SECTION 1. To provide for the establishment of a reintegration center for veterans and active military personnel reintegration center for veterans and active military personnel, the sum set forth in section 2, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this act, are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds.

SECTION 2.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

4000-XXXX..For the executive office of health and human services for the purchase of a site, the preparation of plans and the construction of a new 25 bed reintegration center for veterans and active military personnel in the city of Lowell, conditioned on matching commitments of not less than $15,000,000 from other public or private sources; provided, that the executive office may accept gifts, grants, donations, and bequests from other public or private sources………………………………………………………………………………..$15,000,000.

4000-XXXX.. For the operation of the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell……………………………………………………………………$8,000,000.

SECTION 3. Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 71 the following sections:-

Section 71A. There shall be a board of trustees of the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell, consisting of 7 persons, at least 4 of whom shall be veterans, who shall be appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the approval of the governor, for initial terms of 3 years.  Upon the expiration of the term of office of a member, the member’s successor shall be appointed by the secretary to serve for 7 years. The secretary shall designate 1 of the members as chairperson. The board shall serve without compensation, but each member shall be reimbursed by the commonwealth for all expenses incurred in the performance of the member’s official duties.

Section 71B. (a)The board of trustees of the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell, hereinafter called the center, shall have the management and control of the center and all property, real and personal, of the commonwealth and occupied or used by the center.  In the management and control of the center aforementioned, the board of trustees shall: (i) provide comprehensive services to veterans, as defined in clause forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4 as well as active military personnel, meaning those engaged in active service in the armed forces as defined in said clause forty-third, who are in the process of returning and reintegrating to life in the commonwealth; (ii) provide specific services for veterans and active military personnel with mental health problems which may include, but are not limited to, post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, depression and substance abuse; (iii) provide comprehensive services to the families of any veterans and active military personnel receiving services; and (iv) work with the United States Veterans’ Administration and other federal, state, local or regional public agencies, authorities, or non-profit organizations to provide any services under this section. 

The board of trustees shall appoint a superintendent to act as the administrative head of the center.  The superintendent shall, subject to the approval of the trustees, appoint and may remove a medical director, treasurer, assistant treasurer and those other persons the superintendent deems necessary for the proper and efficient operation of the facilities of the home.  The medical director shall have responsibility for any medical and outpatient facilities and shall make recommendations to the superintendent on the appointments of all physicians, nurses and other medical staff.

In addition to the forgoing, the board of trustees shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the trustees of state hospitals under chapter 19, so far as applicable. The secretary of health and human services shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations consistent with this section.

SECTION 4. Section 16 of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 32 and 33, the words “and the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts and the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke” and inserting in place thereof the following:-

, the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, and the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 5. Section 7 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 2 and 3 the words “and of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke” and inserting in place thereof the following:-

, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 6. Section 62 of chapter 22C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 2 and 3 the words “ or the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts located in the city of Chelsea” and inserting in place thereof the following:-

the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts located in the city of Chelsea or the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 7. Section 24A of chapter 30 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “Holyoke”, in line 21, the following:-

, Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 8. Section 91 of chapter 32 of the General Laws, as most recently amended by  section 11 of chapter 36 of the acts of 2012, is hereby further amended by striking out, in subsection (a), the words “or the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke” and inserting in place thereof the following:-

, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, or the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 9. Section 13 of chapter 58 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “Holyoke”, in line 6, the following:-

, the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 10. Section 70E of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “Massachusetts”, in line 112, the following:-

, the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 11. Section 1 of chapter 113 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 5 and 6, the words “and the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke” and inserting in place thereof the following:-

, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell.

SECTION 12. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out section 2, the state treasurer shall, upon request of the governor, issue and sell bonds of the commonwealth in an amount to be specified by the governor from time to time but not exceeding, in the aggregate, $15,000,000. All bonds issued by the commonwealth shall be designated on their face, Veteran Respite Center Establishment Loan Act of 2013, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 30 years, as the governor may recommend to the general court under Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution. All bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2048. All interest and payments on account of principal on these obligations shall be payable from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, bonds and interest thereon issued under this section shall be general obligations of the commonwealth.

SECTION 13. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in carrying out section 2, and all other provisions of this act, the executive office of health and human services, hereinafter the office, may enter into contracts, agreements or transactions that may be appropriate with other federal, state, local or regional public agencies or authorities. The contracts, agreements, or transactions may relate to such matters as the office shall determine including, without limitation, the research, design, layout, construction, reconstruction or management of construction of all or a portion of the Reintegration Center for Veterans and Active Military Personnel in Lowell. In relation to any such contracts, agreements or transactions, the office may advance monies to these agencies or authorities, without prior expenditure by the agencies or authorities, and the agencies and authorities may accept monies necessary to carry out these agreements; provided, however, that the office shall certify to the comptroller the amounts so advanced; provided, further, that these agreements shall contain provisions satisfactory to the office for the accounting of monies expended by any other agency or authority; and provided, further, that all monies not expended under any such agreement shall be credited to the account of the office from which they were advanced. The office shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means on any transfers completed under this section.

SECTION 14. Notwithstanding any other general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall take all necessary actions to secure federal assistance which is or may become available to the office. If a federal law, administrative regulation or practice requires an action relating to federal assistance to be taken by a department, agency or other instrumentality of the commonwealth other than the executive office of health and human services, the other department, agency or instrumentality shall take such action.