Labor committee to draft bill raising labor‑board per diems; requests procurement clarifications from MainPERS

The Joint Standing Committee on Labor voted to pursue a committee bill to increase per diem rates for the Labor Relations Board and to seek additional information from quasi‑independent entities after reviewing Government Evaluation Act reports.

Analyst Steve Langland presented the GEA materials and noted the Labor Relations Board had proposed raising per diems to $200 per day for the chair and $150 per day for members (current statutory rates reported as $75/day for members and $100/day for the chair). Committee members discussed comparability to other New England states, asked for clarity on what constitutes a "day," and agreed to draft a committee bill for public hearing and work session rather than sending a bill directly to the floor.

In reviewing MainPERS and the Workers' Compensation Board reports for calendar years 2024–25, committee members raised concerns about recurring no‑bid procurement waivers and subscription costs. One committee member highlighted a reported $17,855 annual payment for Zoom and asked whether alternatives had been adequately considered; another asked for clarification about a group life insurance arrangement described as a sole‑source procurement because of corporate acquisition (Aetna purchased by Hartford). The committee asked staff to request written responses and additional justification from MainPERS for large or recurring waivers and said it may ask entity representatives to appear for follow‑up questions.

Next steps: Staff will draft committee bill language for the per diem change and circulate it for committee review; the committee clerk will request written procurement clarifications from MainPERS and may invite agency representatives back to answer specific questions at a future meeting.