(a) The Board of Examiners of Health Educators of Puerto Rico is hereby created, which shall be attached to the Department of Health. The Board shall be in charge of everything related to the granting, suspension, and revocation of licenses to practice the profession of health educator and that of community health educator in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and for the recertification and registration of these professionals, every three (3) years, as established by §§ 3001 et seq. of Title 24.
(b) The Board shall be composed of five (5) members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall be of good repute, be of legal age and [be] residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Four (4) of the members shall be duly licensed health educators, three (3) of whom must have a Master’s or Doctor’s degree in the field of health education from an accredited university or college and one of whom must have a Bachelor’s degree in health education. The members of the Board shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the practice of their profession at the time of their appointment, except for the member of the Board holding a Bachelor’s degree, who may be exempted from the experience requirement when occupying that position for the first time. Only one member of the Board may hold a full time position as member of the faculty in the programs prepared by these professionals. The fifth member of the Board shall be a person of acknowledged professional prestige in the community who has shown interest in the field of health and/or health education, and has participated in activities related to these matters, and must have practiced his/her profession for at least five (5) years. The members of this Board, including public employees or officials, shall work in an ad honorem capacity, but shall be entitled to be paid per diems of fifty dollars ($50) for each day or fraction thereof devoted to their official duties and to be reimbursed for the travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties subject to the applicable regulations of the Department of the Treasury. As of January 1, 1997 the members of the Board shall receive per diems equivalent to the minimum per diems established for the members of the Legislature, except for the Chairperson of the Board who shall receive [a] per diem equivalent to one hundred and thirty-three percent (133%) of the per diem received by the other members of the Board.
The Governor may consider any qualified candidates who are submitted to him to act as members of the Board by bona fide entities which have a legitimate interest in the work of the Board.
(c) Initial appointments shall be for the following terms:
Two (2) health educators for two (2) years; a professional of good standing for three (3) years and the remaining members for four (4) years. Subsequent appointments shall be made for a term of four (4) years. Any vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term of a member shall be filled for the unexpired term. Members of the Board shall remain in their office until their successors are appointed and qualify. No person may be appointed for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
(d) The Governor may remove any member of the Board, upon notice and hearing, for committing any offense implying moral depravation in the discharge of his office or for not fulfilling the duties required by his office.
History —July 3, 1975, No. 148, p. 455, § 2, renumbered as § 3 and amended on June 4, 1983, No. 85, p. 195, § 3; Dec. 20, 1991, No. 112, § 2; Aug. 2, 1995, No. 103, § 1; Apr. 8, 1998, No. 62, § 4.