The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 40W the following chapter:-

CHAPTER 40X.

SECTION 1.  (a) There shall be a body politic and corporate and a public instrumentality to be known as the Massachusetts Public Safety Building Authority, 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 in coordination with the secretary of public safety, and 4 additional members appointed by the state treasurer, 2 of whom shall have practical experience in public safety facilities planning, school building construction, or architecture and public safety building design, and 2 of whom shall be persons in the field of public safety with demonstrated knowledge of Massachusetts public safety and other relevant federal and state public safety standards, 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.