B.__The accrued fringe benefits of state employees transferred to the authority in its capacity as an independent agency prior to July 1, 2006, including vacation and sick leave, health and life insurance and retirement, remain with the transferred employees.

C.__Employees transferred from the department are entitled to receive the same retirement health benefits as state employees.

Sec. 6. Existing board. The board of Directors of the New England Passenger Rail Authority holding office on the effective date of this Act hold office as directors for the terms for which they were elected. If a vacancy arises, it must be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to seek and use such funds as are necessary to extend the current Downeaster passenger rail service northward from Portland to Brunswick, with this extension, as well as connecting service to Rockland, to be in operation no later than January 1, 2007.

This bill increases the size of the board of directors of the authority from 5 members to 7 members, with one of the additional members being the Commissioner of Transportation or the commissioner's designee and the other additional member being appointed to represent a passenger rail advocacy organization by the Governor.

This bill provides that any replacements for the current 5 members of the authority's board of directors, and any further replacements for those directors, are to be appointed by the Governor and subject to approval of the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters.

This bill provides that, after July 1, 2006, the authority may not employ any person or hire any consultants or others, but that, instead, on and after that date, the Department of Transportation shall provide all persons, consultants and others