| Chapter 374 |
| 2022 -- H 7611 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/29/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- 2021 ACT ON CLIMATE |
Introduced By: Representatives Carson, Alzate, Bennett, Solomon, Cortvriend, Ranglin-Vassell, Giraldo, Abney, Donovan, and Speakman |
| Date Introduced: March 02, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 42-6.2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-6.2 entitled "2021 Act |
| on Climate" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 42-6.2-4. Advisory board established -- Members. |
| (a) The Rhode Island executive climate change coordinating council advisory board is |
| hereby established. The advisory board shall have thirteen (13) fourteen (14) members. Five (5) |
| Six (6) members shall be appointed by the governor, four (4) of whom shall be representatives of |
| city or town government, at least one of whom shall be from a city with a population of over fifty |
| thousand (50,000); and one of whom shall be of a town with a population of less than fifty thousand |
| (50,000), and one of whom shall be from an organization representing or serving low-income |
| and/or minority communities, and one member of the public with expertise in, and representing the |
| interests of, environmental justice. |
| Four (4) members shall be appointed by the president of the senate, who shall give due |
| consideration to appointing persons with expertise in economic policy and/or workforce |
| development; protection of natural and cultural resources management; energy planning and |
| development; and engineering and design. Four (4) members shall be appointed by the speaker of |
| the house, who shall give due consideration to appointing persons with expertise in education; |
| public health and safety; housing; or from organizations representing or serving youth or the |
| elderly. |
| (b) The members of the advisory board shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years; |
| provided, however, that, with regard to the initial appointments, four (4) members shall be |
| appointed for terms of one year; four (4) five (5) members shall be appointed for a term of two (2) |
| years; and five (5) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. Members may be |
| reappointed, and their appointments shall continue until their successors are appointed. The term |
| of a member representing a city or town shall end when the member no longer holds an elected or |
| appointed position in the city or town he or she was representing. A vacancy other than by |
| expiration shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment, but only for the unexpired |
| portion of the term. |
| (c) The members of the advisory board shall receive no compensation. |
| (d) The governor shall appoint a chairperson; a vice-chairperson and secretary shall be |
| elected annually by the advisory board members. All officers of the advisory board shall serve until |
| their successors have been duly appointed or elected. |
| (e) The advisory board shall meet at least quarterly or at the call of the chairperson of the |
| council. The chairperson of the council, or his or her designee, shall be present for all advisory |
| board meetings. |
| (f) The advisory board shall have the following purposes and duties: |
| (1) Advise the council on all matters pertaining to the duties and powers of the council, |
| including evaluating and making recommendations regarding plans, programs, and strategies |
| relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation; |
| (2) Assist the council in improving public access to, and understanding of, the best |
| available scientific, technical, and other information about climate change, mitigation, adaptation, |
| etc., so as to build public support for, and participation in, initiatives to make communities more |
| resilient; |
| (3) Serve as a conduit for communicating information from the council to communities and |
| constituencies, as well as vice versa, for input from the community level to the council; |
| (4) Assist the council in meeting its own transparency and accountability obligations; |
| (5) Report to the council at each regular council meeting; and |
| (6) Prepare an annual report, to be included in the annual report of the council, that |
| specifically addresses the state of public awareness and engagement; the effectiveness of |
| mitigation, adaptation and public information programs from the community perspective; the |
| ability of the council to attain its goals and objectives, including effective interagency coordination |
| and public-private partnerships; and actions that would further the purposes of the council and this |
| legislation. |
| (g) For purposes of this section, "environmental justice" means the fair treatment and |
| meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, English proficiency, |
| or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental |
| laws, regulations, and policies. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005190/SUB A |
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