Section 915. Defense and indemnification

The authority shall not execute
  any of its  powers,  except  as  necessary  to  commence  its  corporate
  existence,  until  it  has  elected  to  make  the  provision of section
  eighteen of the public officers law applicable to its employees (as such
  term is defined in section eighteen of the public officers law) pursuant
  to subdivision two of such  section;  provided,  however,  that  nothing
  contained within this section shall be deemed to permit the authority to
  extend  the  provisions  of  section eighteen of the public officers law
  upon any independent contractor.