Section 18-202 - Membership.

§ 18-202. Membership.
 

(a)  Composition; appointment of members; psychologist vacancies.-  

(1) The Board consists of 9 members. 

(2) Of the 9 Board members: 

(i) 2 shall be consumer members; and 

(ii) 7 shall be licensed psychologists, of whom: 

1. At least 2 shall be engaged primarily in providing psychological services; and 

2. At least 2 shall be engaged primarily in teaching, training, or research in psychology. 

(3) The Governor shall appoint the psychologist members, with the advice of the Secretary and the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of names submitted to the Secretary by the Maryland Psychological Association. 

(4) For each vacancy of a psychologist member, the Maryland Psychological Association shall: 

(i) Notify all licensed psychologists in the State of the vacancy to solicit nominations to fill the vacancy; and 

(ii) Conduct a balloting process where every licensed psychologist is eligible to vote to select the names of the licensed psychologists that will be submitted to the Governor. 

(5) The Governor shall appoint the consumer members with the advice of the Secretary and the advice and consent of the Senate. 

(b)  Qualifications of psychologist member.- Each psychologist member of the Board shall be: 

(1) A licensed psychologist who has practiced, taught, or engaged in research in psychology for at least 5 years; 

(2) A citizen of the United States; and 

(3) A resident of this State. 

(c)  Qualifications of consumer members - In general.- Each consumer member of the Board: 

(1) Shall be a member of the general public; 

(2) May not be or ever have been a psychologist or in training to become a psychologist; 

(3) May not have a household member who is a psychologist or in training to become a psychologist; 

(4) May not participate or ever have participated in a commercial or professional field related to psychology; 

(5) May not have a household member who participates in a commercial or professional field related to psychology; and 

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

(d)  Qualifications of consumer members - Restriction.- While a member of the Board, a consumer member may not have a substantial financial interest in a person regulated by the Board. 

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

(f)  Tenure; vacancies.-  

(1) The term of a member is 4 years. 

(2) The terms of members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Board on July 1, 1981. 

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

(4) 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. 

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

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

(g)  Removal.-  

(1) The Governor may remove a member for incompetence or misconduct. 

(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. 
 

[An. Code 1957, art. 43, §§ 621, 622, 628; 1981, ch. 8, § 2; ch. 236, § 1; 1988, ch. 764; 1990, ch. 6, § 11; 1992, chs. 345, 433, 434; 2009, ch. 60, § 5.]