§23-4-8a. Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board; composition; term of office; duties; quorum; remuneration.

The Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board shall consist of five licensed physicians who shall be appointed by the Insurance Commissioner. No person shall be appointed as a member of the board, or as a consultant thereto, who has not by special study or experience, or both, acquired special knowledge of pulmonary diseases. All members of the Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board shall be physicians of good professional standing admitted to practice medicine and surgery in this state. Two members shall be roentgenologists. One member of the board shall be designated annually as chairman by the Insurance Commissioner. The term of office of each member of the board shall be six years. Any member of the board may be appointed to any number of terms. The function of the board is to determine all medical questions relating to cases of compensation for occupational pneumoconiosis under the direction and supervision of the Insurance Commissioner. Any three members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business if at least one of the members present is a roentgenologist. The Insurance Commissioner, shall, from time to time, fix the compensation to be paid each member of the board. Members are also entitled to reasonable and necessary traveling and other expenses incurred while actually engaged in the performance of their duties. In fixing the compensation of board members, the Insurance Commissioner shall take into consideration the number of claimants a member of the board actually examines, the actual time spent by members in discharging their duties, and the recommendation of the Governor as to reasonable reimbursement per unit of time expended based on comparative data for physicians within the state in the same medical specialties.