11. For the purposes of complying with the federal Clean Air Act, there is created in the Department of Environmental Protection a Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel.

a. The Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel shall consist of seven members, as follows:

(1) two members, appointed by the Governor, who shall represent the general public and shall not be owners, or representatives of owners, of small business stationary sources;

(2) four members who shall own a small business stationary source or represent owners of small business stationary sources, of whom one each shall be appointed respectively by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Assembly Minority Leader; and

(3) one member who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection as the commissioner’s representative.

b. (1) Members of the panel shall:

(a) serve for two-year terms;

(b) annually elect, by majority vote of the full membership of the panel, a chairperson and a vice-chairperson; and

(c) serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(2) The panel shall meet at least four times per year.

c. It shall be the responsibility of the panel to:

(1) render advisory opinions to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection concerning the effectiveness of the department’s program for assisting small business stationary sources with technical and environmental compliance issues with respect to air pollution control, as required pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 7661f of the federal Clean Air Act, and concerning air pollution control requirements, permitting, and enforcement pertaining to small business;

(2) make periodic reports to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency concerning compliance of the State‘s air pollution control program with the requirements of the federal “Paperwork Reduction Act” (44 U.S.C. § 3501 et seq.), the federal “Regulatory Flexibility Act” (5 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.), and the federal “Equal Access to Justice Act” (5 U.S.C. § 504 et seq. and 28 U.S.C. § 2412 et seq.) as they relate to small business;

(3) review information and air pollution control permit applications provided to small business stationary sources to assure that the information and applications are understandable to the layperson; and

(4) determine if the department provides for the development and dissemination of those advisory opinions and reports issued in accordance with the provisions of this section.

L.1995,c.188,s.11.