(a)  On or before July 1, 1992, the south coast district board shall retire the current hearing board and appoint in its place a new hearing board with the following membership and qualifications:

(1)  One member admitted to the practice of law in this state, with two or more years of practice, preferably with litigation experience.

(2)  One member who is an engineer with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in chemical, mechanical, environmental, metallurgical, or petroleum engineering, with two or more years of practical experience, and preferably who is a professional engineer registered pursuant to the Professional Engineers Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code).

(3)  One member who is a licensed physician, with two or more years of practical experience, preferably in the fields of epidemiology, physiology, toxicology, or related fields.

(4)  Two public members.

(b)  In recruiting the hearing board members, the district board shall engage in positive outreach throughout the south coast district. In making these appointments, the district board shall receive recommendations of an advisory committee whose responsibility shall be to review and make recommendations to the appropriate district board committee, which in turn shall finalize recommendations on which the district board shall act in making appointments to the hearing board. The advisory committee shall be composed of one representative appointed by each of the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino, and the City of Los Angeles. Members of the advisory committee shall be appointed for one-year terms. Recommendations of the advisory committee shall not be binding on the district board.

(c)  When the south coast district board first appoints the new hearing board, the attorney and engineer members shall serve terms of two years each and the medical and public members shall serve terms of three years each. Thereafter, each member’s term shall be three years.

(d)  In the temporary absence of a member and that person’s alternate, the hearing board chair, or the chair’s designee, may appoint a qualified alternate or any former hearing board member to serve for a period of up to three months plus that period of additional time required to conclude proceedings on which the temporary member deliberated.

(e)  The district budget shall have a line item to provide necessary staff and other support dedicated to the hearing board. The services provided by that staff shall include assistance to the public and small business as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 40448.

(Added by Stats. 1991, Ch. 822, Sec. 3. Effective October 14, 1991.)