SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission to evaluate and study the impact and supposed benefit of the additional funding and legislative efforts granted to gateway communities. The task force shall consist of the Senate and House Chairmen of the Joint Committee on Economic Development, or their designee, a the Secretary of the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, or their designee, the Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, or their designee, the Director of the Department of Unemployment Assistance, or their designee, the Undersecretary of Community Development, or their designee, the Senate and House Chairs of the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, or their designee and two representatives from the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

(b) The task force will be held responsible to evaluate the effectiveness of additional funding given to gateway cities through tax exemptions, credits and grants since the creation of the gateway city program. The group shall report to the legislature how communities currently recognized as gateway cities are utilizing additional funds in a positive way for the community and what current plans are put in place to eventually lower their unemployment rate and increase their median income and education achievable rate. The task force will present a report with recommendations on how to best recover from their current economic state and report it to Clerk of the House and Senate by December 31, 2015.