S-1426.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5838

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Johnson and L. Kreidler.

Read first time February 25, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.Adding a nonvoting physician assistant member to the medical disciplinary board.

     AN ACT Relating to a nonvoting physician assistant member of the medical disciplinary board; and amending RCW 18.72.040 and 18.72.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 18.72.040 and 1986 c 300 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     There is hereby created the "Washington state medical disciplinary board," which shall be composed of one holder of a valid license to practice medicine and surgery from each congressional district now existing or hereafter created in the state ((and)), three members of the public who meet the qualifications contained in RCW 70.39.020(2), and one nonvoting member who is a physician assistant authorized to practice under chapter 18.71A RCW.  The public members and the physician assistant member shall be appointed by the governor.  The public members' term shall be for four years.  In order to achieve staggered terms, the public member serving on the board on June 11, 1986, shall continue to serve until October 1, 1987.  The remaining two public members shall be appointed to initial terms of three years and four years, respectively.

     The board shall be an administrative agency of the state of Washington.  The attorney general shall be the advisor of the board and shall represent it in all legal proceedings.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 18.72.050 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 30 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

     Members of the board, except the public member and the physician assistant member, shall be elected by secret mail ballot by the holders of licenses to practice medicine and surgery residing in each congressional district, now or hereafter existing in the state, and shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified.  Members from even-numbered congressional districts shall be elected in even-numbered years and members from odd-numbered congressional districts shall be elected in odd-numbered years.  The board shall not be deemed unlawfully constituted and a member of the board shall not be deemed ineligible to serve the remainder of the member's unexpired term on the board solely by reason of the establishment of new or revised boundaries for congressional districts.