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There is hereby created a board of communications disorders and sciences.
The board shall consist of seven (7) members who are appointed by the governor, who are residents of this state, five (5) of whom are currently practicing as speech language pathologists or audiologists and who have been engaged in rendering services, teaching or research in speech language pathology or audiology for a period of at least five (5) years, one (1) of whom shall be a consumer member who is not affiliated with the profession of speech language pathology and audiology and one (1) physician licensed by this state whose medical specialty is otolaryngology.
Of the six (6) nonphysician members of the board, at least two (2) shall be audiologists and at least two (2) shall be speech language pathologists, the fifth member shall be either a speech language pathologist or audiologist and the sixth member shall be a consumer. The five (5) nonphysician members engaged in rendering services, teaching or research in speech language pathology or audiology shall hold an active and valid license in this state.
The members of the board shall serve until the expiration of the term for which they have been appointed or until their successors are qualified. Their appointments shall be made as follows:
Initially, of the six (6) nonphysician members of the board, two (2) shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year, two (2) members shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years and two (2) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. The consumer member shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. All appointments made thereafter shall be for a term of three (3) years;
The physician member of the board may be selected by the governor from lists of qualified nominees submitted by interested otolaryngology groups including, but not limited to, the Tennessee Academy of Otolaryngology and shall serve for a term of three (3) years. The governor shall consult with such interested groups to determine qualified persons to fill the position. If for any reason a vacancy occurs in the office of a physician member of the board, an appointment shall be made as provided in this section, and the person so appointed shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term; and
In making appointments to the board, the governor shall strive to ensure that at least one (1) person serving on the board is sixty (60) years of age or older and that at least one (1) person serving on the board is a member of a racial minority.
The board shall reorganize annually and select a chair and a secretary. Four (4) members of the board constitute a quorum to do business.
The board shall hold at least one (1) regular meeting each year. Additional meetings may be held upon call of the chair or after the written request of any two (2) members of the board.
All meetings of the board shall be open and public, except that the board may hold executive sessions:
To prepare, approve, grade or administer examinations; and
Upon the request of an applicant who fails an examination, to prepare a response indicating the cause of the applicant's failure.
No person shall be appointed to serve more than two (2) consecutive terms.
When a vacancy in the office of one (1) of the five (5) nonphysician members engaged in rendering services, teaching or research in speech language pathology or audiology occurs, interested audiology and speech pathology groups including, but not limited to, the Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists may submit lists of qualified nominees to be considered for the vacancy. The governor shall consult with such interested groups to determine qualified persons to fill the vacancy.