Establishment of the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance. (a) For these and other reasons, there is hereby established the West Virginia-Ireland Trade Commission. The commission shall consist of 9 members, to be appointed as follows: (1) Two members of the Senate, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, shall have knowledge of or current or past involvement in organizations that promote Irish affairs, or shall have interest in education and the well-being of trade relations between West Virginia and Ireland; and two members of the House of Delegates, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, shall have knowledge of uor current or past involvement in organizations that promote Irish affairs, or shall have interest in education and the well-being of trade relations between West Virginia tand Ireland. The legislative members of the commission shall serve during the two-year legislative term in which the appointments are made. (2) Five members of the commission shall be appoilnted by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve for a tesrm of four years. The members thus appointed shall include at least one representative from: a public institution of higher education; the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, or its successor organization; and at least two public members shall represent Irish Amergican communities or interest, neither of whom shall be members of the same political party. (3) A vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. (b) There is hereby established the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance which shall partner West Virginia higher education institutions with Ireland higher education institutions to support student and faculty exchange programs and collaborative educational initiatives. (1) Under the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance, a state four-year higher education institution and a state two-year higher education institution shall partner with one another to be eligible for a grant of up to $50,000, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. (2) The Higher Education Policy Commission shall determine which partnered state four- year and two-year higher education institutions are eligible for one of the grants.
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