Illinois § 30

§ 30.

Illinois Midwifery Board. (a) There is created under the authority of the Department the Illinois Midwifery Board, which shall consist of 9 members appointed by the Secretary: 5 of whom shall be licensed certified professional midwives, with initial appointees having at least 3 years of experience in the practice of midwifery in an out-of-hospital setting, be certified by the North American Registry of Midwives, and meet the qualifications for licensure set forth in this Act; one of whom shall be an Illinois licensed physician who specializes in obstetrics; one of whom shall be an Illinois licensed advanced practice registered nurse who is a certified nurse midwife who provides home birth services; one of whom shall be a pediatric health care professional; and one of whom shall be a public member. Board members shall serve 4-year terms, except that in the case of initial appointments, terms shall be staggered as follows: 4 members shall serve for 4 years, 3 members shall serve for 3 years, and 2 members shall serve for 2 years. The Board shall annually elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. All board members must be residents of this State. All board members, except for the public member, must be licensed in good standing and, at the time of appointment, actively engaged in their respective professions. (b) Any appointment made to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired portion of the term. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be made in the same manner as original appointments. No Board member may be reappointed for a term that would cause his or her continuous service on the Board to exceed 10 years. (c) Board membership must have a reasonable representation from different geographic areas of this State, if possible. (d) The Secretary may solicit board recommendations from midwifery organizations. (e) The members of the Board may be reimbursed for all legitimate, necessary, and authorized expenses incurred in attending the meetings of the Board. (f) The Secretary may remove any member of the Board for misconduct, incapacity, or neglect of duty at any time prior to the expiration of his or her term. (g) Five Board members shall constitute a quorum. A vacancy in the membership of the Board shall not impair the right of a quorum to perform all of the duties of the Board. (h) The Board may provide the Department with recommendations concerning the administration of this Act and may perform each of the following duties: (1) Recommend to the Department the prescription and, from time to time, the revision of any rules that may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, including those that are designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. (2) Recommend changes to the medication formulary list as standards and drug availability change. (3) Participate in disciplinary conferences and hearings. (4) Make recommendations to the Department regarding disciplinary action taken against a licensee as provided under this Act. (5) Recommend the approval, denial of approval, and withdrawal of approval of required education and continuing educational programs. (i) Members of the Board shall be immune from suit in an action based upon a disciplinary proceeding or other activity performed in good faith as a member of the Board, except for willful or wanton misconduct. (Source: P.A. 102-683, eff. 10-1-22; 102-963, eff. 5-27-22.)