(a) The State Board of Nursing shall consist of the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, three members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate, who shall be persons representing the public at large, and nine members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate, six of whom shall be registered nurses, graduated from schools of nursing where practical and theoretical instruction is given, at least three of whom shall possess Masters' degrees in nursing, two of whom shall be licensed practical nurses and one of whom shall be a licensed dietitian-nutritionist, and all of whom shall have been engaged in nursing or the practice of dietetics-nutrition in this Commonwealth for the five-year period immediately preceding appointment. The dietitian-nutritionist member of the board initially appointed 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 dietitian-nutritionist. In making appointments to the Board, the Governor shall give due consideration to providing representation from diversified fields of nursing or dietetics-nutrition, including, but not limited to, specialized nurses or dietitian-nutritionists of all types. The persons representing the public at large may not have a financial interest in the provision of goods and services for dietitian-nutritionists and may not be a dietitian-nutritionist or have a household member who is a dietitian-nutritionist.

(b) The terms of the members of the Board shall be six years or until his or her successor has been appointed and qualified but not longer than six months beyond the six-year period. In the event that any of said members shall die or resign or otherwise become disqualified during his or her term, his or her successor shall be appointed in the same way and with the same qualifications and shall hold office for the unexpired term. No member shall be eligible for appointment to serve more than two consecutive terms.

(c) A majority of the members of the Board serving in accordance with law shall constitute a quorum. Except for temporary and automatic suspensions under section 15.1 of this act¹ or section 17.1 of the act of March 2, 1956 (1955 P.L. 1211, No. 376),² known as the “Practical Nurse Law,” 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.

(d) The Board shall select annually a chairman from among its members. The Board shall select an executive secretary who, with the approval of the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, need not be a member of the Board.

(e) Each member of the Board, except the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, shall receive sixty dollars ($60) per diem when actually attending to the work of the Board. Members shall also receive the amount of reasonable traveling, hotel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with Commonwealth regulations.

(f) The Board is subject to evaluation, review and termination within the time and in the manner provided in the act of December 22, 1981 (P.L. 508, No. 142),³ known as the “Sunset Act.”

(g) A member of the Board who fails to attend three consecutive meetings shall forfeit his or her seat unless the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, 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.

(h) 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),⁴ known as “The Administrative Code of 1929,” shall forfeit his or her seat unless the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, 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) The Board, with the approval of the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, shall also appoint and fix the compensation of one or more State educational advisors of schools of nursing and one or more State practice advisors, who shall have the same qualifications as the nurse members of the Board who hold Masters' degrees in nursing.

(j) The Board shall meet at least once every two months and at such additional times as may be necessary to conduct the business of the Board.

(k) The Board shall have the right and duty to establish rules and regulations for the practice of professional nursing, the practice of dietetics-nutrition and the administration of this act. Copies of such rules and regulations shall be available for distribution to the public.

(l) Any powers and duties imposed on the State Board of Medicine or jointly imposed on the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Nursing, with respect to certified registered nurse practitioners, by or pursuant to law or regulation shall, after the effective date of this subsection, be exercised solely by the State Board of Nursing. This subsection shall not apply to 49 Pa. Code §§ 21.283(4) (relating to prescribing and dispensing drugs) and 21.321 (relating to performance of tasks without direction; performance of tasks without training; other) unless the State Board of Nursing promulgates a regulation to exercise the duties imposed on the State Board of Medicine by those sections.