200 - Department of motor vehicles; commissioner.
§ 200. Department of motor vehicles; commissioner. 1. There shall be in the state government a department of motor vehicles. The head of the department shall be the commissioner of motor vehicles who shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, and hold office until the end of the term of the appointing governor and until a successor is appointed and has qualified, and who shall receive an annual salary within the amount appropriated therefor. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall have the immediate charge of the department. The commissioner of motor vehicles may appoint, and at pleasure remove, such deputy commissioners of motor vehicles, inspectors, examiners and other assistants and employees of the department as are deemed necessary, within the amounts available therefor by appropriation. The commissioner of motor vehicles and all other officers and employees of the department shall be paid and allowed their necessary, actual and reasonable expenses incurred in the exercise of their duties. All salaries and expenses of the department shall be paid out of the state treasury on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on the certificate of the commissioner of motor vehicles. The principal office of the department shall be in the city of Albany. 2. (a) The commissioner of motor vehicles may enter into a contract for the publication of a driver's manual. Such contract may provide for the sale of advertising by the contractor. A contract for publication of a driver's manual shall be awarded following consideration of factors which shall include, but not be limited to, the most favorable financial advantage for the state, and the greatest utility to the motorist. The commissioner shall issue a request for proposal for publication of the driver's manual which shall set requirements for the preparation of bids; responsibility for preparation and placement of appropriate advertising content, which shall be limited to no more than thirty percent of the total space available; approval of the commissioner at critical stages of the driver's manual development, including appropriate timetables and schedules; approval of advertising standards and rates; any securities which shall be required of the contractor and deadlines for selection of a competent contractor. (b) On or before February first of each year following enactment hereof, the department shall submit a report to the director of the division of the budget detailing any proposed privatization initiatives it would like to undertake including a summary of each initiative, the cost savings associated with each initiative and the impact of each initiative on customer service and departmental staffing levels. Copies of such report shall be simultaneously filed with the chairpersons of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee.