Section 3. (a) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate to be known as the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The center is hereby constituted a public instrumentality and the exercise by the center of the powers conferred by this chapter shall be considered to be the performance of an essential governmental function.
The center is hereby placed in the executive office of economic development but shall not be subject to the supervision, or control of said office, or of any board, bureau, department, or other center of the commonwealth, except as specifically provided in this chapter.
(b) The center shall be governed and its corporate powers exercised by a board of directors consisting of 7 directors: 1 of whom shall be the secretary of administration and finance or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the secretary of housing and economic development or his designee; 1 of whom shall be the president of the University of Massachusetts or his designee; and 4 of whom shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine in the commonwealth and affiliated with an academic medical center, 1 of whom shall be a chief executive officer of a Massachusetts-based life sciences corporation which is a member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, 1 of whom shall be a researcher involved in the commercialization of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or medical diagnostic products and 1 of whom shall have significant financial experience in the life sciences sector. Each appointed member shall serve a term of 5 years, except that in making his initial appointments, the governor shall appoint 1 director to serve for a term of 1 year, 1 director to serve for a term of 2 years, 1 director to serve for a term of 3 years, 1 director to serve for a term of 4 years. The secretary of the executive office of administration and finance and the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development, or their designees, shall serve as co-chairs of the board. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of an appointed director of the board shall be appointed in a like manner and shall serve for only the unexpired term of such director. Any director shall be eligible for reappointment. Any director may be removed from his appointment by the governor for cause.
(c) Four directors shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of a majority of directors present at a duly called meeting if a quorum is present shall be necessary for any action to be taken by the board. Any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the directors may be taken without a meeting if all of the directors’ consent in writing to such action and such written consent is filed with the records of the minutes of the meetings of the board. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote at a meeting. Each director shall make full disclosure, under subsection (d), of his financial interest, if any, in matters before the board by notifying the state ethics commission, in writing, and shall abstain from voting on any matter before the board in which he has a financial interest, unless otherwise permissible under chapter 268A.
The members of the board shall serve without compensation, but each member shall be entitled to reimbursement for his actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties.
(d) The provisions of chapter 268A shall apply to all ex-officio directors or their designees and employees of the center. The provisions of chapter 268A shall apply to all other directors of the center, except that the center may purchase from, sell to, borrow from, loan to, contract with or otherwise deal with any person in which any director of the center is in any way interested or involved; provided, however, that such interest or involvement is disclosed in advance to the members of the board and recorded in the minutes of the board; and provided, further, that no director having such an interest or involvement may participate in any decision of the board relating to such person. Employment by the commonwealth or service in any agency thereof shall not be deemed to be such an interest or involvement.
(e) The Board shall have the power to appoint and employ a president, and to fix his compensation and conditions of employment. The president shall be the chief executive, administrative and operational officer of the center and shall direct and supervise administrative affairs and the general management of the center. The president shall appoint and employ a chief financial and accounting officer and may, subject to the general supervision of the board, employ other employees, consultants, agents, including legal counsel, and advisors, and shall attend meetings of the board. The chief financial and accounting officer of the center shall be in charge of its funds, books of account and accounting records. No funds shall be transferred by the center without the approval of the board and the signatures of the chief financial and accounting officer and the treasurer, as appointed by the board pursuant to subsection (g).
(f) Neither the center nor any of its officers, agents, employees, consultants or advisors shall be subject to the provisions of sections 9A, 45, 46 and 52 of chapter 30, or to chapter 31, or to chapter 200 of the acts of 1976.
(g) The board shall bi-annually elect 1 of its members as treasurer and 1 of its members as secretary. The secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the board and shall be custodian of all books, documents, and papers filed by the board and of its minute book and seal. The secretary shall cause copies to be made of all minutes and other records and documents of the center and shall certify that such copies are true copies, and all persons dealing with the center may rely upon such certification.
(h) All officers and employees of the center having access to its cash or negotiable securities shall give bond to the center at its expense in such amounts and with such surety as the board may prescribe. The persons required to give bond may be included in one or more blanket or scheduled bonds.
(i) Board members and officers who are not compensated employees of the center shall not be liable to the commonwealth, to the center or to any other person as a result of their activities, whether ministerial or discretionary, as such board members or officers except for willful dishonesty or intentional violations of law. Neither members of the center nor any person executing bonds or policies of insurance shall be liable personally thereon or be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance thereof. The board of directors may purchase liability insurance for board members, officers and employees and may indemnify said persons against claims of others.
(j) The center shall continue as long as it shall have bonds or insurance or guarantee commitments outstanding and until its existence is terminated by law. Upon the termination of the existence of the center, all right, title and interest in and to all of its assets and all of its obligations, duties, covenants, agreements and obligations shall vest in and be possessed, performed and assumed by the commonwealth.
(k) Any action of the center may take effect immediately and need not be published or posted unless otherwise provided by law. Meetings of the center shall be subject to section 11A1/2 of chapter 30A; but, said section 11A1/2 shall not apply to any meeting of members of the center serving ex officio in the exercise of their duties as officers of the commonwealth so long as no matters relating to the official business of the center are discussed and decided at the meeting. The center shall be subject to all other provisions of said chapter 30A, and records pertaining to the administration of the authority shall be subject to section 42 of chapter 30 and section 10 of chapter 66. All moneys of the center shall be considered to be public funds for purposes of chapter 12A. The operations of the center shall be subject to chapter 268A and chapter 268B and all other operational or administrative standards or requirements to the same extent as the office of the state treasurer.
(l) Any documentary materials or data whatsoever made or received by any member or employee of the center and consisting of, or to the extent that such materials or data consist of, trade secrets or commercial or financial information regarding the operation of any business conducted by an applicant for any form of assistance which the center is empowered to render or regarding the competitive position of such applicant in a particular field of endeavor, shall not be deemed public records of the center and specifically shall not be subject to the provisions of section 10 of chapter 66. Any discussion or consideration of such trade secrets or commercial or financial information may be held by the board in executive sessions closed to the public notwithstanding the provisions of section 11A1/2 of chapter 30A, but the purpose of any such executive session shall be set forth in the official minutes of the center and no business which is not directly related to such purpose shall be transacted nor shall any vote be taken during such executive session.
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