(a)      There is a Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness in the Department.

      (b)      The Commission consists of the Secretary, or the Secretary's designee, and 24 members appointed as follows:

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

            (2)      Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and

            (3)      Twenty members shall be appointed by the Secretary with the approval of the Governor.

      (c)      A member of the Commission who is a member of the General Assembly may not vote on matters before the Commission relating to the exercise of the sovereign powers of State.

      (d)      The 20 members appointed by the Secretary shall reflect the gender and racial makeup of the population of the State, and of those members:

            (1)      Four members shall serve as ex officio members and shall be representatives of units of State government, including:

                  (i)      The Secretary of the Environment or the Secretary's designee;

                  (ii)      The Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation or the Secretary's designee;

                  (iii)      The State Superintendent of Schools or the Superintendent's designee; and

                  (iv)      A representative of the Maryland Higher Education Commission;

            (2)      One shall be a representative of an educational institution in the State;

            (3)      Two shall be representatives of organized labor;

            (4)      Twelve shall be representatives of manufacturing enterprises and should generally reflect the following criteria:

                  (i)      Representation from varied geographic regions of the State;

                  (ii)      Representation from varied sectors of manufacturing, balancing technology-related and traditional manufacturing industries; and

                  (iii)      Representation from the mix of manufacturing enterprises in the State which employ above and below 500 employees; and

            (5)      One shall be a representative of business organizations.

      (e)      (1)      The term of a member is 3 years and begins on July 1.

            (2)      The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms provided for the initial members of the Commission.

            (3)      Any member is eligible for reappointment, but after serving for 2 consecutive 3-year terms, a member may not be reappointed until the expiration of at least 1 year after the termination of the member's previous tenure.

            (4)      A vacancy shall be filled immediately for the remainder of the unexpired portion of a term.

            (5)      A member shall hold office until a successor has been appointed.

            (6)      A member who is appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House serves at the pleasure of the President or the Speaker, respectively.

            (7)      A member who is appointed by the Secretary serves at the pleasure of the Secretary.

      (f)      The Secretary shall appoint from among the private sector members a chairperson of the Commission.

      (g)      The Commission shall meet at least 4 times per year.

      (h)      The Commission shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, on the Commission's progress in implementing policies to assist manufacturing in Maryland.