| Chapter 075 |
| 2016 -- H 7329 Enacted 06/14/2016 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS - RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY |
| Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, Hull, Malik, Bennett, and McLaughlin |
| Date Introduced: January 27, 2016 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 39-18-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-18 entitled "Rhode |
| Island Public Transit Authority" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 39-18-2. Authority created -- Composition -- Terms -- Oath -- Officers -- Quorum -- |
| Compensation -- Conflicts of interest. -- (a) There is hereby created a body corporate and |
| politic to be known as the "Rhode Island Public Transit Authority" (hereinafter "RIPTA"). |
| (b) The authority shall consist of eight (8) members, one of whom shall be the director of |
| the department of transportation or their designee who shall serve as an ex officio member, and |
| seven (7) of whom shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate;, |
| with at least one of the seven (7) being a regular user of fixed-route RIPTA transportation and at |
| least one of the seven (7) being a person with a disability and one of whom shall be the director of |
| the department of transportation or his or her designee who shall serve as an ex officio member. |
| The governor shall achieve a diverse membership in the board and shall give due consideration to |
| recommendations for nominations from the RIPTA Riders Alliance, the National Federation of |
| the Blind of Rhode Island, the Gray Panthers of Rhode Island, the Sierra Club of Rhode Island, |
| the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, the RIPTA Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Rhode |
| Island business community, and the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns. No one shall be |
| eligible for appointment unless he or she is a resident of this state. |
| (c) Those members of the authority as of the effective date of this act [June 16, 2006] |
| who were appointed to the authority by members of the board of the general assembly shall cease |
| to be members of the authority on the effective date of this act [June 16, 2006] and the governor |
| shall thereupon nominate two (2) members, each of whom shall serve the balance of the |
| unexpired term of his or her predecessor. Those members of the authority as of the effective date |
| of this act [June 16, 2006] who were appointed to the authority by the governor shall continue to |
| serve the balance of their current terms. Thereafter, during the month of January in each year, the |
| governor shall appoint members to succeed the departing members. The newly appointed |
| members shall serve for a term of three (3) years, commencing on the day they are qualified. In |
| the event of a vacancy occurring in the membership, the governor, with the advice and consent of |
| the senate, shall appoint a member for the unexpired term. Any member of the authority shall be |
| eligible for reappointment. |
| (d) Each member of the authority, before entering upon his or her duties, shall take an |
| oath to administer the duties of his or her office faithfully and impartially, and the oath shall be |
| filed in the office of the secretary of state. |
| (e) The authority shall elect one of its members as chairperson, and shall also elect a |
| secretary and such other officers as it deems necessary. |
| (f) Four (4) members of the authority shall constitute a quorum. The affirmative vote of a |
| majority of the members present and voting shall be necessary for any action taken by the |
| authority. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the right of a quorum to |
| exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the authority. |
| (g) The members of the authority shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed |
| for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. |
| (h) No member of the authority shall be in the employ of, or own any stock in, or be in |
| any way directly or indirectly pecuniarily interested in any railroad corporation, bus, or street |
| railway company,; nor shall any member of the authority personally, or through a partner or |
| agent, render any professional service or make or perform any business contract with or for any |
| company; nor shall any member of the authority, directly or indirectly, receive a commission, |
| bonus, discount, present, or reward from any company. |
| (i) Members of the authority shall be removable by the governor pursuant to the |
| provisions of ยง 36-1-7 of the general laws and for cause only, and removal solely for partisan or |
| personal reasons unrelated to capacity or fitness for the office shall be unlawful. |
| (j) The authority shall conduct a training course for newly appointed and qualified |
| members within six (6) months of their qualification or designation. The course shall be |
| developed by the general manager of the authority, be approved by the authority, and be |
| conducted by the general manager of the authority. The authority may approve the use of any |
| authority and/or staff members and/or individuals to assist with training. The training course shall |
| include instruction in the following areas: the provisions of chapters 42-46, 36-14, and 38-2 |
| Chapter 46 of title 42, Chapter 14 of title 36, and Chapter 2 of title 38; and the authority's |
| rules and regulations. The director of the department of administration shall be responsible for the |
| enforcement of the provisions of this subsection. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004156 |
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