(1) There shall be a Medical Advisory Board composed of not fewer than 12 or more than 25 members, at least one of whom must be 60 years of age or older and all but one of whose medical and other specialties must relate to driving abilities, which number must include a doctor of medicine who is employed by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee, who shall serve as administrative officer for the board. The executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall recommend persons to serve as board members. Every member but two must be a doctor of medicine licensed to practice medicine in this or any other state. One member must be an optometrist licensed to practice optometry in this state. One member must be a chiropractic physician licensed to practice chiropractic medicine in this state. Members shall be approved by the Cabinet and shall serve 4-year staggered terms. The board membership must, to the maximum extent possible, consist of equal representation of the disciplines of the medical community treating the mental or physical disabilities that could affect the safe operation of motor vehicles.

(2) The advisory board shall meet at the call of its chair, at the request of a majority of its membership, at the request of the department, or at such times as may be prescribed by its rules.

(3)(a) The board shall advise the department on medical criteria and vision standards relating to the licensing of drivers. In fulfillment of this duty, the board shall assist the department in developing, and keeping current with medical and scientific advancements, coded restrictions to be placed upon driver licenses of persons whose medical condition warrants a requirement that they wear medical identification bracelets when operating a motor vehicle, pursuant to s. 322.16(1)(d).

(b) Upon request of the department, the board shall report to the department on the individual physical and mental qualifications of a licensed driver or applicant. When a board member acts directly as a consultant to the department, a board member’s individual review and evaluation of physical and mental qualifications of a licensed driver or applicant is exempt from the provisions of s. 286.011.

(4) Reports received or made by the board or its members for the purpose of assisting the department in determining whether a person is qualified to be licensed are for the confidential use of the board or the department and may not be divulged to any person except the licensed driver or applicant or used as evidence in any trial, and are exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1), except that the reports may be admitted in proceedings under s. 322.271 or s. 322.31. Any person conducting an examination pursuant to this section may be compelled to testify concerning his or her observations and findings in such proceedings.

(5) There shall be no monetary liability on the part of, and no cause of action for damages shall arise against, any member of the board for any action taken without intentional fraud in carrying out the provisions of this section.

(6) Members of the board shall be entitled to per diem and travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061.

(7) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall adopt such rules as are required to carry out the purpose of this section.

History.—s. 1, ch. 75-289; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 4, ch. 78-323; ss. 1, 2, ch. 79-64; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 81-66; ss. 1, 4, ch. 82-46; s. 5, ch. 87-172; ss. 1, 3, 4, ch. 88-107; s. 3, ch. 88-410; s. 1, ch. 89-90; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 404, ch. 95-148; s. 154, ch. 96-406; s. 251, ch. 98-166; s. 12, ch. 2009-183; s. 49, ch. 2013-160.