(a) The panel shall provide scientific peer review and make recommendations regarding the design and implementation of the program, including specific recommendations for chemicals that are priorities for biomonitoring in California, as specified in subdivisions (b) and (c), with the program retaining final decisionmaking authority.

(b) The panel shall recommend priority chemicals for inclusion in the program using the following criteria:

(1) The degree of potential exposure to the public or specific subgroups, including, but not limited to, occupational.

(2) The likelihood of a chemical being a carcinogen or toxicant based on peer-reviewed health data, the chemical structure, or the toxicology of chemically related compounds.

(3) The limits of laboratory detection for the chemical, including the ability to detect the chemical at low enough levels that could be expected in the general population.

(4) Other criteria that the panel may agree to.

(c) The panel may recommend additional designated chemicals not included in the CDC report, for inclusion in the program using the following criteria:

(1) Exposure or potential exposure to the public or specific subgroups.

(2) The known or suspected health effects resulting from some level of exposure based on peer-reviewed scientific studies.

(3) The need to assess the efficacy of public health actions to reduce exposure to a chemical.

(4) The availability of a biomonitoring analytical method with adequate accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and speed.

(5) The availability of adequate biospecimen samples.

(6) The incremental analytical cost to perform the biomonitoring analysis for the chemical.

(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 599, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)