§ 37:2654 — Board of examiners; creation; membership; appointment; terms; chair; quorum;

§2654. Board of examiners; creation; membership; appointment; terms; chair; quorum;
domicile
A.(1) The Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and
Audiology is hereby created within the Louisiana Department of Health 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 consumer 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 three of the members shall be practicing audiologists, one of
whom shall be a dispensing audiologist, at least three shall be practicing speech-language
pathologists, one of whom shall be currently employed in a public school setting, and one
shall be a consumer member.
(2)(a) The consumer member of the board 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.
(vi) Is an individual or a family member or spouse of an individual with a
communication disorder.
(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.
B. Members of the board shall be appointed by the governor for terms of three years
each or until their successors have been appointed.
C. Appointment to the board shall be made without regard to race or ethnicity, age,
religion, national origin, sex, or disability of the appointee. The board shall within not less
than thirty days prior to the expiration of each term of office, submit to the governor a list
of the names of interested and qualified individuals for each respective category of board
member identified through notice to 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.
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 of interested and qualified individuals submitted by the board.
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 licensed pursuant to this Chapter. In order to be
eligible for these positions, an individual shall have served as a member of the board for a
minimum of two years. A chair shall serve no more than three consecutive full years.
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 quarter. Meetings may be conducted in accordance with
Robert's Rules of Order. 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.
H. No member 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 board meeting within this state and may be reimbursed for all other reasonable
and necessary expenses incurred in attending board meetings or on necessary business of the
board which is authorized by the board.
I. No member of the board shall be an officer or hold any leadership position in a
state speech-language pathology or audiology professional association for the term of the
member's appointment to the board. For the purposes of this Subsection, "leadership
position" shall include but not be limited to an elected or appointed position as a member of
the state executive board, service on an ethics committee or membership committee, or other
similar positions of the state professional association.
J. There shall be a secretary-treasurer of the board who shall be elected annually from
among the members of the board. The secretary-treasurer shall review financial records and,
together with one of the officers of the board, shall co-sign all checks disbursing funds of the
board.
K. The domicile of the board shall be the parish of East Baton Rouge.

Legislative History

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; Acts 2017, No. 302, §1; Acts 2018, No. 515, §2.