The director shall appoint a workers' compensation advisory committee composed of ten members: Three representing subject workers, three representing subject employers, one representing self-insurers, one representing workers of self-insurers, and two ex officio members, without a vote, one of whom shall be the chair of the board of industrial appeals and the other the representative of the department. The member representing the department shall be chair. This committee shall conduct a continuing study of any aspects of workers' compensation as the committee shall determine require their consideration and shall assist in the identification of priorities for safety and health investment projects as provided in chapter
49.17 RCW. The committee shall report its findings to the department or the board of industrial insurance appeals for such action as deemed appropriate. The members of the committee shall be appointed for a term of three years commencing on July 1, 1971 and the terms of the members representing the workers and employers shall be staggered so that the director shall designate one member from each such group initially appointed whose term shall expire on June 30, 1972 and one member from each such group whose term shall expire on June 30, 1973. The members shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to travel expenses as provided in RCW
43.03.050 and
43.03.060. The committee may hire such experts, if any, as it shall require to discharge its duties, and may utilize such personnel and facilities of the department and board of industrial insurance appeals as it shall need without charge. All expenses of this committee shall be paid by the department.