereafter provided by law.