| Chapter 246 |
| 2023 -- H 6495 Enacted 06/22/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY |
Introduced By: Representative Anthony J. DeSimone |
| Date Introduced: June 07, 2023 |
| 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) nine (9) members, one of whom shall be the |
| director of the department of transportation, or his or her the director’s designee, who shall serve |
| as an ex officio member, and seven (7) eight (8) of whom shall be appointed by the governor with |
| the advice and consent of the senate, with at least one of the seven (7) eight (8) being a regular user |
| of fixed-route RIPTA transportation and at least one of the seven (7) eight (8) being a person with |
| a disability. 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, the |
| Rhode Island business community, the Amalgamated Transit Union, 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 their 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 the member’s duties, |
| shall take an oath to administer the duties of his or her the member’s 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 director of the department of transportation |
| shall serve as chairperson, and. The authority shall also elect a secretary and such other officers as |
| it deems necessary. |
| (f) Four (4) Five (5) 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 § 36-1-7 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 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 on July 1, 2023. |
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| LC003185 |
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