Bill Text: WV SB138 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to Board of Medicine composition
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-04-20 - Chapter 196, Acts, Regular Session, 2022 [SB138 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2022-SB138-Introduced.html
WEST virginia legislature
2022 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 138
By Senator Takubo
[Introduced January 12, 2022;
referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources]
A BILL to amend and reenact §30-3-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to West Virginia Board of Medicine composition.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 3. WEST VIRGINIA MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT.
§30-3-5. West Virginia Board of Medicine powers and duties continued; appointment and terms of members; vacancies; removal.
The West Virginia Board of Medicine has assumed, carried on and succeeded to all the duties, rights, powers, obligations and liabilities heretofore belonging to or exercised by the Medical Licensing Board of West Virginia. All the rules, orders, rulings, licenses, certificates, permits and other acts and undertakings of the medical licensing board of West Virginia as heretofore constituted have continued as those of the West Virginia Board of Medicine until they expired or were amended, altered or revoked. The board remains the sole authority for the issuance of licenses to practice medicine and surgery and to practice podiatry and to practice as physician assistants in this state under the supervision of physicians licensed under this article. The board shall continue to be a regulatory and disciplinary body for the practice of medicine and surgery and the practice of podiatry and for physician assistants in this state.
The board shall consist of sixteen
fifteen members. One member shall be the state health officer ex
officio, with the right to vote as a member of the board. The other fifteen
members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the
Senate. Eight of the members shall be appointed from among individuals holding
the degree of doctor of medicine and two shall hold the degree of doctor of
podiatric medicine. Two members shall be physician assistants licensed by the
board. Each of these members must be duly licensed to practice his or her
profession in this state on the date of appointment and must have been licensed
and actively practicing that profession for at least five years immediately
preceding the date of appointment. Three lay members shall be appointed to
represent health care consumers. Neither the lay members nor any person of the
lay members’ immediate families shall be a provider of or be employed by a
provider of health care services. The state health officer’s term shall
continue for the period that he or she holds office as state health officer.
Each other member of the board shall be appointed to serve a term of five
years: Provided, That the members of the Board of Medicine holding
appointments on the effective date of this section shall continue to serve as
members of the Board of Medicine until the expiration of their term unless
sooner removed. Each term shall begin on October 1 of the applicable year and a
member may not be appointed to more than two consecutive full terms on the
board.
A person is not eligible for membership on the board who is a member of any political party executive committee or, with the exception of the state health officer, who holds any public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state or any political subdivision thereof.
In making appointments to the board, the Governor shall, so far as practicable, select the members from different geographical sections of the state. When a vacancy on the board occurs and less than one year remains in the unexpired term, the appointee shall be eligible to serve the remainder of the unexpired term and two consecutive full terms on the board.
No member may be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty or gross immorality: Provided, That the expiration, surrender or revocation of the professional license by the board of a member of the board shall cause the membership to immediately and automatically terminate.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to modify the composition of the board to reduce membership by one member. In conformity with the proportionality principles, one podiatric physician member is eliminated.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
