2023 New York Laws › RSS - Retirement and Social Security › Article 8 - New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System › Title 9 - General Provisions Relating to Retirement; Retirement Plans Applicable to Members Generally › 374 - Procedure for Retirement.

§ 374. 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 power 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 use  the  medical  board  appointed  pursuant  to  the
  provisions  of  section seventy-four of this chapter. 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 in 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.