N.Y. SCP Law § 2610

§ 2610. Commissioner of records of surrogate's court, New York county;\n appointment; salary; duties\n 1. The surrogates of New York county shall appoint a commissioner of\nrecords. The commissioner shall appoint, subject to the prior approval\nof the surrogates, subordinates to assist him in the performance of his\nduties. The salary of the commissioner and his subordinates shall be\nfixed by the surrogates and shall be paid out of appropriations therefor\nmade by the city of New York.\n 2. The commissioner shall examine into the arrangement and condition\nof the records, wills, documents, books and papers deposited or filed in\nthe office of the surrogate's court of the county of New York and into\nthe condition and sufficiency of the indices thereof. He shall collate\nand arrange the same in such manner as may be necessary for their\nrestoration and preservation and shall take such steps as may be\nnecessary to provide convenient references thereto and for the\nexamination and use as the public interest and convenience may require.\nHe shall cause copies thereof to be made whenever by reason of age, use,\nexposure, or any casualty such copies shall in his judgment be necessary\nand after the copy has been compared with the original it shall be\ncertified by the commissioner and shall thereafter be admitted in\nevidence and shall be considered for all other purposes with the same\neffect as the original. The original shall be placed in a suitable\nenclosure by the commissioner and shall be preserved, properly endorsed\nand indexed for such examination as may be directed by an order of the\ncourt in any action or proceeding in which the accuracy of the copy may\nbe questioned. His duties shall be performed under such conditions and\nregulations as may be approved by the surrogates and in a manner which\nshall permit the examination and use of the records, wills, documents,\nbooks, papers and indices as the public interest and convenience may\nrequire.\n 3. The office of commissioner of records of the surrogate's court of\nNew York county shall terminate upon the completion of the duties in\nthis section prescribed.\n