The Commission shall consist of seven members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for terms of six years and until their successors are appointed and qualify. The Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate shall designate one commissioner as chairman for a term of two years and the chairman may serve two terms in his six-year term but not consecutively.

The commissioners shall hear and determine all contested cases, conduct informal conferences when necessary, approve settlements, hear applications for full Commission reviews and handle such other matters as may come before the department for judicial disposition. Full Commission reviews shall be conducted by six commissioners only, with the original hearing commissioner not sitting at such reviews. When one commissioner is temporarily incapacitated or a vacancy exists on the Commission, reviews may be conducted by the five remaining commissioners but in such cases decisions of the hearing commissioner shall not be reversed except on the vote of at least four commissioners; provided, however, that effective July 1, 1981 full Commission reviews may be conducted by three-member panels composed of three commissioners appointed by the chairman excluding the original hearing commissioner. The chairman, with unanimous approval of the other commissioners, shall determine which full commission reviews shall be assigned to panels. The decisions of such panels shall have the same force and effect as nonpanel full commission reviews.