§ 33. Exercise of certain statutory powers during a vacancy in office
of the temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly. A
statutory power of the temporary president of the senate or speaker of
the assembly, jointly or singly to approve vouchers, to direct the
expenditure of moneys appropriated for a legislative purpose, to appoint
or fix the compensation of legislative employees, to appoint a member or
members of a legislative committee of investigation or other special
legislative committee, or of a temporary commission lawfully
constituted, or to act ex officio as a member of such a committee or
commission, may be exercised during a vacancy or vacancies in such
office or offices, between final adjournment of the annual session of
the legislature and the ensuing first day of January, by the chairman of
the finance committee of the senate, acting in the place and stead of
the temporary president of the senate, if such vacancy be in that
office, and by the chairman of the ways and means committee of the
assembly, in the place and stead of the speaker of the assembly, if such
vacancy be in that office.

In case of the disability of the chairman of such a committee, or of a
vacancy in such chairmanship, if the occasion arises for the exercise by
the chairman of the powers conferred by this section, a majority of the
members of the committee, by certificate in triplicate filed with the
respective secretary and clerk of the senate and assembly and with the
comptroller, may designate one of the members of the committee to
exercise such powers.