ESTABLISHMENT.

(a) The Prescribed Burning Board is established within the department and is composed of:

(1) an employee of the Texas Forest Service designated by the director of the Texas Forest Service;

(2) an employee of the Parks and Wildlife Department appointed by the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department;

(3) an employee of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality appointed by the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;

(4) an employee of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service appointed by the executive director of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service;

(5) an employee of Texas AgriLife Research appointed by the director of Texas AgriLife Research;

(6) an employee of the Texas Tech University Range and Wildlife Department appointed by the dean of the Texas Tech University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources;

(7) an employee of the department appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;

(8) an employee of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board appointed by the executive director of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board; and

(9) five persons who are:

(A) owners of agricultural land, as that term is defined by Section 153.081;

(B) self-employed or employed by a person other than a governmental entity; and

(C) appointed by the commissioner of agriculture.

(b) A member serves for a two-year term.

(c) The board shall, by majority vote, elect a presiding officer from the members of the board.

(d) Appointments to the board shall be made without regard to the race, creed, sex, disability, age, religion, or national origin of the appointees.

(e) It is a ground for removal from the board that a member:

(1) does not have at the time of appointment the qualifications required by Subsection (a) for appointment to the board;

(2) does not maintain during the service on the board the qualifications required by Subsection (a) for appointment to the board;

(3) cannot because of illness or disability discharge the member's duties for a substantial part of the term for which the member is appointed; or

(4) is absent from more than half of the regularly scheduled board meetings that the member is eligible to attend during a calendar year unless the absence is excused by majority vote of the board.

(f) The validity of an action of the board is not affected by the fact that it was taken when a ground for removal of a member of the board existed.