Health Care Professions Licensing Board: Powers, Duties, and Functions. The Board shall have the following powers, duties, and authority to: (a) Adopt and enforce the law consistent with this chapter; (b) Promulgate, amend, and/or repeal rules and/or regulations to advance this chapter and its purposes, including define and describe the health care professions and their practice which this chapter makes subject to regulation; (c) Issue or deny licenses, including temporary, provisional, conditional and limited licenses; (d) Approve, deny or approve with conditions, applications for license renewal; (e) Adopt and have an official seal; (f) Secure, review and investigate reports received from law enforcement agencies, health care organizations, government agencies, and other entities having information pertinent to the professional performance and conduct of persons over whom the Board has jurisdiction; (g) Provide data, reports, disciplinary and status documents, and other information to law enforcement agencies, health care organizations, government agencies, and other entities maintaining information pertinent to the professional performance and conduct of persons over whom the Board has jurisdiction; (h) Conduct investigations and hearings; (i) Issue subpoenas, compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of relevant records and documents, and things, and administer oaths; (j) Require a licensee or applicant to submit to a mental or physical examination, a chemical dependency evaluation, or a professional review or audit; (k) Discipline, including: refuse to issue or renew; fine; reprimand; suspend; summarily suspend; revoke; place on probation; require payment of fees, charges or expenses; levy fines; and place conditions on granting or renewal of a license; (l) Settle disciplinary and other contested matters, consistent with the policy of this chapter; (m) Delegate the power, authority and discretion to review, initiate, prosecute and negotiate settlement of cases to its chief operating officer; (n) Act summarily in the face of the likelihood of harm to: (1) The public health, safety or welfare; or (2) To the patients of a health care professional who is regulated by this chapter; (o) Affiliate with professional, governmental and other organizations for the purposes of reviewing applications, conducting investigations, and/or to secure other goods and services related to the Board’s duties. (p) Contract for the purchase or other acquisition of testing, credentialing, and/or other licensing-related goods and services; (q) Join, and maintain memberships in, national organizations;
(r) Create and maintain a system which requires continuing education credits, including requiring licensees to comply with continuing education criteria in order to maintain and/or renew a license, and to administer continuing education programs for health care professions; (s) Contract for goods and services; (t) Obtain and provide data relating to the conduct and disciplinary history of health care professionals; (u) Determine, charge and collect fees; (v) Receive fees and appropriated funds, grants, contract payments and other funds; (w) Establish and employ accounts, including restricted fund accounts; (x) Sue and be sued, including apply for relief by injunction in the Superior Court; (y) Employ staff and consultants as required to assist it in performing its duties; (z) Make recommendations to the government regarding plans relative to the assessment of community health care needs and recommendations in areas of health care resources; licensed health care professionals; and other related health care services; and (aa) Do all other things necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and the regulations promulgated pursuant hereto. Source: PL 15-105, § 3(2206), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission replaced “act” with “chapter,” changed capitalization and replaced the final comma in subsection (x) with a semi-colon pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(d), (f) and (g).