Section 15-5A-7 - Appointment of judges; initial appointment and term; service area(a) The judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to approval by a majority vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a majority vote of the House Committee on Judiciary. The Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Judiciary shall be authorized to meet jointly or separately, while in or out of a legislative session, as called in the discretion of each such chairperson, with notice provided by the chairpersons to such committee members, to consider the approval of such appointment.(b)(1) The initial judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court shall be appointed by July 1, 2019, and approved by December 31, 2019, or within three months of the Governor's appointment, whichever is later, and the judge shall serve an initial term beginning on August 1, 2020.(2) Beginning on January 1, 2020, such initial judge may perform the administrative duties required for establishing the Georgia State-wide Business Court and, if so, shall receive compensation as a judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court beginning on such date and for such purposes.(3)(A) The judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court shall serve for a term of five years and may be reappointed for any number of consecutive terms so long as he or she meets the qualifications of appointment at the time of each appointment and shall be reappointed and reapproved in the same manner as provided for in subsection (a) of this Code section.(B) Vacancies in the office of judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court shall be filled by appointment and approval in the same manner as provided for in subsection (a) of this Code section.(4) The judge of the Georgia State-wide Business Court shall be deemed to serve the geographical area of this state.Added by 2019 Ga. Laws 271,§ 1-1, eff. 5/7/2019.