The board may employ, subject to law, such clerical assistants and, except as provided in Section 159.5, other employees as it may deem necessary to carry out its powers and duties.
The board may enter into contracts for services necessary for enforcement of this chapter and may as necessary select and contract with physical therapy consultants who are licensed physical therapists to assist it in its programs on an intermittent basis. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may contract with these consultants on a sole source basis. For the purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, any consultant under contract with the board
shall be considered a public employee.