CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE.

(a) The office is under the direction of a chief administrative law judge appointed by the governor for a two-year term that expires on May 15 of each even-numbered year. The chief administrative law judge is eligible for reappointment.

(b) To be eligible for appointment as chief administrative law judge, an individual must:

(1) be licensed to practice law in this state; and

(2) for at least five years, have:

(A) practiced administrative law;

(B) conducted administrative hearings under Chapter 2001; or

(C) engaged in a combination of the two activities listed in Paragraphs (A) and (B).

(c) The chief administrative law judge may not engage in the practice of law while serving as chief administrative law judge. The chief administrative law judge serves in a full-time position.

(d) The chief administrative law judge shall:

(1) supervise the office;

(2) protect and ensure the decisional independence of each administrative law judge;

(3) adopt a code of conduct for administrative law judges that may be modeled on the Code of Judicial Conduct; and

(4) monitor the quality of administrative hearings conducted by the office.

(e) The appointment of the chief administrative law judge shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointee.