It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 2-4-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 2-4 entitled "Soil Conservation" is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-4-3. State conservation committee -- (a) There is established, within the department of environmental management to serve as an agency of the state and to perform the functions conferred upon it by this chapter, the state conservation committee. The following shall serve as members of the committee: the director of the department of environmental management, or his/her designee, one conservation district director representative, or his/her designee, from each conservation district, one governor's appointee, one state senator, and one state representative.

(b) District directors, representatives to the state committee or their designees shall be selected for a term of three (3) years by the district board of directors at their annual meeting and the state committee shall be notified of the results of this election at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the term of office. State committee members shall hold office until a successor has been selected. Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired terms. The selection of successors to fill an unexpired term or for a full term shall be in the same manner in which the respective state committee member had been selected.

(c) The governor's appointive member of the committee shall be selected every two (2) years by the governor, and select and represent those interests within the state not already represented, or less fully represented, on the committee.

(d) General assembly members of the committee shall be selected every two (2) years. The state senator member shall be appointed by the majority leader of the senate. The house of representatives member to the committee shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(e) The committee shall invite the director of the cooperative extension service and agricultural experiment station, chief of the office of state planning, director of transportation, the president of the Rhode Island association of conservation districts, the state conservationist of the USDA soil conservation service, the state executive director of the USDA agricultural stabilization and conservation service, the chairperson of the water resources board, and the executive director of the coastal resources management council, and any other agency representatives necessary to carry out the intent of this chapter to serve as advisors to the state committee.

(f) The committee shall keep a record of its official actions, and may perform any acts, hold any public hearings, and promulgate any rules and regulations that may be necessary for the execution of its functions under this chapter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.