SECTION 88. Board of registration of allied mental health and human services professions; membership; appointment; removal

There shall be within the division of professional licensure a board of registration of allied mental health and human services professions, in this section and sections eighty-nine and ninety, which shall consist of 13 members, one of whom shall be designated as chairperson, to be appointed in the manner provided by section eighty-nine. Of the first board members appointed five shall continue in office for one year, three for two years and three, including the chairperson, shall continue in office for three years. Their successors shall be appointed for terms of three years each except that any person chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed only for the unexpired term of the board member to be succeeded. Upon the expiration of the term of office, a board member shall continue to serve until a successor shall have been appointed and shall have qualified. No person shall be appointed more than once to fill an unexpired term for more than two consecutive terms. The governor shall designate one board member to serve as chairperson during the term of such person's appointment to the board; provided, however, that no person shall serve as chairperson for more than three years.

The governor may remove any member of the board or the chairperson from such position as chairperson only for neglect of duty or malfeasance or conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude while in office. No member may be removed without a public hearing with at least thirty days prior written notice of the charges and the date fixed for such hearing. No board member shall participate in any matter before the board in which a pecuniary interest, personal bias or other similar conflict of interest is established.

Board members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official board business.