§2353. State board of examiners; organization; duties; meetings; fees

A.(1) There is hereby created within the Louisiana Department of Health a Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists which shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 36:803. The board shall consist of six members to be comprised of five psychologists and one consumer.

(2) The governor shall appoint members for terms of five years. Each appointment by the governor shall be subject to Senate confirmation. A board member shall not be eligible to succeed himself. All psychologist appointments shall be from a list provided by the Louisiana Psychological Association. The list shall report the results of an election in which persons qualified for board membership may nominate themselves and in which licensed members of the Louisiana Psychological Association and other persons licensed under this Chapter are entitled to one vote for each vacancy on the board. The consumer member may apply directly to the office of the governor. The governor shall ensure that his appointments demonstrate race, gender, ethnic, and geographical diversity.

(3)(a) Each psychologist board member shall be a citizen of the United States, resident of the state of Louisiana, shall have rendered service, teaching, training, or research in psychology for at least five years, shall have held a doctoral degree in psychology from a school or college as defined in this Chapter for a period of five years, and shall be licensed under this Chapter for a minimum of five years.

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

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

(bb) Has attained the age of majority.

(cc) 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).

(dd) Has never been convicted of a felony.

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

(ii) 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.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, no person shall be eligible to serve as a board member if he is employed by the board, has a contract with the board for services, or within the preceding twelve months of his nomination was employed by the board or had a contract with the board for services.

(5) Board members shall serve without compensation but shall receive seventy-five dollars per diem allowance plus the mileage rate provided state employees to cover expenses incurred while engaged in the discharge of their duties.

(6) Membership on the board of a public employee or official shall not constitute dual office holding within the meaning of R.S. 42:61 et seq.

(7) Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.

B. The board shall, annually in the month of July, hold a meeting and elect from its membership a chairman and vice chairman. Special sessions may be called by the chairman or the governor. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting or hearing.

C. The board is authorized and empowered to:

(1) Adopt, and from time to time, revise, such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the law as may be necessary to effect the provisions of this Chapter.

(2) Employ, within the limits of the funds received by the board, an administrative assistant, general legal counsel, or other personnel necessary for the proper performance of work under this Chapter.

(3) Adopt a seal, which shall be affixed to all licenses issued by the board.

(4) Examine for, deny, approve, revoke, suspend, and renew the licenses of applicants, candidates, and psychologists as provided under this Chapter.

(5) Conduct hearings upon complaints concerning the disciplining of a person licensed pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter and within the limitations established under Chapter 1-A of Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(6) Cause the prosecution and enjoinder of all persons violating this Chapter, and incur necessary expenses therefor.

D. The board shall have the authority to correct an error made in processing an application, examining a candidate, investigating a complaint, rendering due process during hearings, or in any of its other activities.

E. Any person aggrieved by an action of the board may seek judicial review in the district court for the parish of East Baton Rouge in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 49:950 et seq.

F. Within thirty days after the close of each fiscal year, the board shall submit a report, reviewed and signed by the board members, to the governor, concerning the financial and professional transactions of the board during the preceding fiscal year.

G. This board shall be financially self-sufficient. It shall receive no state funds through appropriation or otherwise and shall not expend any such state funds. No state funds shall be expended or committed to expenditure for the group benefits program or any other health insurance or employee benefit program, for any retirement system, for any salary, per diem payment, travel or expenses, office supplies and materials, rent, purchase of any product or service, or for any other purpose.

Added by Acts 1964, No. 347, §3. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 329, §1; Acts 1977, No. 684, §24; Acts 1982, No. 817, §1; Acts 1984, No. 931, §1; Acts 1985, No. 720, §1; Acts 1987, No. 915, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1995, No. 1302, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 2015, No. 255, §1; Acts 2017, No. 234, §1, eff. June 14, 2017; Acts 2018, No. 515, §2.