Chapter 209
2017 -- H 6324
Enacted 07/18/2017

A N   A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CIVIC EDUCATION COMMISSION

Introduced By: Representatives Cunha, Shanley, Barros, and Tobon
Date Introduced: June 09, 2017

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Sections 16-2.1-1 and 16-2.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2.1
entitled "Civic Education Commission" are hereby amended to read as follows:
     16-2.1-1. Civic education commission.
     There is hereby created a permanent commission to be known as the Rhode Island
Permanent Commission on Civic Education to consist of twenty-four (24) twenty-one (21)
members; three (3) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not more than two (2)
from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) of whom shall be from the
senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the senate
president; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island secretary of state, or designee; two (2) of whom
shall be teachers or representatives of teachers, one of whom shall be a member of the National
Education Association of Rhode Island, to be appointed by the speaker, and one of whom shall be
a member of the American Federation of Teachers, to be appointed by the senate president; one
of whom shall be a member of the Superintendent's Association, or Principal's Association, to be
appointed by the speaker; one of whom shall be the director of the Rhode Island Historical
Society, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island state archivist, or designee; one of
whom shall be the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or designee; one of
whom shall be the commissioner of postsecondary education, or designee; one of whom shall be
the director of legislative press and public information bureau, or designee; one of whom shall be
from the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, to be appointed by the speaker; one of whom shall
be from the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, to be appointed by the senate
president; and one of whom shall be a school librarian/media specialist to be appointed by the
speaker; one of whom shall be a teacher at a parochial/private school institution, to be appointed
by the speaker; one of whom shall be the director of museum and program at the Rhode Island
Heritage Harbor Museum Foundation, or designee; one of whom shall be the director of the
Rhode Island Committee Council for the Humanities, or designee; one of whom shall be the
director of the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, or designee; one of
whom shall be the director of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund Progreso Latino, or designee;
and one of whom shall be the executive director of the Civics First Organization, or designee; and
one of whom shall be the director of the Center for Civic Education, or designee.
     16-2.1-2. Powers and duties.
     (a) The commission is empowered to appoint committees to study specialized areas of
concern and to report their findings and recommendations to the commission; provided, however,
that one of these committees shall be a Rhode Island history committee.
     (b) All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish advice and information,
documentary and otherwise, to the commission and its agents as may be necessary or desirable to
facilitate the purposes of this chapter.
     (c) The commission shall report its findings and/or recommendations to the speaker of
the house of representatives, the senate majority leader president, and the commission
commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
     (d) Nine (9) Eight (8) members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
     (e) The commission shall meet at least four (4) two (2) times per year.
     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC002863
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