1. There is hereby established the “Missouri Board on Geographic Names”. The board shall be assigned for administrative purposes to the office of the secretary of state.

2. The board shall consist of nineteen members as follows:

(1) The secretary of state, who shall serve as chair of the board;

(2) Eight citizens of Missouri appointed by the secretary of state;

(3) The director or the director’s designee of the department of transportation;

(4) The director or the director’s designee of the department of conservation;

(5) The director or the director’s designee of the department of natural resources;

(6) The director or the director’s designee of the department of agriculture;

(7) The commissioner or the commissioner’s designee of the office of administration;

(8) The director or the director’s designee of the state archives;

(9) The executive director or the executive director’s designee of the state historical society of Missouri;

(10) The director or the director’s designee of the United States Geological Survey;

(11) The director or the director’s designee of the United States Forest Service; and

(12) The director or the director’s designee of the United States Corps of Engineers.

3. Appointed members of the board shall serve three-year terms and shall serve until their successors are appointed. Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and such member appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

4. The board shall meet annually and as otherwise required by the secretary of state.

5. The board shall designate from its members a vice chair and shall adopt written guidelines to govern the management of the board.

6. Each member of the board shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the board.

7. The secretary of state shall designate an employee of the secretary of state’s office as executive secretary for the board, who shall serve as a nonvoting member and shall maintain the records of the board’s activities and decisions and shall be responsible for correspondence between the board and the United States Board on Geographic Names and other agencies.

8. The board shall:

(1) Receive and evaluate all proposals for changes in or additions to names of geographic features and places in the state of Missouri to determine the most appropriate and acceptable names for use in maps and official documents of all levels of government;

(2) Make official recommendations to the United States Board on Geographic Names on behalf of the state of Missouri with respect to each proposal;

(3) Assist and cooperate with the United States Board on Geographic Names in matters relating to names of geographic features and places in Missouri;

(4) Assist in the maintenance of a Missouri geographic names database as part of the national database;

(5) Maintain a list of advisors who have special interest and knowledge in Missouri history, geography, or culture and consult with such advisors on a regular basis in the course of the board’s deliberations;

(6) Develop and revise state priorities for geographic records projects following guidelines of the United States Board on Geographic Names; and

(7) Submit a report on its activities annually to the general assembly.

9. The board may apply for moneys through federal and state grant programs to sponsor and publish surveys of the condition and needs of geographic records in the state of Missouri and to solicit or develop proposals for projects to be carried out in the state for preservation of geographic records and publications.