Sec. 86.52.  REAL ESTATE RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  (a)  The Real Estate Research Advisory Committee is created.
(b)  The advisory committee is composed of nine persons appointed by the governor, without regard to the race, creed, sex, religion, or national origin of the appointee and with the advice and consent of the senate, with the following representation:
(1)  six members shall be real estate brokers, licensed as such for at least five years preceding the date of their appointment, who are representative of each of the following real estate specialties:
(A)  one member shall be principally engaged in real estate brokerage;
(B)  one member shall be principally engaged in real estate financing;
(C)  one member shall be principally engaged in the ownership or construction of real estate improvements;
(D)  one member shall be principally engaged in the ownership, development or management of residential properties;
(E)  one member shall be principally engaged in the ownership, development or management of commercial properties;  and
(F)  one member shall be principally engaged in the ownership, development or management of industrial properties;
(2)  three members shall be representatives of the general public;
(3)  members representative of the general public who are appointed after the effective date of this Act shall not be licensed real estate brokers or salesmen and shall not have, other than as consumers, a financial interest in the practice of a licensed real estate broker or salesman;  and
(4)  it is grounds for removal from the advisory committee if:
(A)  a broker member of the committee ceases to be a licensed real estate broker;  or
(B)  a public member of the committee appointed after the effective date of this Act or a person related to the member within the second degree by consanguinity or within the second degree by affinity, as determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, acquires a real estate license or a financial interest in the practice of a licensed real estate broker or salesman.
(c)  Members of the advisory committee hold office for staggered terms of six years, with the terms of three members expiring on January 31 of each odd-numbered year. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term. Each member shall serve until the member's successor is qualified.
(d)  The presiding officer of the Texas Real Estate Commission, or a member of the commission designated by the presiding officer, shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the advisory committee.
(e)  The advisory committee shall elect a presiding officer and an assistant presiding officer from the committee's membership, and each officer shall serve for a term of one year.
(f)  The advisory committee shall meet not less than semiannually, and in addition on call of the committee's presiding officer, on petition of any six of the committee's members, or on call of the executive director of the center or the executive director's designated representative.
(g)  The advisory committee shall review and approve proposals to be submitted to the board of directors of The Texas A & M University System relating to staffing and general policies including priority ranking of research studies and educational and other studies.
(h)  The executive director of the center or the executive director's designated representative shall submit to the advisory committee in advance of each fiscal year a budget for expenditures of all funds provided for the center in a form that is related to the proposed schedule of activities for the review and approval of the advisory committee. The proposed budget approved by the advisory committee shall be forwarded with the comments of the committee to the board of directors of The Texas A&M University System prior to its action on the proposed budget, and the board of directors of The Texas A&M University System shall not authorize any expenditure that has not had the prior approval of the advisory committee.
(i)  The president of Texas A&M University or the president's designated representative shall submit to the advisory committee for its review and approval a research agenda at the beginning of each fiscal year and shall continuously inform the advisory committee of changes in its substance and scheduling.
(j)  Each member of the advisory committee is entitled to a per diem as provided in the center's budget for each day that the member engages in the business of the committee. A member is entitled to compensation for transportation and travel expenses, including expenses for meals and lodging as provided in the center's budget.
(k)  Except as provided by Subsection (l), the advisory committee is subject to Chapter 551, Government Code, Chapter 2001, Government Code, and the provisions of Chapter 572, Government Code.
(l)  The advisory committee may conduct a meeting by conference call or virtually through a third-party Internet application as long as members of the general public are able to participate in the meeting, and any discussions during the meeting, if the meeting is not permitted to be conducted as a closed meeting under Chapter 551, Government Code.
(m)  The financial transactions of the center are subject to audit by the state auditor in accordance with Chapter 321, Government Code.
Added by Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 3342, ch. 1024, art. 2, Sec. 12, eff. Sept 1, 1971.  Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3251, ch. 856, Sec. 1, 2, eff. June 18, 1981;  Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 584, Sec. 87, eff. Sept. 1, 1989;  Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 561, Sec. 13, eff. Aug. 26, 1991;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.95(27), (39), (63), (81), eff. Sept. 1, 1995;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 641, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1083 (S.B. 1179), Sec. 25(22), eff. June 17, 2011.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 94 (S.B. 1577), Sec. 3, eff. January 1, 2024.