(a) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate and a public instrumentality to be known as the Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety 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 6 additional members appointed by the state treasurer, 3 of whom shall have practical experience in public safety facilities planning, public safety construction, or architecture and public safety facility design, and 1 of whom shall be persons in the field of law enforcement, 1 of whom shall be in the field of firefighting, and one of whom shall be in the field of emergency medical services, 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) Five members of the authority shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of five 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(d) Any action of the authority may take effect immediately and need not be published or posted unless otherwise provided by law.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.