Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 23a - Department of Economic Development
Section 13k - Massachusetts International Trade Office; Executive Director

Section 13K. (a) There shall be within the partnership a Massachusetts international trade office, which shall be under the supervision and control of an executive director. The executive director shall be appointed by the governor and serve at the pleasure of the governor. The executive director shall devote full time during business hours to the duties of the Massachusetts international trade office. The executive director of the international trade office shall be the executive and administrative head of the office and shall be responsible for administering and enforcing the laws relative to the office and to any administrative unit of the office. The executive director shall also serve as the Massachusetts international trade representative.
(b) The Massachusetts international trade representative shall: (1) serve as the commonwealth's official point of contact with the federal government on matters related to international trade; (2) work with the executive office of housing and economic development and other appropriate state agencies to analyze proposed and enacted international trade agreements and provide an assessment of the impact of those agreements on the commonwealth's economy; (3) serve as the designated recipient of federal requests for the commonwealth to agree to be bound by investment, procurement, services or any other international trade agreements, including those which may infringe upon state law or regulatory authority reserved to the commonwealth; (4) serve as a liaison to the general court on matters of international trade policy oversight including, but not limited to, reporting to members of the general court on a regular basis on the status of ongoing international trade negotiations, international trade litigation and dispute settlement proceedings with implications for existing state laws, state regulatory authority and international trade policy on the commonwealth's economy.
(c) The international trade representative shall, within 30 days of receipt, forward any requests or communications received from the United States Trade Representative relative to any issue of international trade, including requests seeking the commonwealth's consent to be bound by international trade agreements, to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, who shall promptly refer the communications or requests to the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies. The joint committee shall, within 30 days of receipt, conduct a public hearing on any request seeking the commonwealth's consent to be bound by an international trade agreement. The joint committee may issue a report within 120 days of the public hearing including a resolution to the general court relative to the recommendations of the committee on whether the commonwealth should consent to the international trade agreement in question and memorializing the commonwealth's international trade representative and the governor to take appropriate measures within their power to advise the United States Trade Representative of the recommendations of the general court.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws