2015 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 37 - Professions and Occupations
RS 37:3554 - Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy; creation, membership, qualifications, terms, vacancies, officers, meetings, reimbursement, liability

§3554. Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy; creation, membership, qualifications, terms, vacancies, officers, meetings, reimbursement, liability

A.(1) The Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy is hereby created within the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. It shall be composed of seven members appointed by the governor. Five of the members shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted to the governor by professional massage therapy and bodywork associations. From the list of association nominees, three of the persons appointed shall be licensed massage therapists. Two lay members shall be appointed from the list of nominees, both of whom shall be consumers who have never been nor are currently a licensed massage therapist in the state. Two additional licensed massage therapists shall be appointed to the board from a general list of names which are submitted for consideration by other interested sources or individuals.

(2) All massage therapists appointed to the board by the governor shall be licensed and in good standing under this Chapter. The appointees shall have practiced massage therapy for at least three years.

B. All members of the board shall serve two-year terms. No member shall serve more than three consecutive terms. For the purposes of staggering the board member terms, the governor shall appoint to the board three massage therapists and one lay member in odd-numbered years and two massage therapists and one lay member in even-numbered years.

C. A vacancy on the board occurring prior to expiration of a term shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment for the remainder of the term.

D. The board shall meet at least twice each year. Additional board meetings may be held at the call of the chairman or upon the written request of any three members of the board.

E. Each year, the board shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer from its membership and shall maintain records of the attendance of its members at board meetings.

F. Each member of the board shall serve with compensation, not to exceed fifty dollars per day consisting of at least three hours of board business, including travel time. Board members shall be reimbursed for travel and related expenses incurred, not to exceed those expenses authorized for reimbursement by the Department of Health and Hospitals, for each day that the member engages in board business.

G. No member of the board shall be liable to civil action for any act performed in good faith in the execution of his duties as a board member.

Acts 1992, No. 753, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1992.; Acts 2001, No. 387, §1; Acts 2012, No. 605, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2013.