(a) Creation. A pesticide advisory committee is hereby created and established to consist of 13 members to be appointed from and by certain agencies, departments, institutions, and organizations as provided in this section. The Pesticide Advisory Committee's membership, their term of service, method of appointment, authority, duties, and functions shall be as follows:

(1) Two members from the School of Agriculture and the Agricultural Experiment Station of Auburn University, to be appointed by its dean and director;

(2) Two members from the Cooperative Agricultural Extension Service of Auburn University, to be appointed by its director;

(3) Two members in the employ of the state Department of Agriculture and Industries, to be appointed by its commissioner;

(4) Two members in the employ of the State Department of Public Health, to be appointed by the State Health Officer;

(5) Two members in the employ of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, to be appointed by its director;

(6) Two members from the Alabama Pesticide Institute, to be appointed by its board of directors; and

(7) One member appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries from a list of five nominees submitted by the Alabama Farmers Federation who are primarily and actively engaged in farming.

The term of service of the members of said committee shall be at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The chairman and secretary of the Pesticide Advisory Committee shall be elected annually from and by the committee members, and each shall serve until their successors are elected.

(b) Meetings. The Pesticide Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of its chairman or upon call of a majority of its members. There shall be at least two regular meetings of the committee during each calendar year to be held not less than five months apart, and call meetings may be held as the duties and business of the committee may require. In the absence of the chairman, the committee shall elect a temporary chairman.

(c) Official action. Official action of the Pesticide Advisory Committee requires a majority vote of the members of the committee present and voting. Seven members of the committee shall constitute a quorum, which is the number necessary to transact official business of the committee.

(d) Powers and duties. The Pesticide Advisory Committee, with respect to its field of work, shall have the powers and duties:

(1) To consider and study the entire field of pesticides;

(2) To review and make recommendations to the commissioner on any pesticide registration submitted to it by the commissioner;

(3) To advise, counsel, and consult with the commissioner upon his request in connection with the promulgation, administration, and enforcement of all laws, rules, and regulations relating to pesticides;

(4) To consider all matters submitted to it by the commissioner, other members of the committee, or any person affected by the provisions and to offer suggestions and make recommendations to the commissioner on its own initiative in regard to changes in the laws, rules, and regulations relating to pesticides, as may be deemed advisable for the effective administration and enforcement of said laws and rules and regulations;

(5) To suggest or recommend, on its own initiative, policies or practices for the administration and enforcement of this article, which suggestions and recommendations the commissioner shall duly consider; and

(6) To review registered pesticides as to their safety and/or efficacy and make recommendations to the commissioner as to its findings and to make recommendations as to which pesticides should be prohibited or restricted in use. The commissioner shall duly consider these recommendations as to the registration cancellation and as to restricted-use pesticides, the decision so arrived at shall not be final until approved by the State Board of Agriculture and Industries.

(e) Records of meetings. In conducting its meetings, the Pesticide Advisory Committee shall use accepted rules of procedures, and the secretary shall keep a complete record of the proceedings of each meeting of the committee, which proceedings shall show the names of the members present at each meeting and the actions taken at committee meetings. Such record of proceedings of the committee shall be kept on file with the secretary and in the office of the commissioner, which shall be open for public inspection.