By Mr. Walsh of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2823) of Martin J. Walsh relative to the Group Insurance Commission.  Public Service.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Martin J. Walsh

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to the group insurance commission .

    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. Chapter 32A of the Massachusetts General Laws shall be amended by striking section 3 in its entirety and replace with the following:-

Section 3. There shall be established within the executive office of administration and

finance, but not under its jurisdiction, a special unpaid commission, to be known as the

group insurance commission, consisting of the commissioner of administration and

finance, the commissioner of insurance, and nine members to be appointed by the

governor, one of whom shall be a retired state employee, one of whom shall be a health

 economist, and at least four of whom shall be full time state employees, of whom one

 shall be a member of the Massachusetts Public Employees Council, #93, AFSCME,

Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL–CIO, one of whom shall be a member of the

Massachusetts State Employees Association, NAGE, and one of whom shall be a member

of Local 254, S.E.I.U., Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL–CIO, and one of whom

 shall be a member of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists.

 Not more than five appointive members of the commission shall be members of the same

political party. No member appointed by the governor shall be an insurance agent, broker,

employee or officer of any insurance company. Upon the expiration of the term of office

of any appointive member, his successor shall be appointed in like manner for a term of

 three years. The commission shall be provided with suitable offices and may, subject to

 appropriation, incur expenses and appoint an executive director who shall be the

executive and administrative head thereof and who shall not be subject to the provisions

of chapter thirty-one. The commission may empower the executive director to appoint

such employees as may be necessary to administer the provisions of this chapter. There

shall be paid by the commonwealth to each appointive member of said commission the

necessary expenses actually incurred in the discharge of his official duties. The

 commission shall adopt such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary for

the administration of this chapter and shall make an annual report to the governor and to

the general court which shall include any modifications or amendments made to contracts

executed under this chapter and shall be in such form as to enable employees to

understand the benefits available from the insurance program, including the cost thereof.