(a) An administering agency may establish a peer review group.

(b) If an administering agency establishes a peer review group, the administering agency shall do all of the following:

(1) Before establishing a peer review group, develop a transparent process for selecting members of the group.

(2) Draft a charter. The charter also shall be posted on the administering agency’s Internet Web site as a public document and shall contain all of the following information:

(A) The group’s official name or designation.

(B) The group’s objective and the scope of its activities.

(C) A statement of the expertise and balance of interests required of the group membership to perform its charge.

(D) The name of the administering agency and official to whom the group reports.

(E) A description of the duties for which the group is responsible.

(F) The estimated number and frequency of group meetings.

(G) The estimated annual operating costs for the group.

(H) A statement that authorizes a peer reviewer to conduct his or her duties under the charter impartially, without restriction or limitation, and in a manner the peer reviewer believes is necessary to appropriately review a proposed project.

(I) A statement that declares whether the members of the peer review group have signed a conflict of interest disclosure form that would identify real or perceived conflicts between a peer reviewer and the specified public works project.

(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 252, Sec. 1. (SB 425) Effective January 1, 2014.)