(a)  In the interest of public health and safety the board of supervisors of any county which maintains a county hospital may by ordinance establish a hospital and safety commission. The commission shall be advisory to the board of supervisors.

(b)  The commission shall exercise such powers and perform such duties relating to the administration of the county hospital as shall be prescribed by the ordinance. The commission shall further exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be prescribed by the ordinance and which may include the following:

1.  To promote safety among all county officers and employees and to develop a program of accident prevention.

2.  To investigate all industrial, vehicular and all other accidents to county personnel and county equipment, including privately owned equipment operated by county personnel under contract with the county.

3.  To hold hearings in the course of such investigation and to report to the board of supervisors upon all accidents reported to and investigated by the commission.

4.  To recommend to the board of supervisors safety rules and regulations promoting the health and safety of all county officers and employees and agents in the prosecution of their office or employment and their use of all equipment in the course of their duties as such officers, employees, and agents.

(c)  The commission shall be appointed by the board of supervisors. No person holding any elective office shall be appointed to the commission. Members of the commission shall be residents of the county. Members shall be appointed in the manner prescribed by the ordinance and shall serve for such term as is prescribed therein; subject, however, to the power of the board of supervisors to remove any member of the commission at any time by three-fifths vote of the board.

(d)  The members of the commission shall serve with or without compensation as prescribed by the ordinance.

(e)  Members of the commission may, when and if so provided in the ordinance, receive actual and necessary expenses in traveling from their place of residence to the place of meeting of the commission, and return, and such expenses shall be a proper charge upon the county; provided, however, that in no event shall any charge be made upon the county for any expense incurred by any member for any meal eaten at any meeting of the commission.

(f)  Meetings of the commission shall be held in accord with the provisions of Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.

(g)  The provisions of Section 54954 of the Government Code notwithstanding, any meeting of the commission shall be held only in a public building of the county and within the county in which such commission is established.

(h)  The ordinance establishing the commission shall specifically prescribe the following:

(1)  The name of the commission;

(2)  The functions and duties thereof;

(3)  Number of members, method of appointment and term of members;

(4)  A statement of whether or not payment of compensation to members of the commission is authorized and, if authorized, a statement of the amount of such compensation and the maximum number of meetings of the commission in any one calendar month for which such compensation may be paid;

(5)  A statement of whether or not traveling expenses are authorized and, if authorized, a statement of the rate which will be allowed for mileage.

(6)  Subject to the limitations prescribed by this section, such ordinance may contain such additional provisions as the board of supervisors may deem expedient for the proper administration of the affairs of the commission.

(i)  Any ordinance of any county establishing a hospital or a safety commission enacted prior to the effective date of this section is hereby validated, provided that the provisions of the ordinance substantially comply with the limitations and authorizations set forth in this section; provided expressly, however, that any such hospital or safety commission created by ordinance enacted prior to the effective date of this section shall cease to exist at the close of the 60th day following the effective date of this section, and no hospital or safety commission established by any such ordinance, or established in any other manner whatever, shall continue to exist or function thereafter in any county unless and until such hospital or safety commission is established by ordinance under the provisions of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 799.)