AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REGIONALIZATION ADVISORY COMMISSION.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith a regionalization advisory commission, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a 19 member Massachusetts regionalization advisory commission consisting of the following members: the secretary of the executive office for administration and finance, or his designee, who shall serve as chair of the commission; the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of public safety or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of transportation and public works or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of elder affairs or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of veterans’ affairs or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of labor and workforce development or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of education or his designee; the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development or his designee; the president of the senate or his designee; the speaker of the house of representatives or his designee; the minority leader of the senate or his designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives or his designee; a representative from the metropolitan area planning council; a representative from the Massachusetts Municipal Association; and 3 members to be appointed by the governor all of whom shall have knowledge and experience in 1 or more of the following areas: municipal government and services, municipal agreements, shared services or regionalization. Each member shall serve without compensation.
The commission shall review all aspects of regionalization including possible opportunities, benefits and challenges to regionalizing services within the commonwealth. The commission shall consider the costs and effects of regionalizing all services including, but not limited to: education, public safety, public health, public works, housing, veterans’ services, workforce development, municipal finance and structure, elder services and transportation.
The commission shall submit its finding and recommendations for regionalizing services, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry those recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not later than April 30, 2010.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect as of July 1, 2009.
Approved August 6, 2009.