| Chapter 123 |
| 2017 -- S 0541 AS AMENDED Enacted 07/05/2017 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE - RHODE ISLAND VETERANS' HOME - ADVISORY COUNCIL |
| Introduced By: Senators Seveney, and Felag |
| Date Introduced: March 09, 2017 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Sections 30-24-3, 30-24-4 and 30-24-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 30- |
| 24 entitled "Rhode Island Veterans' Home" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 30-24-3. Administrator -- Advisory council. |
| (a) The director of human services veterans’ affairs shall appoint an administrator for the |
| Rhode Island veterans' home who shall be an honorably discharged war veteran of the United |
| States Armed Forces. |
| (b) There shall be an advisory council for veterans' affairs, consisting of not more than |
| twenty-seven (27) fifteen (15) qualified electors of this state, ten (10) of whom shall be honorably |
| discharged war veterans of the armed forces of the United States; sixteen (16) twelve (12) of the |
| members shall be appointed by the governor, consisting of a member designated by each of the |
| various state departments of the active federally chartered veteran organizations, one of whom |
| shall be a member of the purple heart organization, and the remaining member or members at |
| large; provided, however, that each of those departments of veteran organizations shall have, and |
| continue to have, at least one member on the advisory council for veterans' affairs; and, provided |
| further, that one member shall be a female veteran, one member shall be a minority veteran;, one |
| member shall be a representative of the Persian Gulf War Veterans' Association, and one member |
| shall be a representative of the Korean War Veterans' Association; seven (7) members; shall |
| consist of five (5) one members member of the house of representatives, not more than four (4) |
| members from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of |
| representatives, and two (2) one members member from the senate, not more than one from the |
| same political party, to be appointed by the president of the senate. The seven (7) members of the |
| general assembly who shall serve on the advisory council for veterans' affairs shall serve so long |
| as they are members of the general assembly. |
| (b) The remaining members shall be one former representative having served at least five |
| (5) years on the advisory council, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, |
| and one former senator having served at least five (5) years on the advisory council, to be |
| appointed by the president of the senate. If either of the last two (2) mentioned are not available, |
| the selections may be members at-large selected from the general public; provided, further, the |
| immediate past chief of veterans' affairs shall serve as ex-officio of the veterans' council with |
| voting privileges for a period of five (5) years and may be reappointed for an additional term by |
| the governor. The final remaining member shall be an active National Guard person to be |
| appointed by the state adjutant general. |
| 30-24-4. Appointments to advisory council -- Organization and meetings. |
| Annually, on or before July 1, the governor shall appoint a successor of each member of |
| the advisory council whose term expires, these appointments to be for a term of three (3) years. |
| Provided, however, that a former state representative or senator having served at least five (5) |
| years on the advisory council shall be appointed for a term of at least five (5) years. In case of any |
| vacancy or additional members on the council, the governor shall appoint a new member for the |
| unexpired portion of the term of that membership as hereinbefore provided. Members of the |
| council shall serve without pay. The advisory council shall elect one of its members to serve as |
| chairperson for a period of one year and until a successor is elected and qualified. Meetings shall |
| be held at the call of the chairperson; provided, however, that a majority of the members may call |
| a meeting of the advisory council at any time, all members being notified in any case by mail and |
| reasonably in advance of any such meetings. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum for |
| the transaction of business. The governor may remove a member of the council for neglect of |
| duty. Secretarial service Administrative support for the council shall be provided by the director |
| of veterans’affairs the department of human services. Provided, further, the immediate past chief |
| of veterans' affairs shall serve as ex-officio of the veterans' council with voting privileges for a |
| period of five (5) years and may be reappointed for an additional term by the governor. |
| 30-24-5. Functions of advisory council. |
| The advisory council for veterans' affairs shall exercise and perform all the duties and |
| functions formerly exercised and performed by the advisory council for the Rhode Island |
| veterans' home. The advisory council for the Rhode Island veterans' home is hereby abolished. |
| The advisory council for veterans' affairs shall make suggestions to and shall advise the director |
| of the office of veterans' affairs and the administrator of the veterans' home concerning the |
| policies, rules, and the regulations of the Rhode Island veterans' home; provided, however, that |
| the advisory council shall have no administrative power. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC001766 |
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