(1) There is established a State Board of Physical Therapy that shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Four (4) members shall be physical therapists, one (1) member shall be a physical therapist assistant, and one (1) member shall be a physician, each of whom possesses unrestricted licenses to practice in his or her profession. The Governor shall also appoint one (1) member who shall be a consumer at large who is not associated with or financially interested in any health care profession and who has an interest in consumer rights. Each of the four (4) members who are physical therapists shall be appointed from a list of three (3) persons from each of the four (4) Mississippi congressional districts, as such districts currently exist, submitted by the Mississippi Physical Therapy Association, all of whom must be residents of Mississippi and must have engaged in the practice of physical therapy within the state for at least four (4) years. The terms of the members of the board shall be staggered, so that the terms of no more than two (2) members shall expire in any year. Members appointed to the board shall serve for four-year terms and until their successors are appointed and confirmed, except that members of the board who are appointed to fill vacancies which occur before the expiration of a former member’s full term shall serve the unexpired portion of such term. No person shall be appointed for more than two (2) consecutive four-year terms. However, any board member initially appointed for less than a full four-year term is eligible to serve for two (2) additional consecutive four-year terms.

(2) The board shall annually elect a chairman, secretary and treasurer. The board shall provide for the timely orientation and training of new professional and public appointees to the board regarding board licensing and disciplinary procedures, this chapter and board rules, regulations, policies and procedures. A member may be removed by the board only for due cause. Failure to attend at least half of the board meetings in a fiscal year shall constitute cause. The board shall meet at least once each quarter, and those meetings shall be held in compliance with the Open Meetings Law (Section 25-41-1 et seq.). A majority of board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The board shall keep an official record of its meetings. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board before the expiration of a term of office, the Governor shall appoint a qualified successor to fill the unexpired term. Members of the board shall receive the per diem authorized under Section 25-3-69 for each day spent actually discharging their official duties, and shall receive reimbursement for mileage and necessary travel expenses incurred as provided in Section 25-3-41. A board member who acts within the scope of board duties, without malice and in the reasonable belief that the member’s action is warranted by law is immune from civil liability.