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H8529A
2026 -- H 8529 SUBSTITUTE A
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND LIFE SCIENCE HUB
ACT
Introduced By:
Representatives Baginski, and Slater
Date Introduced:
May 06, 2026
Referred To:
House Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 23-99-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-99 entitled "The Rhode
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Island Life Science Hub Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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23-99-4. Rhode Island life science hub established.
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(a) There is hereby constituted as an independent public a public corporation for the
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purposes set forth in this chapter with a separate legal existence from the state to be known as the
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Rhode Island life science hub hereinafter to be referred to as the “hub”. The exercise by the hub of
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the powers conferred by this chapter shall be considered to be the performance of an essential
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governmental function and the hub shall be considered a “constituted authority” and an
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“instrumentality” of the state acting on behalf of the state for federal tax purposes.
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(b) The hub shall be governed and its corporate powers exercised by a board of directors
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consisting of
sixteen (16)
seventeen (17)
directors: fifteen (15) of whom shall be appointed by the
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governor,
and
one of whom shall be the person the board hires from time to time as president and
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chief executive officer of the hub
, and one of whom shall be the chairperson of the I-195
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redevelopment district commission
. The president and chief executive officer of the hub shall serve
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ex officio and, except as otherwise provided in subsection (k) of this section,
shall not be a voting
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member of the board of directors. The chairperson of the I-195 redevelopment district commission
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shall serve ex officio and
shall not be a voting member of the board of directors. The fifteen (15)
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directors appointed by the governor shall consist of seven (7) public directors and eight (8)
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institutional directors. The seven (7) public directors shall have the following qualifications: one
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shall be a senior executive with extensive background in the banking, grant making, or fundraising
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fields, or their designee; one shall be a member of a life science trade association, or their designee;
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one shall be the president or a senior executive of a Rhode Island based life science company, or
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their designee; two (2) shall be senior executives of Rhode Island based life science companies
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specializing in biomanufacturing, or their designees; one shall be a representative of organized
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labor, or their designee; and one shall be a member of the public who shall be a certified public
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accountant and a member of the Rhode Island society of certified public accountants, or their
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designee. The eight (8) institutional directors shall have the following qualifications: one shall be
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the secretary of commerce, ex officio; three (3) shall be the president of Rhode Island college, ex
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officio, or their designee, the president of the university of Rhode Island, ex officio, or their
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designee, and the president of Brown university, ex officio, or their designee; one shall be the dean
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of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown university, ex officio, or their designee; one shall
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be the president and chief executive officer of Brown university health, ex officio, or their designee;
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one shall be the president and chief executive officer of Care New England Health System, ex
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officio, or their designee; and one shall be the director of economic development for the city of
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Providence, ex officio, or their designee. To the extent that an institution takes on a new legal name,
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the institutional director shall continue to serve as an institutional director without the need for
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reappointment. To the extent that an institution merges, converts, consolidates with, or sells or
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transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another company and such company retains its
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primary operations in the state, the chief executive officer of such company shall be qualified for
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appointment as an institutional director in accordance with this section.
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(c) The chair of the board shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent
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of the senate, and shall be an individual who served in the capacity as a senior executive with
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extensive background in the banking, grant making, or fundraising fields. The vice-chair of the
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board shall be the secretary of commerce. All directors, including ex officio directors, shall be
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voting members of the board of directors, except for the director serving as president and chief
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executive officer of the hub, who shall not be a voting member of the board. Eight (8) voting
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directors shall constitute a quorum, and any action to be taken by the board under the provisions of
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this chapter may be authorized by resolution approved by a majority of the directors present and
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entitled to vote at any regular or special meeting at which a quorum is present. No votes on the
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certification of any life science company nor on the allocation or award of any investment fund
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resources to any certified life science company shall be taken unless the chair is present and voting.
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A vacancy in the membership of the board of directors shall not impair the right of a quorum to
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exercise all of the rights and perform all of the duties of the board. Pursuant to § 42-46-5(b)(6),
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board directors are authorized to participate remotely using videoconferencing technology in open
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public meetings of the board; provided, however, that:
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(1) The remote director(s) and all persons present at the meeting location are clearly audible
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and visible to each other;
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(2) A quorum of the body is participating, either in person or by the use of remote
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videoconferencing technology;
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(3) A voting director who participates in a meeting of the board remotely shall be
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considered present for purposes of a quorum and voting;
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(4) If videoconferencing is used to conduct a meeting, the public notice for the meeting
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shall inform the public that videoconferencing will be used and include instructions on how the
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public can access the virtual meeting; and
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(5) The board shall adopt rules defining the requirements of remote participation including
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its use for executive session, and the conditions by which a director is authorized to participate
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remotely.
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(d) Each public director shall serve an initial term of four (4) years. At the expiration of the
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initial terms of public directors in January 2028, the governor shall appoint two (2) directors for a
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term of four (4) years, two (2) directors for a term of three (3) years, two (2) directors for a term of
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two (2) years, and one director for a term of one year. Thereafter, the governor shall appoint a new
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public director or directors to succeed the public director or directors whose terms then next expire,
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to serve a term of four (4) years. The president and chief executive officer shall have a board term
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coextensive with such person’s employment contract with the hub. In the event that the chair of the
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board position becomes vacant for any reason, or the chair is not able to perform the duties of that
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position for any reason, the vice chair shall serve as the interim chair until the chair is able to resume
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the chair’s duties; provided, however, in the event that the chair is not able to resume the chair’s
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duties in that position, the governor shall appoint a new chair and, in making this appointment, the
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governor shall give due consideration to appointing an individual from a list of six (6) candidates,
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three (3) of whom shall be provided to the governor by the speaker of the house and three (3) of
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whom shall be provided to the governor by the president of the senate. Any person appointed to fill
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a vacancy in the office of a public director of the board shall be appointed in a like manner and
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shall serve for the unexpired term of such public director. Any director shall be eligible for
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reappointment.
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(e) The public director who is a certified public accountant and a member of the Rhode
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Island society of certified public accountants shall serve as treasurer and shall be charged with
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keeping the funds, books of account, and accounting records of the hub. No grants, loans or other
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financings, or incentives shall be issued by the hub to any certified life science company without
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the approval of the board. The board shall annually elect a secretary who shall keep a record of the
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proceedings of the board and shall be custodian of all books, documents, and papers.
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(f) Board directors, other than the director who serves as the president and chief executive
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officer of the hub, shall serve without compensation, but each director shall be entitled to
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reimbursement for actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses while engaged in the performance
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of official duties. Board directors, officers, and employees shall not be liable to the state, the hub,
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or to any other person as a result of their activities except for malfeasance in office or intentional
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violations of law.
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(g) The board shall establish an application review committee consisting of not less than
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three (3) directors of the board, which shall review certification proposals submitted by life sciences
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companies that shall be supported by independently verifiable information, and the board shall
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make a record of findings based on the certification proposal, documents submitted therewith, and
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any additional evidence that the life science company meets all criteria that the hub may prescribe.
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(h) Certified life science companies shall be eligible to receive funding from the hub, upon
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a majority vote of the board, for the following benefits which shall be awarded by the board on a
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competitive basis:
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(1) Grants, loans, or other investments;
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(2) Assistance from the hub in obtaining federal, state, and nonprofit monies; or
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(3) Assistance from the hub in facilitating clinical trials.
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(i) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law in relation to their tenure of office, the
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governor may remove any director, including institutional directors, for the neglect of any duty
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required by law, incompetence, unprofessional conduct, or willful misconduct. If an institutional
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director is so removed, such institutional director’s designee shall serve on the board in their place
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for the remainder of their term.
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(j) Each director shall make full disclosure, in accordance with §§ 36-14-1 — 36-14-7, of
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any financial interest, if any, in any matter before the board. Such interest must be disclosed in
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advance to the directors of the board, recorded in the minutes of the board, and the director having
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such an interest shall recuse themselves and shall not participate in any decision of the board
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relating to such interest.
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(k) With the advice and consent of the senate, the board shall have the power to hire a
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president, who shall also serve as the chief executive officer of the hub and who shall be a non-
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voting member of the board of directors, but who shall be entitled to vote as a member of any
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advisory committee to which the president/chief executive officer is appointed. The board also shall
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have the power to establish compensation and conditions of employment for the president and chief
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executive officer; provided, further, the board shall have the power to hire other employees and
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establish compensation and conditions of employment for such employees.
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(l) The commerce corporation shall provide operating quarters for the hub for, at a
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minimum, the first year of the hub’s operation.
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(m) In addition to the application review committee, the board may establish one or more
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advisory committees, each consisting of not less than three (3) and not more than seven (7)
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directors, which may also include persons who are not directors, which committees shall support
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the board on science, technology, and other matters. Such advisory committees shall keep records
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of their findings and recommendations.
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(n) The hub shall continue as long as it shall have bonds outstanding and until its existence
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is terminated by law. Upon the termination of the existence of the hub, all right, title, and interest
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in and to all of its assets and all of its obligations, duties, covenants, agreements, and obligations
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shall vest in and be possessed, performed, and assumed by the state and no part of the earnings of
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the hub shall inure to the benefit of any private person.
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SECTION 2. Section 42-64.14-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-64.14 entitled "The I-
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195 Redevelopment Act of 2011" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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42-64.14-6. The I-195 redevelopment district commission.
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(a) The powers of the district to achieve the purposes of this chapter shall be exercised by
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a commission as herein provided:
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The I-195 redevelopment district commission shall consist of seven (7) voting members.
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The governor of the State of Rhode Island shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the senate,
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the seven (7) voting members of the commission.
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The mayor of the city of Providence shall, within thirty (30) days of passage of this act,
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submit to the governor a list of names of at least six (6) individuals that the governor shall give due
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consideration to appointing three (3) individuals from the list. The speaker of the house of
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representatives shall, within thirty (30) days of passage of this act, submit to the governor a list of
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names of three (3) individuals of which the governor shall give due consideration to appointing one
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individual from the list. The governor shall also appoint three (3) individuals without regard to the
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lists submitted by the mayor of the city of Providence or the speaker of the house of representatives
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and the governor shall designate one of the members to serve as chairperson of the commission.
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The governor shall, within forty (40) days of passage of this act, submit to the senate for advice
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and consent the initial list of individuals for appointment to the commission including any
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individuals appointed by the governor from the lists presented by the mayor of the city of
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Providence and the speaker of the house of representatives within the time limits set forth in this
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subsection.
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Three (3) members shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years; three (3) members shall
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be appointed for a term of three (3) years; and one member, who shall be the chair, shall be
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appointed for a term of four (4) years. Appointments made thereafter shall be for four-year (4)
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terms. Any vacancy occurring in the commission shall be filled by the governor of the State of
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Rhode Island in the same manner prescribed for the original appointments, including those seats
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by recommendation of the mayor of the city of Providence and the speaker of the house of
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representatives being selected from a similar prepared list from those parties. A member appointed
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to fill a vacancy of a director appointed by the governor of the State of Rhode Island shall be
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appointed for the unexpired portion of the term of office of the member whose vacancy is to be
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filled. Members of the commission whose terms expire shall continue to serve until their successors
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are appointed and qualified.
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In addition to these voting members, there shall be
two (2)
three (3)
ex officio, non-voting
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members as follows: the city of Providence planning director, or the planning director's designee,
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and the chief executive officer of the Rhode Island commerce corporation, or the chief executive
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officer's designee
and the chair of the Rhode Island life sciences hub
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(b) The commissioners shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties
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under this chapter, but each commissioner may be reimbursed for the commissioner's reasonable
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expenses incurred in carrying out those duties, however said reimbursement must be approved at a
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public meeting of the commission. A commissioner may engage in private employment, or in a
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profession or business.
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(c) The chairperson shall designate a vice chairperson from the commission who shall serve
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at the pleasure of the chairperson. Four (4) voting commissioners shall constitute a quorum, and
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any action to be taken by the commission under the provisions of this chapter may be authorized
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by resolution approved by a majority of the commissioners present and entitled to vote at any
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regular or special meeting at which a quorum is present. A vacancy in the membership of the
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commission shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all of the rights and perform all of
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the duties of the commission. Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, in the event
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that a vacancy is not filled within thirty (30) days of such vacancy, a quorum shall be deemed to
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exist with a majority of the then duly authorized voting commissioners present.
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(d) The commission shall appoint a secretary and such additional officers and staff
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members as they shall deem appropriate and shall determine the amount of reasonable
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compensation, if any, each shall receive. The chair shall appoint the executive director with the
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approval of the commission provided that the position of the executive director must be advertised
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and the appointment must be approved at a public meeting of the commission. The commission
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may vest in an executive director or the director’s subordinates the authority to recommend
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additional staff members and to determine the amount of compensation each individual shall
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receive, which shall then be approved by the commission at a public meeting.
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(e) No full-time employee shall during the period of the employee's employment by the
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commission engage in any other private employment, profession, or business, except with the
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approval of the commissioners.
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(f) Any action taken by the commission under the provisions of this chapter may be
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authorized by vote at any regular or special meeting, and each vote shall take effect immediately,
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unless otherwise expressly indicated by the commission.
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(g) Employees of the commission shall not, by reason of their employment, be deemed to
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be employees of the state or the city for any purpose, any other provision of the general laws,
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charter, or ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding, except for the provisions of the ethics code
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as set forth in chapter 14 of title 36. Further, no employee of the commission shall be entitled to or
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accrue pension benefits with the city of Providence or state during such employment.
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(h) It shall be the responsibility of the commission to conduct a training course for newly
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appointed and qualified members within six (6) months of their qualification. The training shall
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encompass ethics, including the minimum applicable standards established in the code of ethics as
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set forth in chapter 14 of title 36 (“code of ethics”).
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(i) The commission shall be subject to the provisions of the open meetings act contained in
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chapter 46 of title 42 (“open meetings”); provided, however, weekends and state holidays shall be
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excluded in the count of hours contained in §§ 42-46-6(b) and 42-46-6(c). Every meeting of the
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commission shall be open unless it is closed pursuant to the exemptions as set forth in § 42-46-5,
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with the following exceptions:
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(1) For purposes of determining what constitutes a compliant closed or executive session,
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the provisions as set forth in § 42-46-5(a)(5) shall not apply to the commission. However, an
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additional exemption to those provided for in § 42-46-5, allowing for a closed or executive session,
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shall apply to the commission in accordance with subsection (i)(2) of this section.
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(2) To consider the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property if the commission
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declares in open session that an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the negotiating
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position of the commission with other parties to the negotiation; provided, however, any vote taken
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in a closed session under this subsection, and any minutes of a closed session taken under this
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subsection, shall be made public once the disclosure would no longer jeopardize the commission’s
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negotiating position.
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(j) In every case where the commission holds a closed or executive session, an audio
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recording of the closed session shall be made. The audio recording shall be kept as minutes in
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accordance with § 42-46-7.
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(k) The commission shall be subject to the provisions set forth in chapter 2 of title 38
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(“access to public records”).
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND LIFE SCIENCE HUB
ACT
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This act would amend the composition of the Rhode Island life science hub board of
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directors by adding the chairperson of the I-195 redevelopment district commission to the board
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and would amend the I-195 redevelopment district commission by adding the chair of the Rhode
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Island life science hub to the commission.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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