Chapter 156
2013 -- S 0712 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/11/13
A N A C T
RELATING TO
STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - LONG-TERM ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
VISION AND POLICY
Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, Paiva Weed, DiPalma, Pearson, and Walaska
Date Introduced: March 13, 2013
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE
AFFAIRS AND
GOVERNMENT" is hereby
amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER
64.17
LONG-TERM
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
42-64.17-1.
Long-term Economic Development Vision and Policy. --
(a) The
economic development corporation and the division of planning shall
develop a written long-term
economic development vision and policy for the state of
implementing this policy. Such a plan shall include, but not be
limited to:
(1) A unified
economic development strategy for the state that integrates business growth
with land use and transportation choices;
(2) An analysis of
how the state's infrastructure can best support this unified economic
development strategy;
(3) A focus and
prioritization that the outcomes of the economic development strategy be
equitable for all Rhode Islanders;
(4) Reliance on
comprehensive economic data and analysis relating to
economic competitiveness, business climate, national and
regional reputation, and present
economic development resources;
(5) Suggestions for
improving and expanding the skills, abilities, and resources of state
agencies, municipalities, and community partners to speed
implementation of the plan's
recommendations; and
(6) The inclusion of
detailed implementation plans, including stated goals, specific
performance measures and indicators.
(b) On or before
October 31, 2014, the economic development corporation and the
division of planning shall submit the written long-term
economic development vision and policy
and implementation plan to the governor, the senate and
the house of representatives.
(c) Beginning January
1, 2015, and during the first year of each new or re-elected
gubernatorial administration thereafter, the governor shall convene
an economic development
planning council consisting of no fewer than seventeen (17)
members as follows:
(1)(i) The director of the economic development corporation who shall serve as chair,
until such time that the secretary of commerce is
appointed;
(ii) Upon his or her
appointment, the secretary of commerce shall replace the director of
the economic development corporation as a member, and
shall serve as chair;
(2) The director of
the department of administration;
(3) The director of
the department of revenue;
(4) The director of
the department of labor and training;
(5) The director of
the department of transportation;
(6) The director of
the department of business regulation;
(7) The commissioner
of elementary and secondary education;
(8) The commissioner
of higher education;
(9) One member who
shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives;
(10) One member who
shall be appointed by the president of the senate; and
(11) Seven (7)
members who shall be appointed by the governor as follows: one of whom
shall be a representative from the league of cities and
towns; one of whom shall be a
representative from a chamber of commerce; one of whom shall be from
a nonprofit organization
representing a major industry sector in
more than one hundred (100) employees located in
business with fewer than one hundred (100) employees located
in
shall be from a venture capital firm with a principal place
of business in
whom shall represent a private sector labor union. Any
department director appointed as a
member of the council may appoint a designee from his or her
respective agency to represent
him/her on the council. Members of the council shall serve
for a term of one year or until an
economic development policy has been approved by the governor
under this section.
(d) The economic
development planning council and, upon his or her appointment, the
secretary of commerce, shall develop a written long-term
economic development vision and
policy for the state and a strategic plan for implementing
the policy. In developing the policy, the
council shall review and consider the published economic
development policy and
implementation plan in effect at the commencement of the governor's
term of office. The policy
shall set long term goals and measurable benchmarks which
are not limited to a particular
gubernatorial administration and shall give consideration to any
impacts the plan may have on
businesses employing ten (10) or fewer people. The strategic
plan shall include any major
economic development initiatives and programs in effect at the
time of the plan’s creation. In
developing the policy the council may hold public hearings
throughout the state.
(e) Once the policy
and plan have been adopted by the council and, upon his or her
appointment, the secretary of commerce, shall submit the policy
and plan to the senate and house
of representatives. The final approval of the policy and
plan by the governor shall not be granted
until the house and senate have conducted a public hearing
on the policy and plan. The approved
policy and plan shall be published in writing and on the
official website of the state no later than
December 31 of that year.
(f) The economic
development corporation shall be responsible for providing staff to
support the work of the council, and the division of planning
shall also provide staff support. All
departments represented on the council shall cooperate with the
economic development
corporation and the division of planning to facilitate the
purposes of this chapter.
(g) Subject to
funding, the council shall be able to hire consultants and related assistance
to provide the type of analysis necessary to inform and
perform their work.
(h) All departments,
offices, boards and agencies of the state shall cooperate with the
economic development planning council and furnish such
administrative and staff support,
advice, information, documentary and otherwise, data and
data analysis, and other support as may
be necessary or desirable.
(i)
In carrying out the responsibility under this order, the council may:
(1) Accept grant
funds and in-kind contributions from governmental and private entities;
(2) Hold public
hearings;
(3) Invite experts
and other witnesses to submit testimony; and
(4) Contract with
experts and consultants as necessary to inform deliberations and
recommendations.
(j) In addition to
any other applicable law, rules or regulations, the economic
development planning council shall be subject to the provisions
of the Open Meetings Act, title
42, chapter 46 of the
the
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02051/SUB A/3
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