Executive Director of the preexisting National Cen-
ter for Rural Law Enforcement at the University of
Arkansas.
(2) DESIGNATION OF CHAIRMAN.—The presi-
dent of the University of Arkansas and the Director
of the FBI shall designate a chairman from among
the appointees to the initial Board.
(3) TERM OF OFFICE.—The term of office for
appointive members of the initial Board shall be 3
years.
(4) SELECTION
OF
SUCCESSORS.—Not later
than 90 days before the expiration of such 3-year
term, the Board shall select, with the advice and
counsel of the president of the University of Arkan-
sas and the Director of the FBI, successors to the
initial appointive members.
(c) SUBSEQUENT BOARDS.—
(1) TERM OF OFFICE.—The term of office for
appointive members to subsequent Boards shall be 6
years.
(2) STAGGERED
TERMS.—The successor ap-
pointive Board members, at their first meeting, will
draw lots from 1 to 6 years.
(3) SUBSEQUENT
SELECTIONS.—The Board
shall select, with the advice and counsel of the presi-
dent of the University of Arkansas and the Director
of the FBI, successors as may be necessary or ap-
propriate to replace members who resign or other-
wise vacate their offices or whose terms of office ex-
pire within 90 days.
(4) TERM LIMIT.—No member shall serve more
than 1 uninterrupted 6-year term.
(5) ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN.—After the initial
Board has been replaced, as appropriate or nec-
essary, the Board shall elect a chairman from among
its appointive members. The chairman’s term of of-
fice shall be coextensive with that individual’s term
of office on the Board.
(d) FUNCTIONS.—The Board shall direct the exercise
of all of the business and powers of the Center, including
the adoption, amendment, and repeal of bylaws. The
Board shall appoint (subject to specific provisions herein)
and oversee the Executive Director and other corporate
officers in the performance of their duties.
(e) QUORUMS.—Vacancies on the Board shall not im-
pair the powers of the Board to execute the functions of
the Center if there are not less than 7 voting members
in office. Such number shall also constitute a quorum for
the transaction of the business of the Board.
(f) COMPENSATION AND STATUS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The members of the Board
shall serve without compensation from the Center
but are authorized to receive whatever pay, allow-
ances, and benefits to which they are otherwise enti-
tled by virtue of their Federal, State, or local gov-
ernment employment.
(2) EXPENSES.—The members may be com-
pensated for travel and per diem expenses by the
Center at rates authorized under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while
away from their permanent duty stations in the per-
formance of Center business.
(3) STATUS.—Other than the 2 ex officio mem-
bers from the FBI, members of the Board shall not
be considered officers or employees of the United
States for any purpose.
SEC. 6. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.
(a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—
(1) INITIAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Exec-
utive Director of the preexisting National Center for
Rural Law Enforcement at the University of Arkan-
sas shall serve as the initial Executive Director for
the Center with a term of 3 years.
(2) SUBSEQUENT
APPOINTMENTS.—After the
initial 3-year term of the first Executive Director,
the Board of Directors shall select and appoint,
without regard to the provisions of the civil service
laws applicable to officers and employees of the
United States, and after consultation with the Direc-
tor of the FBI and the president of the University
of Arkansas, a successor whose term of office shall
be 5 years.
(3) VACANCY.—The Board may at any time se-
lect and appoint, after consultation with the Director
of the FBI and the president of the University of
Arkansas, a successor to replace an Executive Direc-
tor who resigns or otherwise vacates office or whose
term of office will expire within 30 days. An Execu-
tive Director appointed to fill a vacancy occurring
prior to the expiration of the term for which the
predecessor was selected and appointed shall serve
for the remainder of such term.
(4) CONSECUTIVE
TERMS.—No person shall
serve as the Executive Director for more than 2 con-
secutive terms, excluding the term of the initial Ex-
ecutive Director.
(5) COMPENSATION.—The Board shall fix the
Executive Director’s compensation, benefits, and al-
lowances.
(6) DUTIES.—The Executive Director shall be
responsible to the Board of Directors for—
(A) the management and administration of
the Center,
(B) the conduct of its day-to-day affairs
and business,
(C) the performance of its officers, agents,
and employees, and
(D) the establishment of an advisory board
to assist the Executive Director with policy is-
sues.
(b) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—The Executive Director
shall select and nominate for appointment by the Board
such other senior officers, assistants, and employees as
may be necessary for the transaction of the Center’s busi-
ness and subject to Board concurrence, fix their com-
pensation and define their duties. Officers may be removed
by the Executive Director for cause subject to the concur-
rence of the Board. Assistants and other employees may
be removed by the Executive Director without Board con-
currence.
(c) FBI STAFF.—To assist the Center in carrying out
its functions and programs, the Director of the FBI may
assign, on a full-time basis, not more than 4 FBI person-
nel to the Center on a nonreimbursable basis. Personnel
so assigned will remain employees of the Federal Govern-
ment for all purposes and will not become employees of
the Center for any purpose.
(d) STATUS.—Unless otherwise an employee of the
Federal Government, officers and employees of the Center
shall not be considered to be employees of the United
States for any purpose.
SEC. 7. FUNCTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with the FBI, the
Center, an educational entity, shall provide for the devel-
opment of a rural law enforcement educational program
through consultation with institutions of higher learning
and the Board. The Center shall provide for—
(1) the development and delivery of manage-
ment education and training, clearinghouse, evalua-
tion, technical assistance, practical research and
evaluation, and computer and forensic education and
training for and to rural law enforcement agency
personnel, including supervisory and executive man-
agers;
(2) the delivery of technical assistance, includ-
ing research and studies into the causes and preven-
tion of criminal activity, to rural law enforcement
agencies;
(3) equitable education opportunities;
(B) conducting research focused on small
town and rural law enforcement needs;
(C) providing technical assistance;
(D) creating a clearinghouse focused on
small town and rural law enforcement;
(E) conducting evaluations for the benefit
of small town and rural law enforcement;
(F) providing education and training in
forensics; and
(G) providing education and training in
computers;
(2) confer with and request the assistance, serv-
ices, records, and facilities of State and local govern-
ments or other public or private agencies, organiza-
tions, and individuals; and
(3) procure the services of experts and consult-
ants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5,
United States Code, at rates of compensation not to
exceed the daily equivalent of the rate authorized for
members of the Senior Executive Service, ES–6,
Level V, as authorized by section 5352 of title 5,
United States Code.
SEC. 8. METHODS.
In carrying out its functions under this section, the
Center shall—
(1) utilize consensus building; and
(2) work in cooperation with—
(A) small town and rural, non urban law
enforcement agencies;
(B) agencies of Federal, State, and local
governments; and
(C) institutions of higher learning, law en-
forcement associations and other not-for-profit
organizations;
(3) request and receive from other Federal de-
partments and agencies such statistics, data, pro-
gram reports, and other materials necessary for the
Center to carry out its functions;
(4) arrange with and reimburse the heads of
other Federal departments and agencies for the use
of personnel, facilities, or equipment of such depart-
ments and agencies; and
(5) use the assistance, services, records, and fa-
cilities of State and local governments or other pub-
lic or private agencies, organizations, and individ-
uals.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Di-
rectors of the National Center for Rural Law En-
forcement.
(2) The term ‘‘Center’’ means the National
Center for Rural Law Enforcement.
(3) The term ‘‘Executive Director’’ means the
Executive Director of the National Center for Rural
Law Enforcement.
(4) The term ‘‘FBI’’ means the Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
(5) The term ‘‘rural area’’ means an area with
a population of 25,000 or less.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act—
(1) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 1997; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of
fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
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