(a) The total cost to the state of maintaining and operating the hearing office of the board shall be determined by the board, in advance or upon any other basis as it may determine, utilizing information from the state agencies for which services are provided by the hearing office.
(b) The board shall be reimbursed for the entire cost of hearings conducted by the hearing office pursuant to statutes administered by the board, or by interagency agreement. The board may bill the appropriate state agencies for the costs incurred in conducting hearings involving employees of those state agencies, and employees of the California State University pursuant to Sections 89535 to 89542, inclusive, of the Education Code, and may bill the state departments having responsibility for the overall administration of grant-in-aid programs for the costs incurred in conducting hearings involving employees not administering their own merit systems pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 19800) of Part 2.5. All costs collected by the board pursuant to this section shall only be used for purposes of maintaining and operating the hearing office of the board.