§ 17-202. Membership

   (a) Composition; appointment and qualifications of members. --

   (1) The Board consists of 13 members appointed by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary.

   (2) Of the 13 Board members:

      (i) Four shall be licensed as clinical professional counselors;

      (ii) Three shall be licensed as clinical marriage and family therapists;

      (iii) Three shall be licensed as clinical alcohol and drug counselors;

      (iv) One shall be licensed as a clinical professional art therapist; and

      (v) Two shall be consumer members.

   (3) The composition of the Board as to the race and sex of its members shall reflect the composition of the population of the State.

   (4) The Governor shall appoint the counselors and therapists from a list submitted to the Governor by the Secretary. Any association representing professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, alcohol and drug counselors, or professional art therapists may submit recommendations for Board members to the Secretary.

(b) Qualifications of consumer member. -- The consumer members of the Board:

   (1) Shall be members of the general public;

   (2) May not be or ever have been certified or licensed as a counselor or therapist or in training to become certified or licensed as a counselor or therapist;

   (3) May not have a household member who is certified or licensed as a counselor or therapist or in training to become certified or licensed as a counselor or therapist;

   (4) May not participate or ever have participated in a commercial or professional field related to professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, or professional art therapy;

   (5) May not have a household member who participates in a commercial or professional field related to professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, or professional art therapy;

   (6) May not have had within 2 years before appointment a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board; and

   (7) While members of the Board, may not have a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board.

(c) Oath. -- Before taking office, each appointee to the Board shall take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the Maryland Constitution.

(d) Terms. --

   (1) The term of a member is 4 years.

   (2) The terms of the members of the Board are staggered as required by the terms of the members of the Board serving on July 1, 1988.

   (3) At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

   (4) A member may not serve more than 2 consecutive full terms.

   (5) To the extent practicable, the Governor shall fill any vacancy on the Board within 60 days of the date of the vacancy.

(e) Removal. --

   (1) The Governor may remove a member for incompetency, misconduct, or neglect of duty.

   (2) Upon the recommendation of the Secretary, the Governor may remove a member whom the Secretary finds to have been absent from 2 successive Board meetings without adequate reason.

HISTORY: 1985, ch. 734; 1990, ch. 6, § 11; 1992, chs. 433, 434; 1993, ch. 5, § 1; 1994, ch. 721; 1996, ch. 576, § 1; ch. 577, § 1; 1997, ch. 461; 1998, chs. 131, 132; 1999, ch. 437; 2000, ch. 61, § 1; 2008, ch. 505, § 2; 2009, ch. 60, § 5; 2010, ch. 727; 2012, chs. 628, 629.