Section 74. Procedure for retirement

a. Every application for a retirement
  allowance  or  other  benefit provided by this article shall be executed
  and filed with the comptroller.   Each such  application  shall  contain
  such information as the comptroller shall deem necessary.
    b.  The  comptroller  shall  have exclusive authority to determine all
  applications for any form of retirement or benefit provided for in  this
  article.  He  shall examine into the facts of each such application, and
  to that end, shall have full power and authority to:
    1. Employ experts and specialists, and
    2. Require the attendance of the applicant and other witnesses, and
    3. Require the production of all books, papers,  documents  and  other
  records pertaining to such inquiry, and
    4. Administer oaths and take testimony.
    The  comptroller  shall  have  the power to issue subpoenas, under his
  hand, returnable anywhere in the  state.  Any  such  subpoena  shall  be
  served  in  the  same  manner  and  have  the same force and effect as a
  subpoena issued in an action pending in the supreme court.
    c. After making his determination on any application  the  comptroller
  forthwith  shall  mail  a  written notice thereof to the applicant. Such
  notice shall be mailed to the address given in such application.
    d. At any time within four months after the mailing  of  such  notice,
  the  applicant  or  his  counsel  may  serve  a  written demand upon the
  comptroller for a  hearing  and  redetermination  of  such  application.
  After  the  service of such demand, the comptroller shall hold a hearing
  upon such application at which  the  applicant  may  be  represented  by
  counsel.    The comptroller shall have the same powers upon such hearing
  as upon the original application. After  such  hearing  the  comptroller
  shall  make  his  final determination. A copy thereof shall be mailed to
  the applicant and his counsel, if any. Such final determination shall be
  subject to review only as provided in article seventy-eight of the civil
  practice law and rules.
    e. To aid  him  in  passing  upon  applications  for  retirement,  the
  comptroller  shall  appoint  a medical board consisting of not less than
  five physicians who shall hold office  at  his  pleasure.  Such  medical
  board shall:
    1.  Arrange  for  and  pass  upon all medical examinations required or
  allowed under the provisions of this article, and
    2. Have  full  power  and  authority  to  investigate  statements  and
  certificates  submitted by or on behalf of a claimant in connection with
  any application for accidental death benefit, disability  retirement  or
  restoration to service thereafter, and
    3. Have full power and authority to administer oaths and require sworn
  statements and testimony with respect to matters under its jurisdiction.
  The  comptroller  may  designate  other  doctors  to conduct the medical
  examination required or allowed hereunder. The  medical  board,  in  any
  case in which it shall deem it advisable, may require any such doctor to
  conduct  any  such  examination  and  to  report in writing his findings
  thereon to the medical board. The medical board shall thereupon consider
  such report. Upon completion of its examination  and  investigation  and
  after the consideration of the report, if any, of any such other doctor,
  the  medical  board  shall  submit  to  the  comptroller a report of its
  findings and proceedings which shall include the report, if any, of such
  other doctor. The report of the medical board  shall  be  admissible  in
  evidence  upon  any hearing before the comptroller or in connection with
  any examination or investigation  conducted  by  him  pursuant  to  this
  article.

    f.  The  comptroller, in any particular case, may designate one of his
  deputies or any other person to perform the duties imposed upon  him  by
  this section.
    g.  In  connection with the proceedings authorized by this section the
  comptroller shall not be bound by  common  law  or  statutory  rules  of
  evidence, or by technical or formal rules of procedure.