Hearing officers; hearings; public; exception; excusal;

protection of witness and information. A. All hearings held pursuant to provisions of the Uniform Licensing Act shall be conducted either by the board or, at the election of the board, by a hearing officer who may be a member or employee of the board or any other person designated by the board in its discretion. A hearing officer shall, within thirty days after a hearing, submit to the board a report setting forth the hearing officer's findings of fact and recommendations. B. All hearings held pursuant to provisions of the Uniform Licensing Act shall be open to the public; provided that in cases in which a constitutional right of privacy of a licensee, applicant or unlicensed person may be irreparably damaged, a board or hearing officer may hold a closed hearing if the board or hearing officer so desires and states the reasons for this decision in the record. The licensee, applicant or unlicensed person may, for good cause shown, request a board or hearing officer to hold either a public or a closed hearing. C. Each party may peremptorily excuse one board member or a hearing officer by filing with the board a notice of peremptory excusal at least twenty days prior to the date of the hearing, but this privilege of peremptory excusal may not be exercised in any case in which its exercise would result in less than a quorum of the board being able to hear or decide the matter. Any party may request that the board excuse a board member or a hearing officer for good cause by filing with the board a motion of excusal for cause at least twenty days prior to the date of the hearing. In any case in which a combination of peremptory excusals and excusals for good cause would result in less than a quorum of the board being able to hear or decide the matter, the peremptory excusals that would result in removing the member of the board necessary for a quorum shall not be effective. D. In any case in which excusals for cause result in less than a quorum of the board being able to hear or decide the matter, the governor shall, upon request by the board, appoint as many temporary board members as are necessary for a quorum to hear or decide the matter. These temporary members shall have all of the qualifications required for permanent members of the board. E. In any case in which excusals result in less than a quorum of the board being able to hear or decide the matter, the board, including any board members who have been excused, may designate a hearing officer to conduct the entire hearing. F. Each board shall have power where a proceeding has been dismissed, either on the merits or otherwise, to relieve the licensee, applicant or unlicensed person from any possible odium that may attach by reason of the proceeding, by such public exoneration as it sees fit to make, if requested by the licensee, applicant or unlicensed person to do so. G. There shall be no liability on the part of and no action for damages against a person who provides information to a board in good faith and without malice in the reasonable belief that such information is accurate. A party who directly or through an agent intimidates, threatens, injures or takes adverse action against a person for providing information to a board shall be subject to disciplinary action.