1.    The North Dakota marriage and family therapy licensure board consists of five members. The governor shall appoint the board members to serve terms of four years, except for those first appointed one member must continue in office for two years, two for three years, and two, including the chairman, for four years.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 43-53-04

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • written: include "typewriting" and "typewritten" and "printing" and "printed" except in the case of signatures and when the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See North Dakota Code 1-01-37

2.    The governor shall appoint members of the board from among individuals who meet the following qualifications:

a.    At least three members must be licensed practicing marriage and family therapists; and each must have been for at least five years immediately preceding appointment actively engaged as marriage and family therapists in rendering professional services in marriage and family therapy; in the education and training of master’s, doctoral, or postdoctoral students of marriage and family therapy; or in marriage and family therapy research. A member under this subdivision must have spent the majority of the time devoted by that member to such activity during the two years preceding appointment residing in this state.

b.    At least one member must be a representative of the general public and may not have any direct affiliation with the practice of marriage and family therapy or another mental health profession.

c.    The initial appointees, with the exception of any representative of the general public, are deemed to be and become licensed practicing marriage and family therapists immediately upon appointment and qualification as members of the board.

3.    The governor shall nominate a new member to fill a vacancy on the board within thirty days of the vacancy. A member chosen to fill a board vacancy must be appointed for the unexpired term of the board member whom that member is succeeding. Upon the expiration of a member’s term of office, a board member shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed. An individual may not be appointed more than once to fill an unexpired term or appointed to more than two consecutive full terms. A member may not serve as chairman for more than four years. The appointment of any member of the board automatically terminates thirty days after the date the member is no longer a resident of this state.

4.    The governor may remove any member of the board or the chairman from the position as chairman for neglect of duty or malfeasance or conviction of a felony or crime of moral turpitude while in office, but for no other reason. A member may not be removed until after a hearing on the charges and at least thirty days’ prior written notice to such accused member of the charges and of the date fixed for such hearing.

5.    A board member may not participate in any matter before the board in which that member has a pecuniary interest, personal bias, or other similar conflict of interest. A board member shall serve without compensation but is entitled to be reimbursed for the member’s actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official board business.