N.Y. PBH Law § 423

§ 423. Boards of visitors; general powers and duties. 1. The board of\nvisitors of each hospital in the department shall have the powers and\nduties expressly conferred or imposed on it by this chapter and such\nother powers and duties, not inconsistent with law as may be prescribed\nby rules of the commissioner.\n 2. Each board of visitors shall:\n (a) subject to such rules and the statutory powers of the\ncommissioner, take care of the general interest of the institution and\nsee that its objective is carried into effect;\n (b) maintain an effective inspection of the institution, for which\npurpose the board, or a majority of its members, shall visit and inspect\nthe institution at least once every three months;\n (c) keep in a book provided for that purpose, a fair and full record\nof its activities, which shall be open at all times to the inspection\nand examination of the governor or of any person appointed by the\ngovernor or by either house of the legislature, or to the commissioner\nor his authorized representatives;\n (d) enter in a book, kept at the institution for that purpose, the\ndate of each visit of each visitor;\n (e) investigate, hear and ascertain the truth of all charges made\nagainst the director or other officer or employee of the institution,\nissue subpoenas, take and hear testimony in respect to such charges and\nmake its recommendations thereon to the authority having the power to\ndischarge or remove. A witness attending before such board shall be\nentitled to the same fees as a witness attending before a court of\nrecord or a judge thereof, which shall be paid as other institutional\ncharges.\n