§3444. Louisiana Licensed Professional Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Board of Examiners

            A. There is hereby created in the Louisiana Department of Health the Louisiana Licensed Professional Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Board of Examiners, referred to hereafter in this Chapter as the "board", consisting of five members who shall be residents of the state of Louisiana. The members shall be appointed by the governor from a list of qualified candidates supplied by the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals-Louisiana, as specified in this Section. The consumer member may apply directly to the office of the governor. Each term shall be for four years. Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation. The governor shall ensure that his appointments demonstrate race, gender, ethnic, and geographical diversity.

            B.(1) The membership of the board shall consist of four licensed professional vocational rehabilitation counselors and one consumer from the public at large. The board shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as this Chapter prescribes and confers upon it. No member of the board shall be individually liable for any act or omission resulting in damage or injury arising out of the exercise of his judgment in the formation and implementation of policy while acting as a member of the board, provided he was acting in good faith and within the scope of his official functions and duties, unless the damage or injury was caused by his willful or wanton misconduct.

            (2)(a) The consumer member shall be selected from the state at large and shall possess all of the following qualifications:

            (i) Is a citizen of the United States and has been a resident of Louisiana for at least one year immediately prior to appointment.

            (ii) Has attained the age of majority.

            (iii) Has never been licensed by any of the licensing boards identified in R.S. 36:259(A), nor shall he have a spouse who has ever been licensed by a board identified in R.S. 36:259(A).

            (iv) Has never been convicted of a felony.

            (v) Does not have and has never had a material financial interest in the healthcare profession.

            (b) The consumer member shall be a full voting member of the board with all rights and privileges conferred on board members, except that the consumer member shall not participate in the grading of individual examinations.

            C. No board member shall serve more than two full consecutive terms. Subsequent appointments to the board shall be made by the governor from a list of qualified candidates by the executive committee of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals-Louisiana. Any board member may be removed by the governor or majority vote of the board, after notice and hearing, for incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or moral turpitude. Any vacancy occurring in board membership, other than by expiration of term, shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the governor within thirty days from a list of qualified candidates supplied by the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals-Louisiana.

            D. Each board member shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual travel, incidental, and clerical expenses incurred while engaged on official board business.

            E. Each board member shall take the constitutional oath of office for state officials before any officer authorized to administer oaths in this state.

            Acts 1988, No. 555, §1, eff. July 14, 1988; Acts 1989, No. 456, §1; Acts 2018, No. 515, §2; Acts 2018, No. 626, §1.