1. There is hereby established in the division of professional registration the “Board of Therapeutic Massage” which shall guide, advise and make recommendations to the division and fulfill other responsibilities designated by sections 324.240 to 324.275. The board shall approve the examination required by section 324.265 and shall assist the division in carrying out the provisions of sections 324.240 to 324.275.

2. The board shall consist of seven voting members, including one public member, and one nonvoting member, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Each member of the board shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of this state and, except for the members first appointed, shall be licensed as a massage therapist by this state. The nonvoting member shall be a member of the massage education community in the state and shall serve a four-year term. Beginning with the appointments made after August 28, 1998, three voting members shall be appointed for four years, two voting members shall be appointed for three years and two voting members shall be appointed for two years. Thereafter, all voting members shall be appointed to serve four-year terms. No person shall be eligible for reappointment who has served as a member of the board for a total of eight years. The membership of the board shall reflect the differences in work experience and the professional affiliations of therapists with consideration being given to race, gender and ethnic origins.

3. A vacancy in the office of a member shall be filled by appointment by the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term.

4. The board shall hold an annual meeting at which it shall elect from its membership a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary. The board may hold such additional meetings as may be required in the performance of its duties, provided that notice of every meeting shall be given to each member at least three days prior to the date of the meeting. A quorum of the board shall consist of a majority of its voting members.

5. The governor may remove a board member for misconduct, incompetence or neglect of official duties after giving the board member written notice of the charges and allowing the board member an opportunity to be heard.

6. The public member shall be, at the time of appointment, a citizen of the United States; a resident of this state for a period of one year and a registered voter; but may not have been a member of any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to sections 324.240 to 324.275 or an immediate family member of such a person; and may not have had a material, financial interest in either the providing of massage therapy as defined in sections 324.240 to 324.275 or in an activity or organization directly related to any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to sections 324.240 to 324.275. The duties of the public member shall not include any determination of the technical requirements to be met for licensure, whether a candidate for licensure meets such technical requirements, or of the technical competence or technical judgment of a licensee or a candidate for licensure.

7. The professional members shall not be officers in a professional massage organization, nor may they be the owners or managers of any massage educational entity.

8. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any appointed member of the board shall receive as compensation an amount established by the director of the division of professional registration not to exceed seventy dollars per day for commission business plus actual and necessary expenses. The director of the division of professional registration shall establish by rule guidelines for payment. All staff for the board shall be provided by the division.