2006 New York Code - State Public Transportation Safety Board.

 
    § 216. State  public  transportation  safety board. 1. There is hereby
  created in the department a board, to  be  known  as  the  state  public
  transportation  safety  board.   Such board shall be responsible for the
  investigation of accidents involving public transportation in the state,
  including commuter rail, subways, rapid transit  and  buses.  The  board
  shall also be responsible for the presentation of recommendations to all
  public  transportation  operators and carriers to prevent the occurrence
  of future accidents. Such board shall consist of  the  commissioner  and
  six  other  members, no more than three of whom shall belong to the same
  political party. Two of the members of the board shall  be  selected  by
  the  governor  from  a  list submitted by the temporary president of the
  senate and two from a list submitted by the speaker of the assembly. The
  remaining two members shall be selected by the governor. One  from  each
  category  of  selected  members  shall have competence and experience in
  connection  with  the  operation,  design  or   management   of   public
  transportation  facilities and systems. Three of the members, other than
  the  commissioner,  shall  be  from  the   metropolitan   transportation
  authority  region  and  three  members  shall be from areas of the state
  outside such  region.  All  appointees  to  the  board  other  than  the
  commissioner  shall  be  upon  the advice and consent of the senate. The
  metropolitan transportation authority inspector general shall be  an  ex
  officio  member  of  the board but shall have no vote on matters arising
  outside of the operations of the metropolitan transportation  authority.
  Provided,  however,  that  with  the  exception  of the commissioner, no
  elected or appointed public officer or transportation  authority  member
  shall  be  eligible  for  membership  on  such board. The governor shall
  select a chairman from the members but the  chairman  shall  be  someone
  other than the metropolitan transportation authority inspector general.
    2. The board may be called to investigate any accident by the governor
  or   chairman.   Alternatively,   any  board  member  may  call  for  an
  investigation with majority board concurrence.
    3. Except for the commissioner  and  the  metropolitan  transportation
  authority  inspector  general,  the  term  of office of each such member
  shall be six years, except that the members first selected  shall  serve
  for  terms  of six years, five years, four years, three years, two years
  and one year, respectively. Any  member  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy
  occurring  otherwise than by expiration of a term shall be appointed for
  the remainder of the unexpired term.
    4. Members of the board, except the commissioner and the  metropolitan
  transportation  authority  inspector  general, shall receive one hundred
  fifty dollars per diem, not to exceed ten  thousand  dollars  per  annum
  compensation  for  their  services  as members of the board, and each of
  them shall be allowed the necessary and actual expenses which  he  shall
  incur in the performance of his duties under this article.