(a) The State Board of Podiatry shall consist of the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs, two 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 six members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate, four of whom shall be podiatrists who possess the requisite qualifications to practice podiatric medicine under the laws of this Commonwealth and who have been practicing podiatry in this Commonwealth for five years immediately preceding their appointment, and two of whom shall be physicians licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this Commonwealth.

(b) The terms of each professional and public member of the board shall be four years, or until a successor has been appointed and qualified, but not longer than six months beyond the four-year period. In the event that any of said members shall die or resign or otherwise become disqualified during his or her term, a 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 for purposes of conducting the business of the board. Except for temporary and automatic suspensions under section 16.1,¹ 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 and shall elect a 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), known as the “Sunset Act.”²

(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 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,”³ 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 shall meet at least once every two months and at such additional times as may be necessary to conduct the business of the board.