§ 90-524.  Board of Examiners created.

(a) The North Carolina Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners is created.

(b) Composition and Terms. - The Board shall consist of seven members who shall serve staggered terms.  Four members shall be athletic trainers certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification, Inc. One member shall be a licensed orthopedic surgeon, one member shall be a licensed family practice physician or pediatrician, and one member shall represent the public at large.

The initial Board members shall be selected on or before August 1, 1997, as follows:

(1) The General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, shall appoint two certified athletic trainers and an orthopedic surgeon. The certified athletic trainers shall serve for terms of three years, and the orthopedic surgeon shall serve for a term of one year.

(2) The General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall appoint two certified athletic trainers and a family practice physician or pediatrician. The certified athletic trainers and the family practice physician or pediatrician shall serve for terms of two years.

(3) The Governor shall appoint for a three-year term a public member to the Board.

Upon the expiration of the terms of the initial Board members, each member shall be appointed for a term of three years and shall serve until a successor is appointed. No member may serve more than two consecutive full terms.

(c) Qualifications. - The athletic trainer members shall hold current licenses and shall reside or be employed in North Carolina. They shall have at least five years' experience as athletic trainers, including the three years immediately preceding appointment to the Board, and shall remain in active practice and in good standing with the Board as a licensee during their terms. The first athletic trainers appointed to the Board pursuant to this section shall be eligible for licensure under G.S. 90-529 and, upon appointment, shall immediately apply for a license.

(d) Vacancies. - A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, except that all unexpired terms of Board members appointed by the General Assembly shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122 and shall be filled within 45 days after the vacancy occurs. Appointees to fill vacancies shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term and until their successors have been duly appointed and qualified.

(e) Removal. - The Board may remove any of its members for neglect of duty, incompetence, or unprofessional conduct. A member subject to disciplinary proceedings as a licensee shall be disqualified from participating in the official business of the Board until the charges have been resolved.

(f) Compensation. - Each member of the Board shall receive per diem and reimbursement for travel and subsistence as provided in G.S. 93B-5.

(g) Officers. - The officers of the Board shall be a chair, who shall be a licensed athletic trainer, a vice-chair, and other officers deemed necessary by the Board to carry out the purposes of this Article. All officers shall be elected annually by the Board for one-year terms and shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.

(h) Meetings. - The Board shall hold at least two meetings each year to conduct business and to review the standards and rules for improving athletic training services. The Board shall establish the procedures for calling, holding, and conducting regular and special meetings. A majority of Board members constitutes a quorum. (1997-387, s. 1.)