(a) The Committee of Blind Vendors consisting of all blind licensees is established. The agency shall conduct a biennial election of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer of the committee and may conduct elections to fill vacancies in office at any time.

(b) The commissioner shall assure active participation by the Committee of Blind Vendors in administrative, policy, and program development decisions concerning vending facilities operated by blind licensees. The agency shall, with active participation by the Committee of Blind Vendors,

(1) adopt regulations providing for the licensing of blind persons for the operation of vending facilities on public property;

(2) consider and respond to grievances of blind licensees;

(3) develop and administer a statewide system for the transfer and promotion of blind licensees;

(4) develop training and retraining programs for blind licensees and for blind persons interested in obtaining a license to operate a vending facility;

(5) organize meetings and conferences for blind licensees;

(6) adopt regulations necessary to assure that vending facilities operated by blind licensees are administered by the agency in a substantially equivalent manner whether a vending facility is located on state or federal property;

(7) designate public property as appropriate for the location of a vending facility operated by a blind licensee.

(c) To ensure the opportunity for active participation in decisions that affect the administration of vending facilities operated by blind licensees the agency shall, before each meeting of the Committee of Blind Vendors, provide the committee with written information on matters to be considered. The agency shall provide the committee with reasons in writing for decisions and actions of the agency that do not conform to recommendations submitted by the committee.