SENATE DOCKET, NO. 827        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1466

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Dean A. Tran

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act creating the fire station building assistance program.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 827        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1466

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act creating the fire station building assistance program.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 22E the following chapter:-

CHAPTER 22F.

FIRE STATION BUILDING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Section 1. (a) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate and a public instrumentality to be known as the Massachusetts Fire Station Building Authority, which shall be an independent public authority not subject to the supervision and control of any other executive office, department, commission, board, bureau, agency or political subdivision of the commonwealth except as specifically provided in any general or special law. The exercise by the authority of the powers conferred by this chapter shall be considered to be the performance of an essential public function.

(b) The authority shall consist of the state treasurer, who shall serve as chairperson, the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security, and 4 additional members appointed by the state treasurer, 2 of whom shall have practical experience in fire station facilities planning, fire station construction, or architecture and fire station design, 2 of whom shall be persons in the field of firefighting, each of whom shall serve a term of 2 years; but, a person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term. An appointed member of the authority shall be eligible for reappointment. The authority shall annually elect 1 of its members to serve

as vice-chairperson. Each member of the authority serving ex officio may appoint a designee pursuant to section 6A of chapter 30.

(c) Four members of the authority shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of 4 members of the authority shall be necessary and sufficient for any action taken by the authority. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and duties of the authority. Members shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The chairperson of the authority shall report to the governor and to the general court no less than annually, to assist the executive and legislative branches in coordinating public safety and fiscal policies of the commonwealth.

(d) Any action of the authority may take effect immediately and need not be published or posted unless

otherwise provided by law. The authority shall be subject to all provisions of chapter 30A, and records pertaining to the administration of the authority shall be subject to section 42 of chapter 30 and section 10 of chapter 66. All moneys of the authority shall be considered to be public funds for purposes of chapter 12A. The operations of the authority shall be subject to chapter 268A and chapter 268B and all other operational or administrative standards or requirements to the same extent as the office of the state treasurer.