2015 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 37 - Professions and Occupations
RS 37:2654 - Board of examiners; creation; membership; appointment; terms; chair; quorum

§2654. Board of examiners; creation; membership; appointment; terms; chair; quorum

A. The Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology is hereby created within the Department of Health and Hospitals and is subject to the provisions of R.S. 36:803. The board shall consist of seven persons who are residents of this state, and who, except for the public and physician member, have been engaged in providing service, or in teaching, or research in speech-language pathology or audiology for at least five years prior to appointment and who are licensed speech-language pathologists or audiologists under this Chapter. At least two of the members shall be practicing audiologists, one of whom shall be a dispensing audiologist, at least two shall be practicing speech-language pathologists, one of whom shall be currently certified by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as a specialist of speech-language pathology and currently employed in a school setting, one shall be either a practicing speech-language pathologist or a practicing audiologist, one shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners who shall serve in an advisory capacity only and shall not be a voting member of the board, and one shall be a public member.

(1) No public member shall:

(a) Have ever actively engaged in the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology.

(b) Be employed by, own, or participate in the management of an agency or business entity that sells, manufactures, or distributes health care supplies or equipment or provides health care services.

(c) Be an elected official.

(2) The public member shall be an individual or a family member/spouse of an individual who is deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired or a member of an advocacy group committed to the advancement of the well-being of the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

B. Members of the board shall be appointed by the governor for terms of three years each or until their successors have been appointed and take office. The public member shall be appointed to the board on or before August 15, 1995.

C.(1) Appointment to the board shall be made without regard to race, creed, sex, religion, or national origin of the appointee. The Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association, shall within not less than thirty days prior to the expiration of each term of office, submit to the governor a list of at least three names for each respective professional service category of board member, except the physician member and the public member, selected by all licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists in this state, from which the governor shall make his appointment to fill the office for the next succeeding term.

(2) The Louisiana State Medical Society shall, within not less than thirty days prior to the expiration of the term of office of the physician member of the board submit to the governor a list of at least three names of physicians from which the governor shall make the appointment of the physician member of the board for the next succeeding term. The Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association shall, within not less than thirty days prior to the expiration of the term of office of the public member, submit to the governor a list of three names selected by all licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists in this state from which the governor shall make his appointment to fill the office for the next succeeding term. The three names shall be selected from those nominees submitted by any individual or advocacy group which meets the qualifications and requirements listed under Paragraph A(2) of this Section.

D. Any vacancy on the board occurring for any cause except the expiration of the term, shall be filled by the governor for the unexpired portion of the term from a list of names submitted by the board or the Louisiana Medical Society for a physician vacancy on the board or for the public member from names submitted to the board by an individual or advocacy group which meets the qualifications and requirements of Paragraph A(2) of this Section.

E. No person shall be eligible to serve for more than two consecutive three-year terms. All members appointed by the governor shall be confirmed by the Senate.

F. There shall be a chair and a vice chair of the board, who shall be elected annually from among the members of the board. A chair shall serve no more than three consecutive full years. Four members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the board provided that at least one speech-language pathologist and one audiologist are present.

G. Regular meetings of the board shall be held at such times and places as is prescribed and special meetings may be held upon the call of the chair, provided that at least one regular meeting be held each year.

H. No member of the board shall be paid any compensation for duties performed as a member of the board, but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary travel expenses in attending any meeting of the board within this state and may be reimbursed for all other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the board or on necessary business of the board which is authorized by the board.

Added by Acts 1972, No. 260, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1973. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 684, §27; Acts 1978, No. 384, §1, eff. July 1, 1979; Acts 1995, No. 892, §2.