Section 68: Gaming policy advisory committee
Section 68. (a) There shall be a gaming policy advisory committee to consist of the governor or the governor's designee, who shall serve as chair, the commission chair, 2 members of the senate of whom 1 shall be appointed by minority leader, 2 members of the house of representatives of whom 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader, the commissioner of public health or the commissioner's designee and 8 persons to be appointed by the governor, of whom 3 shall be representatives of gaming licensees, 1 shall be a representative of a federally recognized Indian tribe in the commonwealth, 1 shall be a representative of organized labor and 3 shall be appointed from the vicinity of each gaming establishment, as defined by the host community and surrounding communities, upon determination of the licensee and site location by the commission. The committee shall designate subcommittees to examine community mitigation, compulsive gambling and gaming impacts on cultural facilities and tourism. Members of the committee shall serve for 2–year terms. The committee shall meet at least once annually for the purpose of discussing matters of gaming policy. The recommendations of the committee concerning gaming policy made under this section shall be advisory and shall not be binding on the commission.
(b) There shall be a subcommittee on community mitigation under the gaming policy advisory committee consisting of 12 members, 1 of whom shall be appointed from the host community in region A, 1 of whom shall be appointed from the host community in region B; 1 of whom shall be appointed from the host community in region C, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the department of revenue's division of local services, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the commission, 3 of whom shall be appointed by the governor, of whom 1 shall have professional experience in community mitigation related to gaming, 1 shall be a small business owner in a host community and 1 shall be a representative from a chamber of commerce serving a host community who shall be chosen from a list of 3 candidates selected by the chambers of commerce in the surrounding communities, 1 of whom shall represent the local community mitigation advisory committee in region A, 1 of whom shall represent the local mitigation advisory committee in region B, 1 of whom shall represent the local mitigation advisory committee in region C and 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The subcommittee shall develop recommendations to be considered by the commission to address issues of community mitigation as a result of the development of gaming establishments in the commonwealth including, but not limited to, how funds may be expended from the Community Mitigation Fund, the impact of gaming establishments on the host community and surrounding communities including, but not limited to, the impact on local resources as a result of new housing construction and potential necessary changes to affordable housing laws, increased education costs and curriculum changes due to population changes in the region, development and maintenance of infrastructure related to increased population and utilization in the region and public safety impacts resulting from the facility and ways to address that impact. The subcommittee shall receive input from local community mitigation advisory committees. The subcommittee shall review annually the expenditure of funds from the Community Mitigation Fund and make recommendations to the commission relative to appropriate and necessary use of community mitigation funds. The commission may promulgate such regulations as advised by the subcommittee; provided, however, that the commission shall submit proposed final regulations to the subcommittee for comment 30 days before promulgation.
(c) There shall be a subcommittee on addiction services under the gaming policy advisory committee consisting of 5 members, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the department of public health's bureau of substance addiction services; 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of the commission and 2 of whom shall be appointed by the governor with professional experience in the area of gambling addictions. The subcommittee shall develop recommendations for regulations to be considered by the commission in addressing issues related to addiction services as a result of the development of gaming establishments in the commonwealth including, by not limited to, prevention and intervention strategies.
(d) There shall be a subcommittee on public safety under the gaming policy advisory committee consisting of 7 members, 1 of whom shall be a member of the commission, 1 of whom shall be the secretary of public safety or the secretary's designee, 1 of whom shall be the attorney general or the attorney general's designee, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, 1 of whom shall be the colonel of state police or the colonel's designee, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and 1 of whom shall be a representative of a public safety labor union. The subcommittee shall develop recommendations for regulations to be considered by the commission to address public safety issues as a result of the development of gaming establishments in the commonwealth including, but not limited to, ways to mitigate the impact of gaming establishments on crimes committed in the commonwealth. The subcommittee shall also study the impact of gaming establishments on all aspects of public safety in the commonwealth.
(e) Each region, as defined in section 19, may establish a local community mitigation advisory committee, which shall include not fewer than 6 members, 1 of whom shall be appointed by each of the host and surrounding communities, 1 of whom shall be appointed by each regional planning agency to which at least 1 of the host or surrounding communities belongs and 4 of whom shall be appointed by the commission, of whom at least 1 shall represent a chamber of commerce in the region, 1 shall represent a regional economic development organization in the region and 2 shall represent human service providers in the region. Each local committee shall annually elect a chair and such other officers as it deems necessary to carry out its duties. Each local committee shall annually elect 1 committee member from those members appointed by surrounding communities to represent the local committee in the subcommittee on community mitigation under subsection (b).
Each local community mitigation advisory committee may provide information and develop recommendations for the subcommittee on community mitigation on any issues related to the gaming establishment located in its region including, but not limited to: (i) issues of community mitigation; (ii) ways in which funds may be expended from the Community Mitigation Fund; and (iii) the impact of the gaming establishments on the host and surrounding communities. Additionally, each local community mitigation advisory committee may present information to the commission consistent with the rules of the commission on any issues related to the gaming establishment located in its region.