Massachusetts § 200 - Fire safety commission; membership; quorum; compensation; duties

§ 200. Fire safety commission; membership; quorum; compensation; duties

Section 200. There shall be established a fire safety commission, hereinafter called the commission, to consist of the state fire marshal or his designee, the chairman of the board of building regulations and standards or his designee, the fire commissioner of the city of Boston or his designee and six members to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be a member of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, one of whom shall be a member of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, one of whom shall be a member of the hotel and motel association, one of whom shall be a registered professional engineer who is a structural engineer, one of whom shall be an inspector of wires with ten years of experience and is the holder of an electrician's license and one of whom shall be a member of the sprinkler fitters union.

Each member shall be appointed for a term of three years, except that in making his initial appointments the governor shall appoint two members for one year, two members to serve for two years and two members to serve for three years, as he may designate. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment. Any member of the commission may be removed by the governor for cause, after being given a written statement of the charges and an opportunity to be heard thereon. No member shall act as a member of the commission or vote in connection with any matter as to which his private right, distinct from public interest, is concerned.

A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business, but a lesser number may adjourn from time to time.

The commission shall annually elect a chairman and a vice chairman from its members; provided, however, that no member shall serve as chairman or vice chairman for more than two consecutive years.

Each member of the commission who is not otherwise an employee of the commonwealth shall receive from the commonwealth fifty dollars for each day or portion thereof spent in the performance of his official duties; provided, however, that the total sum paid to any member in any fiscal year shall not exceed three thousand dollars. Each member shall be paid necessary traveling and other expenses incurred in the performance of his duties.

The commission shall make and from time to time alter, rescind, amend and repeal in accordance with chapter thirty A, rules and regulations providing for the implementation of a statewide plan to require the installation of automatic sprinklers in all buildings or structures subject to the provisions of section twenty-six A1/2 of chapter one hundred and forty-eight. Any regulation, as defined in section one of chapter thirty A, or any amendment or repeal of any such regulation adopted by the commission pursuant to this paragraph, shall, after compliance with all applicable provisions of said chapter thirty A, except section five, be submitted to the general court. Said commission shall file the proposed regulation, amendment or repeal with the clerk of the house of representatives, together with a statement that the pertinent provisions of said chapter thirty A, except section five, have been complied with. Such regulations shall be accompanied by a summary of the regulations in layman's terms. The clerk of the house of representatives, with the approval of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, shall refer such regulations to the appropriate joint standing committee. Within thirty days after such referral, such committee may hold a public hearing on the regulations and shall issue a report to the commission. Said commission shall review said report and shall adopt final regulations as deemed appropriate in view of said report and shall file with the chairman of such reporting committee its final regulations, not earlier than thirty days after the filing of such report with said chairmen. Said commission shall file the final regulations with the state secretary as provided in section five of said chapter thirty and said regulations shall thereupon take effect.