Section 1905 - State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors(a)Creation.--There is hereby created the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors, a departmental administrative board in the Department of State. The board shall consist of 13 members who are citizens of the United States and who have been residents of this Commonwealth for a two-year period, two of whom shall be public members; five of whom shall be licensed social workers, at least one of whom shall be a licensed clinical social worker and at least one of whom shall be a licensed social worker; two of whom shall be licensed marriage and family therapists; two of whom shall be licensed professional counselors; one of whom shall be either a licensed marriage and family therapist or a licensed professional counselor whose membership shall rotate between those professions at the expiration of the member's second term; and one of whom shall be the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs.(b) Term of office.--The members shall serve for four-year terms, except as provided in subsection (c), and shall be appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate. The term of the licensed professional counselor initially appointed for a two-year term shall thereafter alternate between licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed professional counselors.(c) Initial appointments.--Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the Governor shall nominate one professional member to serve as a clinical social worker member of the board; three professional members to serve as professional counselor members of the board, one of whom shall serve a two-year term, one of whom shall serve a three-year term and one of whom shall serve a four-year term; two professional members to serve as the marriage and family therapist members of the board, one of whom shall serve a two-year term and one of whom shall serve a four-year term. The professional members of the board initially appointed pursuant to this subsection need not be licensed by the licensure examination adopted by the board but, at the time of appointment, must have satisfied the education and experience requirements of this act for licensure as a clinical social worker, a marriage and family therapist or a professional counselor.(d) Continuation in office.--Each board member shall continue in office until a successor is duly appointed and qualified but no longer than six months after the expiration of the term. In the event that a board member shall die, resign or otherwise become disqualified during the term of office, a successor shall be appointed in the same way and with the same qualifications as set forth in this section and shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the unexpired term.(e) Limit on terms.--No board member shall be eligible for appointment to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.(f) Forfeiture of membership.--A board member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings shall forfeit his or her seat unless the commissioner, upon written request from the member, finds that the member should be excused from a meeting because of illness or the death of a family member.(g) Compensation.--Each member of the board, except the commissioner, shall receive per diem compensation at the rate of $60 per diem when actually attending to the work of the board. Members shall also receive reasonable traveling, hotel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with Commonwealth regulations.(h) Forfeiture for nonattendance.--A public member who fails to attend two consecutive statutorily mandated training seminars in accordance with section 813(e) of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L. 177, No. 175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, shall forfeit his or her seat unless the commissioner, upon written request from the public member, finds that the public member should be excused from a meeting because of illness or the death of a family member.(i) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the board serving in accordance with law shall constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting the business of the board. Except for temporary and automatic suspensions under section 11(d) and (e) , a member may not be counted as part of a quorum or vote on any issue unless he or she is physically in attendance at the meeting.(j) Meetings.--The board shall meet at least four times a year in Harrisburg.(k) Notice.--Reasonable notice of all meetings shall be given in conformity with the act of July 3, 1986 (P.L. 388, No. 84) , known as the Sunshine Act.(l) Operating procedures.--The board shall meet within 30 days after the appointment of its new members and set up operating procedures and develop application forms for licensing clinical social workers, associate marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists, associate professional counselors and professional counselors. It shall be the responsibility of the board to circulate these forms and educate the public to the requirements of licensing in order to hold oneself out as a licensed bachelor social worker, licensed social worker, licensed associate marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist , licensed associate professional counselor or licensed professional counselor within the Commonwealth.Amended by P.L. (number not assigned at time of publication) 2024 No. 4,§ 2, eff. 3/28/2024.Amended by P.L. TBD 2016 No. 54, § 1, eff. 10/21/2016.Amended by P.L. TBD 2014 No. 179, § 2, eff. 12/21/2014.1987, July 9, P.L. 220, No. 39, § 5, effective in 90 days. Amended 1998, Dec. 21, P.L. 1017, No. 136, § 1, effective in 60 days.