Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The office of chief of the fire department of the town of Stoughton shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter 31 of the General Laws; provided, however, that said chief may be removed from office by the town manager at any time upon a finding made by said manager after a hearing, that public interest so requires. At the written request of said chief made prior to the commencement of such removal hearing, such hearing shall be made public.

SECTION 2. All future appointees to the office of chief of the fire department in the town of Stoughton shall, at the time of appointment, have served for a period of not fewer than seven years in a federal, state, county or local fire agency in the United States and shall, at the time of appointment, have held, for at least two years prior to such appointment, the permanent rank of lieutenant or above. The town manager shall prescribe the duties, authority and compensation of said chief.

SECTION 3. The provisions of section 1 shall not impair the civil service status of any person holding the office of chief of the fire department of the town of Stoughton on the effective date of this act.