PETITION OF:

An Act Establishing the Mature Worker Business Initiative and the mature Worker Business Council

Section 1. Chapter 23H of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section.

Section 12

. 1. There shall be within the Department of Workforce and Development, the mature worker business initiative, which shall be over seen by a council, whose membership shall consist of the director of the department of workforce development, the commissioner of the Office of Labor and Workforce Development and such other representatives of state agencies, advocates for the aging, and the business community, who are concerned with the role of older workers in the economy and such other persons as the governor may from time to time designate who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor and legislature.

2. Each member of the council may, by official order, file with the council, designate a deputy in this Act..

3. The members of the council and their respective deputies, if any, shall serve without compensation, but each of them shall be entitled to reimbursement for his actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties.

4. The Commissioner shall serve as chairman of the council. At any meeting or proceeding not attended by the chairman, the council shall elect an acting chairman. Legal, technical, and other services for the council, other than those performed by employees of the council, shall be performed by personnel of the office, or other departments or agencies of the Commonwealth.

Section 2. The council shall have the following functions, powers and duties:

1. To develop and implement a program that shall develop strategies and protocols for identifying businesses that are offering arrangements to employees that are designed to recruit and retain mature workers and encourage them to remain in the work force;

2. develop a certification process for a which an eligible employer may apply indicating that such business has met the qualifications set forth by the director and commissioner qualifying them for the designation as a “Mature Worker Friendly Employer”;

3. design and execute a marketing outreach plan to encourage the participation of businesses in this program and educate mature workers about which programs have achieved this designation.

The commissioner acting by and through the department of labor and workforce development shall have power and it shall be his duty:

To work with the director of the state office for elder affairs to establish procedures, guidelines or regulations related to implementation of the “Mature Worker Business Initiative”. This voluntary program shall recognize those merchants, businesses or companies that have been determined to provide exceptional support to their mature workers. At the discretion of the commissioner and director of the state office for the aging, participating merchants, businesses or companies may be deemed eligible for designation as a “Mature Worker Friendly Employer”. The commissioner shall work with the secretary of elder affairs to develop recommendations and suggest policies for enhancing the opportunities for mature workers and what resources of the state should be made available as part of the state economic development policy to fully support businesses that have secured the state's endorsement and are deemed eligible to participate in this initiative.

This act shall take effect immediately.

Section 41.

Section 1

The mature worker task force is hereby created in the department of elder affairs. The purpose of the taskforce is to coordinate the commonwealth’s efforts to assist older persons who choose to work, and to support business growth and development across the commonwealth in light of an aging workforce. The task force shall facilitate interagency planning and policy, review specific agency initiatives for their impact on older workers and businesses and provide a continuing forum to discuss concerns and issues related to the formulation of state policy designed to help address this public policy area.

Section 2. Chapter 19A of the General Laws as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition is hereby amended by adding the following section.

a. The task force shall also identify statutory and regulatory provisions in current law that tend to limit opportunities for older workers, and develop legislative regulatory proposals to address such limitations,

b. identify best practices in the private sector for hiring and retaining older workers and serve as a clearing house of such information; and,

c. assess the effectiveness and cost of programs that state agencies have implemented to hire and retain older workers, and recommend cost-effective programs for all state agencies to hire and retain older workers.

s. 2. The council shall be comprised of 24 members to be appointed by the Secretary of Elder Affairs and the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development and will include: the secretary of elder affairs, the commissioner of labor and workforce development, the commissioner of education, the commissioner of public health, the commissioner of mental health. the commissioner of civil service, AARP, the Boston College Center on Aging and Workforce Flexibility, Generations Inc., and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council. The Secretary of Elder Affairs and the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall serve as co-chairs of the taskforce.

These members may designate representatives to act on their behalf. The governor shall appoint two representatives from not-for-profit corporations whose primary purpose is to provide employment services to older persons and serve them in their efforts to develop the requisite skills for a changing job market and two representatives of organizations representing business interests.

The temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the house shall each appoint 4 members to the council, one member appointed by the president and one member appointed by the speaker who shall be a research expert in the field of older worker employment issues, one member appointed by the president and one member appointed by the speaker who shall be representatives of labor organizations, and; 2 members appointed by the president and 2 members appointed by the speaker shall be advocates for older residents.

The minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the house shall have one appointment each. Administrative duties shall be shared by the office and department of labor.

The taskforce shall meet quarterly or more frequently if its business shall require.

The council shall provide reports to the governor and the legislature on or before June thirtieth, 2008 and by June thirtieth of every other year thereafter. Such reports shall include recommendations for state policy relating to mature workers and a review of services initiated and coordinated among public and private agencies to meet the needs of older persons who are seeking to remain active in the workforce.

s. 3 The office shall serve as the focal point to develop coordinated responses of the various state agencies with regard to issues of importance to mature workers to assure timely and appropriate responses to issues and problems. The office shall collaborate with the department of labor on issues related to the development of mature worker support initiatives and enhancing access by mature workers to existing training and employment services funded through federal and state resources. The department shall collaborate with other appropriate state agencies as needed.

The office, in consultation with the taskforce shall utilize data and information compiled and maintained pursuant to this article to coordinate state funded research and employment training efforts to ensure the most efficient use of funds available for this purpose.