Advisory council.

(1) There is created a 10-member advisory council.

(a) The Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation shall appoint six voting members to the advisory council. Each member appointed by the secretary must be an operator of an establishment licensed under this chapter and shall represent the industries regulated by the division, except that one member appointed by the secretary must be a layperson representing the general public and one member must be a hospitality education administrator from an institution of higher education of this state. Such members of the council shall serve staggered terms of 4 years.

(b) The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association shall designate one representative to serve as a voting member of the council. The Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association shall designate one representative to serve as a voting member of the council. The Florida Apartment Association and the Florida Association of Realtors shall each designate one representative to serve as a voting member of the council.

(c) Any member who fails to attend three consecutive council meetings without good cause may be removed from the council by the secretary.

(2) The purpose of the advisory council is to promote better relations, understanding, and cooperation between such industries and the division; to suggest means of better protecting the health, welfare, and safety of persons using the services offered by such industries; to give the division the benefit of its knowledge and experience concerning the industries and individual businesses affected by the laws and rules administered by the division; to promote and coordinate the development of programs to educate and train personnel for such industries; and to perform such other duties as prescribed by law.

(3)(a) The advisory council shall meet once each January, at which time a chairperson and vice chairperson shall be elected from the members. A member may not serve consecutive terms as a chairperson.

(b) The council shall meet at the request of the division or at the request of a majority of the members. However, the council may not hold more than one meeting in any calendar month.

(c) The council shall take action only by a majority vote of the members in attendance.

(d) The division shall provide necessary staff assistance to the council. All minutes and records of the council shall be maintained by the division and shall be made available to the public upon request.

(4) The members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to receive reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.

(5) The secretary and the division shall periodically review with the advisory council the division’s budget and financial status for the purpose of maintaining the financial stability of the division. The council shall make recommendations, when it deems appropriate, to the secretary and the division to ensure that adequate funding levels from fees, penalties, and other costs assessed by the division and paid by the industries it regulates are maintained.

(6) The division shall provide to the advisory council each year an annual internal audit of the financial records of the Hospitality Education Program for the purpose of permitting the advisory council to determine compliance with the provisions of s. 509.072(2).