Maryland Health Occupations Section 17-202

      (a)      (1)      The Board consists of nine members appointed by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary.

            (2)      Of the nine Board members:

                  (i)      Five shall be licensed as professional counselors under Subtitle 3A of this title, including:

                        1.      One who is primarily engaged in professional counselor education;

                        2.      One who is employed in the private sector;

                        3.      One who is employed in the public sector; and

                        4.      Two professional counselors at large;

                  (ii)      One shall be a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist;

                  (iii)      One shall be a certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug or licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor; and

                  (iv)      Two shall be consumer members.

            (3)      The composition of the Board as to the race and sex of its members shall reflect the composition of the population of the State.

            (4)      The Governor shall appoint the professional counselors from a list submitted to the Governor by the Secretary. Any association representing professional counselors may submit recommendations for Board members to the Secretary.

      (b)      The consumer members of the Board:

            (1)      Shall be members of the general public;

            (2)      May not be or ever have been a certified or licensed professional counselor or in training to become a certified or licensed professional counselor;

            (3)      May not have a household member who is a certified or licensed professional counselor or in training to become a certified or licensed professional counselor;

            (4)      May not participate or ever have participated in a commercial or professional field related to professional counseling;

            (5)      May not have a household member who participates in a commercial or professional field related to professional counseling;

            (6)      May not have had within 2 years before appointment a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board; and

            (7)      While members of the Board, may not have a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board.

      (c)      The licensed clinical marriage and family therapy member of the Board shall:

            (1)      Have a master's or doctoral degree in a marriage and family therapy field; and

            (2)      Meet the educational and supervised experience requirements of § 17-302 of this title.

      (d)      The certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug or licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor member of the Board shall:

            (1)      Have a master's or doctoral degree in a health and human services counseling field; and

            (2)      Meet the educational and supervised experience requirements of § 17-302.3 of this title.

      (e)      A certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug or a certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug shall be appointed by the Governor to serve as an advisor to the Board.

      (f)      Before taking office, each appointee to the Board shall take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the State Constitution.

      (g)      (1)      The term of a member is 4 years.

            (2)      The terms of the members of the Board are staggered as required by the terms of the members of the Board serving on July 1, 1988.

            (3)      At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

            (4)      A member may not serve more than 2 consecutive full terms.

            (5)      To the extent practicable, the Governor shall fill any vacancy on the Board within 60 days of the date of the vacancy.

      (h)      (1)      The Governor may remove a member for incompetency, misconduct, or neglect of duty.

            (2)      Upon the recommendation of the Secretary, the Governor may remove a member whom the Secretary finds to have been absent from 2 successive Board meetings without adequate reason.