2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 40:1232.2 — Louisiana emergency medical services certification commission; creation; membership; qualifications; terms; vacancies; meetings; officers; compensation; domicile

§1232.2.  Louisiana Emergency Medical Services Certification Commission; creation; membership; qualifications; terms; vacancies; meetings; officers; compensation; domicile

A.  The Louisiana Emergency Medical Services Certification Commission is hereby created within the Department of Health and Hospitals.

B.(1)  The commission shall be composed of nine voting members appointed by the governor as follows:

(a)  Two emergency medical services administrators, including one representing the private sector and one representing the public sector.

(b)  Two certified emergency medical technician-paramedics and one emergency medical technician-basic, at least one of whom shall be a full-time employee of a fire department, who are certified as emergency medical services instructors by the bureau.

(c)  Four physicians, one from each of the following organizations:

(i)  The American College of Emergency Physicians.

(ii)  The American College of Surgeons.

(iii)  The Louisiana State Medical Society.

(iv)  The American Academy of Pediatrics.

(2)  The commission shall also have one nonvoting member appointed by the governor who is a registered nurse and who is a state-certified paramedic to be nominated by the Louisiana State Nurses Association from a list of two names submitted by the Louisiana Emergency Nurses Association.

C.  Each member of the commission shall be a resident of Louisiana for at least one year, have had three years experience in his respective field of practice, and be actively engaged in the practice of emergency medical services at the time of his appointment.

D.(1)  The initial voting members of the commission shall be appointed no later than October 1, 1997, from a list of two nominees for each appointment submitted by the task force.  If the task force fails to submit a list of nominees to the governor by September 1, 1997, the governor shall appoint the respective members of the commission without the nomination list required by this Section.

(2)  The nonvoting member shall be appointed to serve terms of three years. The initial member shall be appointed by the governor to an initial term of three years by October 1, 1997 or within thirty days of receipt of the list from the Louisiana State Nurses Association, whichever is later.

E.  Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.

F.(1)  The voting members appointed to the commission shall serve as follows:  three members shall be appointed to serve an initial term of one year; three members shall be appointed to serve an initial term of two years; and three members shall be appointed to serve an initial term of three years.  Thereafter, each member shall be appointed to serve a term of three years.

(2)  No individual shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

G.(1)  Subsequent to the appointment of the initial members, the voting members shall be appointed from a list of two nominees for each appointment submitted by the task force.  No later than thirty days prior to the termination date of a member's term, the task force or, for the nonvoting member, the Louisiana State Nurses Association, shall submit a list of nominees to the governor.  If the Louisiana State Nurses Association or the task force fails to submit the required list of nominees to the governor within thirty days, the governor shall appoint the respective member to fill the vacancy without the nomination list required.

(2)  A vacancy on the commission prior to the expiration of a term shall be filled for the remainder of the term.  No later than thirty days after the occurrence of a vacancy prior to the expiration of a term, the task force or, for the nonvoting member, the Louisiana State Nurses Association, shall submit a list of nominees to the governor.  If the Louisiana State Nurses Association or the task force fails to submit the required list of nominees to the governor within thirty days, the governor shall appoint the respective member to fill the vacancy without the nomination list required.

H.  The governor shall call the first meeting of the commission no later than November 30, 1997.  At a minimum, the commission shall meet on a quarterly basis and, in addition, shall meet when called by  the chairman or upon the written request of at least four voting members of the commission.

I.  The commission shall annually elect a chairman, vice chairman, and secretary from among its voting membership and shall maintain a record of the attendance of its members at commission meetings.

J.  For each day while performing his official duties, a member of the commission may be reimbursed for expenses and mileage at the same rate set by the division of administration for state employees under the provisions of R.S. 39:231.

K.  The commission shall be domiciled in Baton Rouge.

L.  The governor shall remove a member of the commission after a hearing by the commission during which charges for removal have been established and provided that a majority of the members have recommended removal.

Acts 1997, No. 913, §2.