(a) In any proceeding before the board involving the granting, suspension, or revocation of a license or in other proceedings in which expert testimony relating to the practice of marriage and family therapy is necessary, the board shall hear evidence from a qualified expert witness or witnesses selected by the parties.
(b) An expert witness who testifies in a board proceeding shall be compensated by the party requesting the testimony. An expert witness selected to testify on behalf of the board, when it is a party to a proceeding, who is an employee of an agency of the State of Alabama, or any of its political subdivisions, shall be permitted to testify without loss of income or other benefits.