§ 33. Exercise of certain statutory powers during a vacancy in office of the temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly. A statutory power of the temporary president of the senate or speaker of the assembly, jointly or singly to approve vouchers, to direct the expenditure of moneys appropriated for a legislative purpose, to appoint or fix the compensation of legislative employees, to appoint a member or members of a legislative committee of investigation or other special legislative committee, or of a temporary commission lawfully constituted, or to act ex officio as a member of such a committee or commission, may be exercised during a vacancy or vacancies in such office or offices, between final adjournment of the annual session of the legislature and the ensuing first day of January, by the chairman of the finance committee of the senate, acting in the place and stead of the temporary president of the senate, if such vacancy be in that office, and by the chairman of the ways and means committee of the assembly, in the place and stead of the speaker of the assembly, if such vacancy be in that office.

In case of the disability of the chairman of such a committee, or of a vacancy in such chairmanship, if the occasion arises for the exercise by the chairman of the powers conferred by this section, a majority of the members of the committee, by certificate in triplicate filed with the respective secretary and clerk of the senate and assembly and with the comptroller, may designate one of the members of the committee to exercise such powers.