SECTION 69. Commonwealth, counties, cities, towns and districts in general; members of a police or fire force in work under a contract

The commonwealth and any county, city, town or district having the power of taxation which has accepted chapter eight hundred and seven of the acts of nineteen hundred and thirteen, and any town or district having the power of taxation which accepts the provisions of this section at an annual meeting or at any special meeting called for the purpose, and any county tuberculosis hospital district under sections seventy-eight to ninety, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and eleven, if the trustees of said district accept the provisions of this section and any regional school district which accepts this section by vote of its regional district school committee, shall pay to laborers, workmen, mechanics, and nurses, employed by it who receive injuries arising out of and in the course of their employment, or, in case of death resulting from such injury, to the persons entitled thereto, the compensation provided by this chapter. Compensation payable under this chapter to an injured employee of the commonwealth or of any such county, city, town or district who receives full maintenance in addition to his cash salary or wage, and compensation payable thereunder to his dependents in case of his death, shall be based upon his average weekly wages plus the sum of thirty dollars a week in lieu of the full maintenance received by him; provided, that, in the discretion of the superintendent or other person in charge or control of any institution where such an employee is employed, such maintenance, computed at the rate per week hereinbefore set forth, may be continued during total incapacity, in which event such weekly compensation shall be based solely upon the cash salary or wages of such employee. No cash salary or wages shall be paid by the commonwealth or any such county, city, town or district to any person for any period for which weekly total incapacity compensation under this chapter is payable, except that such salary or wages may be paid in full until any overtime or vacation which the said employee has to his credit has been used, without deduction of any compensation herein provided for which may be due or become due the said employee during the period in which said employee may be totally incapacitated, and except that such salary or wages may be paid in part until any sick leave allowance which the employee has to his credit has been used, any other provisions of law notwithstanding except as otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement. An employee who is entitled to any sick leave allowance may take such of his sick leave allowance payment as, when added to the amount of any disability compensation herein provided, will result in the payment to him of his full salary or wages. Sections seventy to seventy-five, inclusive, shall apply to the commonwealth and to any county, city, town or district having the power of taxation which has accepted said chapter eight hundred and seven, and to any town or district having the power of taxation which accepts the provisions of this section as hereinbefore provided, and to any county tuberculosis hospital district under said sections seventy-eight to ninety, inclusive, if the trustees of said district accept the provisions of this section. The terms laborers, workmen and mechanics, as used in sections sixty-eight to seventy-five, inclusive, shall include all employees of any such city or town, except members of a police or fire force, who are engaged in work being done under a contract with the state department of highways, and shall include other employees except members of a police or fire force, regardless of the nature of their work, of the commonwealth or of any such county, city, town, district, county tuberculosis hospital district, or regional school district to such extent as the commonwealth or such county, city, town, district, county tuberculosis hospital district or regional school district, acting respectively through the governor and council, county commissioners, city council, the qualified voters in a town or district meeting, the trustees of such county tuberculosis hospital district, or the regional district school committee, shall determine, as evidenced by a writing filed with the department. The terms laborers, workmen and mechanics, as used in sections sixty-eight to seventy-five, inclusive, shall, if the city council or the town meeting so votes, also include such elected or appointed officers of the city or town, except the mayor, city councillors, selectmen or members of the police or fire force, as the mayor or board of selectmen may, from time to time, designate, as evidenced by a writing filed with the division.

Any county, city, town or district which accepts this section may provide for payment of compensation of certain or all of its employees by insurance with an insurer, subject, however, to the provisions and limitations of this section.

The term ''employee'' as used in this section shall include the manager of the municipal light plant, municipal gas plant or municipal gas and electric plant of any city or town owning and operating such plant either pursuant to the provisions of chapter one hundred and sixty-four or of any special law.