(a) The Chief Administrator of the Courts, in his or her discretion, shall establish a panel of judicial hearing officers for particular courts in individual counties, where appropriate, to accept assignments in such court in such county, and shall designate judicial hearing officers to each such panel. A judicial hearing officer may serve on more than one panel.

(b) The size and composition of each panel shall be determined by the Chief Administrator, after consultation with the appropriate administrative judge, in accordance with the needs of the courts in each particular county. In determining the need for judicial hearing officers in any court and county, the Chief Administrator shall consider (1) the state of the general calendar in each court in which the use of judicial hearing officers is being considered and (2) the number of proceedings suitable for determination by judicial hearing officers in such court or courts.

(c) The Chief Administrator, in his or her discretion, after consultation with the appropriate presiding justice, may establish a panel of judicial hearing officers in and for an appellate division to perform the functions of the preargument screening program for such appellate division.

(d) Unless the Chief Administrator directs otherwise, a judicial hearing officer who requests that his or her name be removed from any panel of judicial hearing officers during the course of a term of office may not be redesignated to that panel for the duration of that term.

(e) The Chief Administrator, in consultation with the presiding justice of the appropriate appellate division, may remove the name of any judicial hearing officer from any or all panels for unsatisfactory performance or for any conduct incompatible with service as a judicial hearing officer. A judicial hearing officer may not be so removed unless he or she has been given a written statement of the reasons for the removal and afforded an opportunity to make an explanation and to submit facts in opposition to the removal.