§ 555 — Justice center medical review board; organization

§ 555. Justice center medical review board; organization. (a) There\nshall be within the justice center a medical review board. The board\nshall be composed of up to fifteen members, including specialists in\nforensic pathology, psychiatry, internal medicine and addiction medicine\nto be appointed by the governor. The governor shall designate one of the\nmembers to serve as chair of the board. Members shall be appointed for\nterms of three years, provided, however, that one-third of the members\nfirst appointed shall be appointed for a one year term and one-third for\ntwo year terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original\nappointments for the remainder of any unexpired term. Members shall\ncontinue in office after the expiration of their terms until their\nsuccessors have been appointed and qualified. The governor may remove\nany member of the board whenever in his or her judgment the public\ninterest may require such removal. In case of such removal, the governor\nshall file with the department of state a statement indicating the cause\nfor such removal. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,\nthe chair of the board may appoint committees of five or more members of\nthe board and delegate in writing to any such committee the authority to\nperform the functions, powers and duties of the board pursuant to\nsection five hundred fifty-six of this article.\n (b) The members of the board shall receive no compensation for their\nservices but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses\nincurred in the performance of their duties.\n (c) The board shall have an executive secretary and such officers and\nemployees as the executive director shall assign upon request of the\nchair of the board, to assist it in the performance of its duties.\n (d) All records of the proceedings and the deliberations of the\njustice center medical review board shall not be subject to disclosure\nunder article thirty-one of the civil practice law and rules.\n (e) The board or any committee appointed by the chair of the board\nshall meet at the request of its chair or the executive director of the\njustice center. Any member of the board who fails to attend three\nconsecutive meetings of the board or the committee to which such member\nis assigned by the chair of the board, unless excused by the chair of\nthe board, shall be considered to have vacated his or her office unless\notherwise ordered by the governor. The term of any such person appointed\nby the governor to fill such vacancy shall be governed by the provisions\nof this section.\n