468.801  Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists; appointment; membership; terms; headquarters.--

(1)  The Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists is created within the Department of Health and shall consist of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

(2)  The members of the board must be residents of this state. One member must be a practicing prosthetist with 3 years' experience after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics; one member must be a practicing prosthetist with at least 6 years' experience after certification by a national certifying body; one member must be a practicing orthotist with 3 years' experience after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics; one member must be a practicing orthotist with at least 6 years' experience after certification by a national certifying body; two members must be prosthetic or orthotic users who are not deriving economic benefit from the fitting or dispensing of orthotic or prosthetic devices and who have never been orthotists or prosthetists or members of a closely related profession; and one member must be a physician licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, or chapter 461, who has extensive knowledge of orthotics or prosthetics. One of the prosthetist or orthotist members must have received training in pedorthics and have 3 years of pedorthic experience as part of his or her practice.

(3)  Members of the board shall be appointed for terms of 4 years each and shall serve until their successors are appointed. However, for the purpose of staggering terms, two of the original board members shall serve terms of 4 years each, two shall serve terms of 3 years each, two shall serve terms of 2 years each, and one shall serve a term of 1 year, as designated by the Governor. Members may be reappointed for additional terms.

(4)  The provisions of part II of chapter 455 relating to activities of regulatory boards apply to the board.

(5)  The board shall maintain its official headquarters in Tallahassee.