Section 150. Referees and secretary

(a) The chair shall appoint as many
  persons as may be  necessary  to  be  referees  to  perform  the  duties
  prescribed  by  this  section. All positions of referee now in existence
  shall remain in the exempt class of the classified civil service, except
  as  otherwise  provided  herein.  The  term  of  referees  appointed  to
  positions  in  the  exempt  class  shall be seven years from the date of
  appointment; provided, however, that referees  may  be  removed  by  the
  chair  for cause after notice of charges and an opportunity to be heard.
  A newly created position of referee, or one that has been vacated, shall
  be classified in the competitive class of the  classified  service,  and
  the   term   of  office  prescribed  herein  shall  not  apply  to  such
  appointments; provided, however, that those who are serving  in  referee
  positions  on  the  date  that this act becomes effective whose term has
  already expired or whose term expires on or after  such  effective  date
  may,  in the discretion of the appointing authority, be retained in that
  position until the expiration of the eligible list  established  as  the
  result  of  the next competitive examination appropriate for such title,
  held after January first, nineteen hundred  ninety-one  or  may,  before
  such time, be appointed from such eligible list.
    A  referee  shall  devote his or her entire time to the duties of that
  office and shall not hold any other public office or  public  employment
  for which compensation is received, other than necessary travel or other
  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance of the duties of such office or
  employment, and may engage in any employment that does not conflict with
  the proper performance of the duties of his or her  office  and  is  not
  inconsistent  with  the  public  officers law. Referees shall receive an
  annual salary to be fixed by the chair  within  the  appropriation  made
  therefor.
    (b)  It  shall  be  the  duty of a referee, under rules adopted by the
  board, to hear and determine claims for  compensation,  and  to  conduct
  such  hearings and investigations and to make such orders, decisions and
  determinations as may be required by any  general  or  special  rule  or
  order of the board under the provisions of this chapter. The decision of
  a referee on such a claim shall be deemed the decision of the board from
  the  date  of  the  filing thereof in the office of the secretary of the
  board unless the board, on its own motion or on application duly made to
  it, modify or rescind such decision. Whenever any deaf person is a party
  to a hearing conducted before a  referee,  or  a  witness  therein,  the
  referee  shall  in  all instances appoint a qualified interpreter who is
  certified by a recognized  national  or  New  York  state  credentialing
  authority to interpret the proceedings to and the testimony of such deaf
  person.  The  board  shall  determine  a  reasonable  fee  for  all such
  interpreting  services,  the  cost  of   which   shall   constitute   an
  administrative expense.
    (c)  Notwithstanding  any  other  provisions  of  this  section to the
  contrary, the chair may establish a list of board employees qualified by
  training or experience to serve as acting referees. When  the  chair  or
  his  or  her  duly  designated  representative  shall  determine  that a
  temporary emergency exists, he, she or said representative may assign an
  employee from such list to  serve  as  an  acting  referee  during  such
  temporary  emergency.  Such  board  employee  qualified  by  training or
  experience shall serve without additional compensation  and  shall  have
  all the powers and duties of a duly appointed referee.
    (d) There shall be a secretary of the board who shall be appointed and
  may  be  removed by the board. The board shall fix his salary within the
  limits of the appropriations therefor. The secretary shall perform  such
  duties in connection with meetings of the board and such other duties as
  may  be  assigned to him by the board. He shall also perform such of the

  administrative duties and have such of the administrative powers of  the
  chairman  of  the  board  as  may be delegated or assigned to him by the
  chairman.