(a) The chief administrative law judge shall employ administrative law judges to conduct hearings for state agencies subject to this chapter.
(b) To be eligible for employment with the office as an administrative law judge, an individual must be licensed to practice law in this state and meet other requirements prescribed by the chief administrative law judge.
(c) An administrative law judge employed by the office is not responsible to or subject to the supervision, direction, or indirect influence of any person other than the chief administrative law judge or a senior or master administrative law judge designated by the chief administrative law judge. In particular, an administrative law judge employed by the office is not responsible to or subject to the supervision, direction, or indirect influence of an officer, employee, or agent of another state agency who performs investigative, prosecutorial, or advisory functions for the other agency.