Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 123 - Public Health
Section 12302 - Members of appointed boards of health


(a) General rule.--Council shall appoint five members to a board of health created by ordinance. Appointed members shall serve without compensation. Except in the case of an appointed member who is a licensed or certified health care professional with a principal office in the city, members of the appointed board of health must be residents of the city.
(b) Qualifications.--
(1) Two members of the board must be licensed or certified health care professionals, unless council cannot identify two professionals who are willing to serve, in which case, one member must be a licensed or certified health care professional.
(2) If no licensed or certified health care professional can be identified to serve on the board, council may appoint an individual who has experience or is knowledgeable of public health issues.
(c) Licensure and certification required.--Health care professionals pursuant to this section must be licensed or certified by:
(1) the State Board of Medicine;
(2) the State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators;
(3) the State Board of Podiatry;
(4) the State Board of Veterinary Medicine;
(5) the State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure;
(6) the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine;
(7) the State Board of Pharmacy;
(8) the State Board of Physical Therapy;
(9) the State Board of Nursing;
(10) the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors;
(11) the State Board of Chiropractic;
(12) the State Board of Dentistry;
(13) the State Board of Optometry;
(14) the State Board of Psychology; or
(15) the State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language and Audiology.
(d) Terms.--After the creation of the board, for initial membership, council shall, by ordinance, designate one appointee for a term of one year, one for a term of two years, one for a term of three years, one for a term of four years and one for a term of five years. For subsequent membership, one member of the board shall be appointed annually to serve for a term of five years from the first Monday of January succeeding the member's appointment.
(e) Removal.--Council may remove appointed members of the board for official misconduct or neglect of duty.
(f) Vacancies.--A vacancy on an appointed board shall be filled by council. Council shall appoint a qualified individual to membership on the board for the unexpired term of the individual whose membership had been vacated.