Section 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.