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<section article="gho" article_name="Health Occupations" number="17-202" title_number="17" title_name="Professional Counselors and Therapists" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Board consists of 13 members appointed by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Of the 13 Board members:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Four shall be licensed as clinical professional counselors;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Three shall be licensed as clinical marriage and family therapists;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Three shall be licensed as clinical alcohol and drug counselors;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>One shall be licensed as a clinical professional art therapist; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Two shall be consumer members.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The composition of the Board as to the race and sex of its members shall reflect the composition of the population of the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Two of the individuals appointed as a licensed clinical professional counselor member under paragraph (2)(i) of this subsection may not hold another credential issued by the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The consumer members of the Board:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Shall be members of the general public;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>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;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>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;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>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;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>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;</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; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>While members of the Board, may not have a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <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="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The term of a member is 4 years.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>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.</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 may not serve more than 2 consecutive full terms.</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>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Governor may remove a member for incompetency, misconduct, or neglect of duty.</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>
