Section 71. (a) There shall be a PCA quality home care workforce council which shall be within the executive office of health and human services but shall not be subject to the control of the executive office, to ensure the quality of long-term, in-home, personal care by recruiting, training and stabilizing the work force of personal care attendants.

(b) The PCA quality home care workforce council shall consist of 9 members appointed under this section. A majority of the members of the council shall be consumers as defined in this chapter. In making appointments to the council, the governor shall appoint the secretary of the executive office of health and human services or a designee, who shall serve as chair, the secretary of labor and workforce development or a designee and 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers recommended by the governor's special advisory commission on disability policy. The auditor shall appoint 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers recommended by the developmental disabilities council, 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers recommended by the Massachusetts office on disability, and 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers recommended by the statewide independent living council. The attorney general shall appoint 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers or consumer surrogates recommended by the Massachusetts home care association, 1 member from a slate of 3 consumers or consumer surrogates recommended by the Massachusetts council on aging and 1 member chosen by the attorney general. The secretary of health and human services or a designee and the secretary of labor and workforce development or a designee shall be permanent members during their term in office. Appointees to the council shall serve 3–year terms. If a vacancy occurs, the executive officer who made the original appointment shall appoint a new council member to serve the remainder of the unexpired term or, in the event that the vacancy occurs as the result of the completion of a term, to serve a full term, and such appointment shall become immediately effective upon the member taking the appropriate oath. If the departing council member was appointed under a recommendation made under this paragraph, the executive officer shall make the new appointment from a slate of 3 recommendations put forth by the entity that originally recommended the departing council member. Members of the council may serve for successive terms of office. A majority of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. Members of the council shall not receive compensation for their council service but members shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.