(a) The director, in consultation with the Natural Resources Agency, shall establish a formal program, which may be called the Science Institute, to assist the department and commission in obtaining independent scientific review, and recommendations to help inform the scientific work of the department and the commission. The program shall include one or more ad hoc independent scientific committees consisting of independent scientists who are scientific experts in their fields with expertise in biological sciences and with a range of multidisciplinary expertise pertinent to the work of the department and the commission, and which may be convened pursuant to this section. The purpose of the program shall be to assist the department and the commission in obtaining and establishing an independent and objective view of the scientific issues underlying important policy decisions.

(b) The objectives of the program shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

(1) Providing independent scientific guidance of the scientific research, monitoring, and assessment programs that support the department’s and the commission’s work with fish and wildlife species and their habitats.

(2) Providing the best available independent scientific information and advice to guide and inform department and commission decisions.

(3) Promoting and facilitating independent scientific peer review.

(4) Promoting science-based adaptive management.

(5) Ensuring scientific integrity and transparency in decisionmaking.

(c) The department may consult with members of the ad hoc scientific committees to assist the department in identifying other independent scientific experts with specialized expertise as needed for independent peer review of department reports, including, but not limited to, status review reports prepared for purposes of informing decisions on petitions for listing of species under the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3).

(d) The department shall consult with independent scientific advisors to develop and revise as necessary a scientific integrity policy to guide the work of the department and the commission. The scientific integrity policy may include, but is not necessarily limited to, an ethical code of conduct for department scientists, standards for independent peer review, and other best practices for ensuring scientific integrity and public confidence in department and commission work products and decisions.

(e) For marine fisheries and other marine resources, the department may utilize the California Ocean Science Trust for the purposes of this section.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 559, Sec. 12. (AB 2402) Effective January 1, 2013.)