<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gho" article_name="Health Occupations" number="11-202" title_number="11" title_name="Optometrists" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="State Board of Examiners in Optometry">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Board consists of 7 members.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Of the 7 members:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Five shall be licensed optometrists; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Two shall be consumer members.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Governor shall appoint the optometrist members, with the advice of the Secretary, from a list submitted to the Secretary by the Maryland Optometric Association.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The number of names on the list shall be three times the number of vacancies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>For each optometrist vacancy, the Maryland Optometric Association shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Notify all licensed optometrists in the State of the vacancy to solicit nominations to fill the vacancy; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Conduct a balloting process where every licensed optometrist is eligible to vote to select the names of the licensed optometrists that will be submitted to the Governor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The Governor shall appoint the consumer members with the advice of the Secretary and the advice and consent of the Senate.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>For at least 5 years before appointment, each optometrist member of the Board shall have:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Resided in this State; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Practiced optometry actively and continuously in this State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The consumer members of the Board:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Shall be a member of the general public;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>May not be or ever have been an optometrist or in training to become an optometrist;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>May not have a household member who is an optometrist or in training to become an optometrist;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>May not participate or ever have participated in a commercial or professional field related to optometry;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>May not have a household member who participates in a commercial or professional field related to optometry; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>May not have had within 2 years before appointment a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>While a member of the Board, a consumer member may not have a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Before taking office, each appointee to the Board shall take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the Maryland Constitution.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The term of a member is 4 years.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The terms of members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Board on July 1, 1982.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>To the extent practicable, the Governor shall fill any vacancy on the Board within 60 days of the date of the vacancy.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>A member may not serve more than 2 consecutive full terms.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Governor may remove a member for incompetence or misconduct.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
