Section 2825. Membership on authorities and commissions; independence; and financial disclosure

Notwithstanding the  provisions  of  any  general,  special  or  local  law,  municipal  charter  or ordinance: 1. No public
  officer or employee shall be ineligible for appointment as a trustee  or
  member  of  the governing body of a state or local authority, as defined
  in section two of this chapter, and any public officer or  employee  may
  accept  such  appointment  and  serve  as such trustee or member without
  forfeiture of any other public office or position of  public  employment
  by reason thereof.
    2.  Except  for  members  who  serve as members by virtue of holding a
  civil office of the state, the majority of the remaining members of  the
  governing  body  of  every state or local authority shall be independent
  members;  provided,  however,  that  this  provision  shall   apply   to
  appointments  made  on or after the effective date of the chapter of the
  laws of two thousand five which added this subdivision. The official  or
  officials  having  the  authority  to  appoint  or remove such remaining
  members shall take such actions as may  be  necessary  to  satisfy  this
  requirement.  For the purposes of this section, an independent member is
  one who:
    (a) is not, and in the past two years has not been,  employed  by  the
  public authority or an affiliate in an executive capacity;
    (b)  is  not,  and  in the past two years has not been, employed by an
  entity that received remuneration valued at more than  fifteen  thousand
  dollars  for  goods  and  services  provided  to the public authority or
  received any other form of financial  assistance  valued  at  more  than
  fifteen thousand dollars from the public authority;
    (c)  is  not  a  relative  of  an  executive officer or employee in an
  executive position of the public authority or an affiliate; and
    (d) is not, and in the  past  two  years  has  not  been,  a  lobbyist
  registered  under a state or local law and paid by a client to influence
  the management decisions, contract awards, rate  determinations  or  any
  other similar actions of the public authority or an affiliate.
    3.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of any general, special or
  local law,  municipal  charter  or  ordinance  to  the  contrary,  board
  members,  officers, and employees of a state authority shall file annual
  financial disclosure statements as required by  section  seventy-three-a
  of  the public officers law. Board members, officers, and employees of a
  local public authority shall file annual financial disclosure statements
  with the county board of ethics for the county in which the local public
  authority has its primary office pursuant to  article  eighteen  of  the
  general municipal law.