§ 555. Justice center medical review board; organization. (a) There
shall be within the justice center a medical review board. The board
shall be composed of up to fifteen members, including specialists in
forensic pathology, psychiatry, internal medicine and addiction medicine
to be appointed by the governor. The governor shall designate one of the
members to serve as chair of the board. Members shall be appointed for
terms of three years, provided, however, that one-third of the members
first appointed shall be appointed for a one year term and one-third for
two year terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original
appointments for the remainder of any unexpired term. Members shall
continue in office after the expiration of their terms until their
successors have been appointed and qualified. The governor may remove
any member of the board whenever in his or her judgment the public
interest may require such removal. In case of such removal, the governor
shall file with the department of state a statement indicating the cause
for such removal. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
the chair of the board may appoint committees of five or more members of
the board and delegate in writing to any such committee the authority to
perform the functions, powers and duties of the board pursuant to
section five hundred fifty-six of this article.

(b) The members of the board shall receive no compensation for their
services but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses
incurred in the performance of their duties.

(c) The board shall have an executive secretary and such officers and
employees as the executive director shall assign upon request of the
chair of the board, to assist it in the performance of its duties.

(d) All records of the proceedings and the deliberations of the
justice center medical review board shall not be subject to disclosure
under article thirty-one of the civil practice law and rules.

(e) The board or any committee appointed by the chair of the board
shall meet at the request of its chair or the executive director of the
justice center. Any member of the board who fails to attend three
consecutive meetings of the board or the committee to which such member
is assigned by the chair of the board, unless excused by the chair of
the board, shall be considered to have vacated his or her office unless
otherwise ordered by the governor. The term of any such person appointed
by the governor to fill such vacancy shall be governed by the provisions
of this section.