2-15-1771. Board of athletic trainers. (1) There is a board of athletic trainers.

(2) The board is composed of five members appointed by the governor as follows:

(a) one member who is a physician licensed under Title 37, chapter 3, preferably with a background in the practice of sports medicine;

(b) three members who are athletic trainers who have been engaged in the practice of athletic training in the state for at least 2 years prior to being appointed. After the initial appointments are made to establish the board, each of the three members must be licensed as an athletic trainer under Title 37, chapter 36. Of these three members, at the time of appointment:

(i) one must be employed by or retired from employment with a postsecondary institution in Montana;

(ii) one must be employed in or retired from a secondary school in Montana; and

(iii) one must be employed by or retired from a health care facility or an athletic facility in Montana.

(c) one member of the public who is not engaged in or directly connected with the practice of athletic training.

(3) There may be no more than one retired athletic trainer serving on the board at anytime.

(4) A vacancy on the board must be filled for an unexpired term to maintain the representation provided in subsection (2).

(5) The board is attached for administrative purposes only, as prescribed in 2-15-121, to the department of labor and industry.

(6) Members must be compensated as provided in 2-18-501 through 2-18-503.

(7) Members shall serve 4-year, staggered terms. A member may be reappointed for one consecutive term. A member who is reappointed must be eligible under the same criteria as when first appointed.

(8) For the purposes of this section, an appointment to fill an unexpired term does not constitute a full term.

(9) The governor may remove a member from the board for neglect of duty, for incompetency, or for cause.