[§451D-4]  Advisory committees.  (a) 
The director of commerce and consumer affairs may establish advisory
committees, the members of which shall serve as consultants to the boards in
their review of health care professionals referred for possible disciplinary
action and as experts to the department for investigations.  The advisory
committee shall be appointed by the director from a list of health care
professionals submitted annually by the board for which an advisory committee
is appointed.



The director shall develop an information sheet
for each member describing the committee's purpose, roles and responsibilities
of members, and procedures used to carry out the committee's work.  When the
board or director requests assistance from any member of the committee on a
case, the board or director, as the case may be, shall make initial inquiries
as may be necessary for the purpose of eliminating conflicts of interest prior
to submission to any member of the committee.



(b)  The membership of the advisory committee
shall reflect, insofar as is practical, all areas of professional practice and
include subgroupings of the major specialties.  Each member of the committee
shall serve until a new committee is established, or until the particular case
for which the member was designated a consultant or expert has been concluded.



(c)  All members of the advisory committee
shall serve voluntarily and without compensation, but shall be paid reasonable
allowances for travel and living expenses which may be incurred as a result of
performance of their duties on the committee.  The costs shall be paid by the
department.



(d)  There shall be no civil liability for any
member of the advisory committee for any act done in furtherance of the purpose
for which the advisory committee was established. [L 1987, c 67, pt of §1]