(1) The Michigan law revision commission is created. The commission shall consist of the following:

    (a) Four members appointed by the council. Members appointed under this subdivision shall not be members of the legislature.

    (b) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the senate, 1 from the minority party.

    (c) Two members appointed by the speaker of the house, 1 from the minority party.

    (d) The director of the bureau or his or her designee, as an ex officio member.

    (2) The members first appointed by the council shall be appointed for such terms that the term of 1 member will expire on each succeeding December 31. The term of a member thereafter appointed by the council, except to fill a vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term, shall be 4 years from the expiration of the term of his or her predecessor. A vacancy in the office of a member appointed by the council occurring otherwise than by expiration of term, shall be filled by the council for the remainder of the unexpired term.

    (3) The council shall designate 1 of the members appointed by the council as chairperson of the commission. At least 3 members appointed by the council shall be attorneys admitted to practice in the courts of this state.

    (4) The 3 members of the commission appointed by the council under former Act No. 412 of the Public Acts of 1965 shall continue in office for the duration of the terms of office for which they were appointed and with the members appointed under subsection (1)(b) and (c), the director of the bureau or his or her designee, and the additional member appointed by the council under subsection (1)(a) shall constitute the Michigan law revision commission. Members shall be appointed by the council under subsection (1)(a) to replace the 3 members appointed by the council under former Act No. 412 of the Public Acts of 1965 only as the terms of those members expire. Members appointed by the council under former Act No. 412 of the Public Acts of 1965 may be appointed to the commission by the council under this section.

     Each member of the commission, other than the ex officio member, may receive an annual salary as established by the council. All members may be reimbursed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The commission may appoint such employees as may be needed, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation within the amount appropriated for the commission.

    (1) The Michigan law revision commission shall do each of the following:

    (a) Examine the common law and statutes of this state and current judicial decisions for the purpose of discovering defects and anachronisms in the law and recommending needed reforms.

    (b) Receive and consider proposed changes in the law recommended by the American law institute, the national conference of commissioners on uniform state laws, a bar association, or other learned bodies.

    (c) Receive and consider suggestions from justices, judges, legislators, public officials, lawyers, and the public generally as to defects and anachronisms in the law.

    (d) Recommend changes in the law it considers necessary in order to modify or eliminate antiquated and inequitable rules of law, and bring the law of this state into harmony with modern conditions.

    (e) Encourage the faculty and students of the law schools of this state to participate in the work of the commission.

    (f) Cooperate with law revision commissions of other states and Canadian provinces.

    (g) Report its findings and recommendations to the council and annually, before January 2 of each year, to the legislature. If the commission considers it advisable, it shall accompany the commission's report with proposed bills to implement the recommendations.

    (2) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the commission in the performance of an official function shall be made available to the public in compliance with the freedom of information act, Act No. 442 of the Public Acts of 1976, being sections 15.231 to 15.246 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.