§ 850. Designation of judicial hearing officers. 1. Subject to the provisions of subdivision three of this section and to rules of the chief administrator of the courts, any person who has served as a judge or justice of a court of record of the unified court system or of a city court which is not a court of record, but who no longer holds judicial office, may, upon his application, be designated by the chief administrator as a judicial hearing officer upon a determination by the chief administrator (a) that the former judge has the mental and physical capacity to perform the duties of such office and (b) that the services of that former judge are necessary to expedite the business of the courts.

2. The term of service of a judicial hearing officer shall be fixed by the chief administrator.

3. No person who has been removed from a judicial position pursuant to section twenty-two of article six of the constitution may be designated as a judicial hearing officer.

4. Each person, upon designation as a judicial hearing officer as provided herein, shall file with the chief administrator a sworn statement that such person will faithfully and fairly do such acts and make such determinations and reports as may be required by the designation as a judicial hearing officer.