R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-54-5
This is the official text of R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-54-5, part of Rhode Island’s Gen. Laws — part of the compiled statutory law of Rhode Island, published by the state as "Gen. Laws." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 5-54-5. Board of licensure.
Official statutory text
(a) The director of the department of health, with the approval of the governor, shall appoint a board consisting of seven (7) persons, residents of the state, to constitute a board of licensure for physician assistants with the duties, powers, and authority as stated in this chapter, and that board shall be composed of the following:
(1) Two (2) members shall be licensed physicians under the provisions of chapter 37 of this title who have been actively engaged in the practice of medicine;
(2) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 197, § 1 and P.L. 2019, ch. 230, § 1.]
(3) Two (2) members who are representatives of the general public not employed in any health-related field; and
(4) Three (3) members shall be physician assistants.
(b) Members shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years each. No member shall be appointed to more than two (2) consecutive terms. Upon expiration of the term of office, a member shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.
(c) In the directors initial appointment, the director shall designate the members of the board of licensure for physician assistants as follows: two (2) members to serve for terms of three (3) years; two (2) members to serve for a term of two (2) years; and three (3) members to serve for a term of one year. Any additional appointments shall serve for one year.
(d) The director of the department of health may remove any member of the board for cause.
(e) Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired portion of any term in the same manner as the original appointment.
(1) Two (2) members shall be licensed physicians under the provisions of chapter 37 of this title who have been actively engaged in the practice of medicine;
(2) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 197, § 1 and P.L. 2019, ch. 230, § 1.]
(3) Two (2) members who are representatives of the general public not employed in any health-related field; and
(4) Three (3) members shall be physician assistants.
(b) Members shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years each. No member shall be appointed to more than two (2) consecutive terms. Upon expiration of the term of office, a member shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed and qualified.
(c) In the directors initial appointment, the director shall designate the members of the board of licensure for physician assistants as follows: two (2) members to serve for terms of three (3) years; two (2) members to serve for a term of two (2) years; and three (3) members to serve for a term of one year. Any additional appointments shall serve for one year.
(d) The director of the department of health may remove any member of the board for cause.
(e) Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired portion of any term in the same manner as the original appointment.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Rhode Island?
Find a Rhode Island lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.