Section 717. State mediation board and state labor relations board abolished

The state mediation board created  by  chapter  five  hundred
  sixty-nine  of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-eight and the New York
  state labor relations board created by chapter four hundred  forty-three
  of  the  laws of nineteen hundred thirty-seven are hereby abolished. All
  the functions, powers and duties of such boards are hereby  assigned  to
  and shall hereafter be exercised and performed by and through the board.
  Any  controversy, proceeding or other matter pending before the New York
  state board of mediation or the state labor relations board at the  time
  this  section  takes effect, may be conducted and completed by the board
  and for such purposes the board shall be deemed to be a continuation  of
  the  functions,  powers  and  duties  of  the  New  York  state board of
  mediation or the state labor relations board, respectively,  and  not  a
  new entity. Upon the transfer of functions to the board pursuant to this
  section, all appropriations and reappropriations heretofore or hereafter
  made to the department of labor relating to the state board of mediation
  or the state labor relations board or segregated pursuant to law, to the
  extent of remaining unexpended or unencumbered balances thereof, whether
  allocated or unallocated and whether obligated or unobligated are hereby
  made  available  for  use  and  expenditure  by  the  board for the same
  purposes for which originally appropriated or  reappropriated.  Whenever
  the  state  board of mediation or the state labor relations board or the
  chairman of the state board of mediation or of the state labor relations
  board is referred to or designated in any general, special or local  law
  or  in  any rule, regulation, contract other document, such reference or
  designation shall be deemed to refer  to  the  board  and  the  chairman
  thereof, respectively.