45 CFR § 2550.60 - From which of the State Commission requirements is an Alternative Administrative Entity exempt?
(a) An AAE is not automatically exempt from any of the requirements that govern State Commissions. However, there are three specific State Commission requirements which the Corporation may waive if a State can demonstrate that one or more of them is impossible or unreasonable to meet. If the Corporation waives a State Commission requirement for a State entity, that State entity is, de facto, an AAE. The three criteria which may be waived for an AAE are as follows:
(1) The requirement that a State's chief executive officer appoint the members of a State Commission. If a State can offer a compelling reason why some or all of the State Commission members should be appointed by the State legislature or by some other appropriate means, the Corporation may grant a waiver.
(2) The requirement that a State Commission have 15-25 members. If a State compellingly demonstrates why its commission should have a larger number of members, the Corporation may grant a waiver.
(3) The requirement that not more than 50% plus one of the State Commission's voting members be from the same political party. This requirement was established to prevent State Commissions from being politically motivated or controlled; however, in some States it is illegal to require prospective members to provide information about political party affiliation. For this or another compelling reason, the Corporation may grant a waiver.
(b) Again, any time the Corporation grants one or more of these waivers for a State entity, that entity becomes an AAE; in all other respects an AAE is the same as a State Commission, having the same requirements, rights, duties and responsibilities.