Whenever an election is to be held by the General Assembly in joint session to elect a person to serve on the Public Service Commission, a joint committee, composed of ten members, three of whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, three of whom shall be members of the Senate, two of whom shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate from the general public at-large, and two of whom appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the general public at-large shall be appointed to consider the qualifications of the candidates. Each body shall determine how its respective legislative members shall be selected. Provided, however, that in making appointments to the joint committee, race, gender, and other demographic factors should be considered to assure nondiscrimination, inclusion, and representation to the greatest extent possible of all segments of the population of the State. The joint committee shall meet as soon after its appointment as may be practicable and shall elect one of its members as chairman, one as secretary, and such other officers as it may deem desirable. The joint committee shall conduct its screening pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-19-10 et seq.

The members of the general public appointed by the Speaker and the President Pro Tempore must be representative of all citizens of this State, must not be members of the General Assembly, and must not be affiliated in any way with an entity regulated by the commission.

In screening such persons for election to the Public Service Commission the joint committee shall seek to establish a commission which shall be broadly representative of the people of the State, men and women of ability and dedication with compassion and common sense. In screening persons for election to the Public Service Commission, the joint committee shall consider the knowledge and experience of the potential appointees in such varied fields as business, government, accounting, law, engineering, statistics, consumer affairs and finance. In making its findings the joint committee shall seek to find the best qualified people giving due consideration to their ability and integrity.