2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 97 - Board of Examiners of Veterinary Medicine (§§ 2951 — 2969) › § 2955 - Board—Members; appointments

(a) The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint a Board that shall be attached to the Office for the Regulation and Certification of Health Professionals of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, which shall be composed of five (5) persons. Four (4) of the members of the Board shall be licensed veterinarians and the fifth member, in representation of the public interest, shall be a farmer who has broad knowledge and experience in the breeding and care of animals. The initial appointments shall be made as follows: one (1) for two (2) years; two (2) for three (3) years and two (2) for four (4) years. Subsequent appointments shall all be for uniform four (4) -year terms. In the event a vacancy occurs for any reason, a substitute shall be appointed for the remainder of the term of his/her predecessor. The members of the Board appointed and qualified under the former Act, shall continue as such until their respective terms expire. Provided, That the members of the Board and the Subboard shall remain in their respective positions until they are replaced by a new incumbent.
(b) The members of the Board who are veterinarians must be duly licensed to practice as such in Puerto Rico, with an active license for the practice of their profession, who enjoy good moral repute, and have resided in Puerto Rico uninterruptedly for not less than three (3) years immediately preceding their designation as a member of the Board.
(c) No member of the Board may be a stockholder or belong to the Board of Trustees or Directors of a university, college or school in which studies are offered towards the obtaining the academic university degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, or of Veterinary Technology are offered, nor be, or have been a member of the faculty in such institutions during the last five years.
(d) Each member of the Board and the Subboard shall receive per diems equivalent to the minimum rate established in § 29 of Title 2, for the members of the Legislature for attending sessions or committee meetings, for each session, extraordinary meeting or of a committee or other body, or for performing duties authorized by the Chairperson of the Board to which they attend, with the exception of those who are leads of agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities, except the Chairperson of the Board, who shall receive a per diem equivalent to one hundred thirty-three percent (133%) of the per diems received by the other Board members by the Board.
(e) Any member of the Board may be removed from office by the Governor of Puerto Rico by petition of the Board, if the Justice Department of Puerto Rico determines there is just cause therefor, and after the person involved has had the opportunity to be heard and to defend himself.
(f) Three (3) members of the Board shall constitute quorum and majority. The Board may meet in private session for the purpose of preparing, giving, grading, approving and rejecting revalidation examinations; to deliberate on the academic and moral qualifications of each petitioner for a license, to take disciplinary action with regard to any licensed veterinarian, as provided in § 2963 of this title.
(g) In its annual session, the Board shall be organized, electing a chairman and vicechairman who shall hold office for one (1) year or until their successors are elected, without any limitation as to the number of terms that they may hold office.
(h) The Board shall keep permanent records of all actions of the body by means of a book of minutes of all sessions, and it shall also register all data of applicants for licenses, including their age, name, home address and graduate veterinary school address, and if they were admitted or rejected to take the revalidation examination, and whether the examinees passed or failed the examination. It shall also keep a permanent and up-to-date register, with the names, addresses and ages of all licensed veterinarians in Puerto Rico. Such registers shall be prima facie evidence of the matters kept therein.
History —Aug. 4, 1979, No. 194, p. 549, § 5; Aug. 2, 1995, No. 94, § 1; Aug. 4, 1996, No. 102, § 1; Dec. 28, 2001, No. 187, § 5.