1. The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint six members, five persons from among such practicing optometrists of the state as have had not less than five years’ practical experience in optometry as defined in section 336.010 and one voting public member, who shall constitute “The State Board of Optometry”. Each member shall be a United States citizen and a resident of Missouri for one year. No member of any optical school or college, or instructor in optometry, or person connected in any way therewith, nor any person who as owner, stockholder or employee is connected with any manufacturing, wholesale, dispensing or jobbing house dealing in spectacles or optical supplies or instruments used by optometrists shall be eligible to appointment upon the state board of optometry. The term of all members shall be for a period of five years and until their successors shall be appointed and qualified. If any person, other than the public member, so appointed shall discontinue the active practice of optometry during the period of his or her appointment, such person’s term shall thereupon cease and the person shall be at once removed by the governor. All vacancies, however occurring, shall be filled by appointment by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, and appointments made when the senate is not in session shall be confirmed at its next ensuing session. The members of the state board of optometry, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, shall make and file with the secretary of state, the constitutional oath of office.

2. The public member shall be at the time of his or her appointment a citizen of the United States; a resident of this state for a period of one year and a registered voter; a person who is not and never was a member of any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to this chapter or the spouse of such person; and a person who does not have and never has had a material, financial interest in either the providing of the professional services regulated by this chapter, or an activity or organization directly related to any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to this chapter. All members, including public members, shall be chosen from lists submitted by the director of the division of professional registration. The duties of the public member shall not include the determination of the technical requirements to be met for licensure or whether any person meets such technical requirements or of the technical competence or technical judgment of a licensee or a candidate for licensure.

3. The members of said board shall meet and organize by electing a president, a vice president, and a secretary.

4. The board shall prescribe the duties of its officers and adopt rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, to govern its proceedings; and also shall adopt a seal.

5. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this chapter shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. All rulemaking authority delegated prior to August 28, 1999, is of no force and effect and repealed. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to repeal or affect the validity of any rule filed or adopted prior to August 28, 1999, if it fully complied with all applicable provisions of law. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 1999, shall be invalid and void.