| Chapter 075 |
| 2024 -- H 7757 Enacted 06/12/2024 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- SCENIC HIGHWAYS |
Introduced By: Representative Justine A. Caldwell |
| Date Introduced: February 28, 2024 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Sections 24-15-10 and 24-15-10.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-15 |
| entitled "Scenic Highways" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 24-15-10. Creation of board. |
| There is hereby authorized, created, and established within the executive department a |
| scenic roadways board consisting of eleven (11) nine (9) members as follows: one member shall |
| be the director of the department of transportation or his or her the director's designee who shall be |
| a subordinate within the department of transportation; one member shall be the director of the |
| department of environmental management or his or her the director's designee who shall be a |
| subordinate within the department of environmental management; one member shall be the chair |
| of the historic historical preservation and heritage commission; one member shall be appointed |
| by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate giving due consideration to the |
| recommendation of Grow Smart Rhode Island; one member shall be appointed by the governor |
| with the advice and consent of the senate giving due consideration to the recommendation of the |
| Rhode Island builders association; six (6) four (4) members shall be appointed by the governor |
| from the general public with the advice and consent of the senate, in making these appointments, |
| the governor shall take into consideration the impact on the local communities. The governor shall |
| give due consideration to members of local land trusts, chamber of commerce recommendations, |
| and shall also consider the need for individuals with expertise in landscape architecture, community |
| planning, and/or transportation engineers with experience with traffic calming and flexible design |
| policies. The members shall be chosen as far as is reasonably practicable to represent geographical |
| diversity and communities where designated scenic roadways exist. During the month of January, |
| in each year, the governor shall appoint a member to succeed the departing member. The newly |
| appointed member shall serve for a term of three (3) years or until their respective successors are |
| appointed and qualified. The members of the board shall be eligible to succeed themselves. Any |
| vacancy of a public member which that may occur in the board shall be filled by appointment by |
| the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the member’s |
| predecessor as prescribed in this section. The membership of the board shall receive no |
| compensation for their services, and shall not be reimbursed for any expenses. Those members of |
| the board as of the effective date of this act [July 9, 2005] who were appointed to the board by |
| members of the general assembly shall cease to be members of the board on the effective date of |
| this act, and the governor shall thereupon appoint the four (4) new members as prescribed in this |
| section. Those members of the board as of the effective date of this act [July 9, 2005] who were |
| appointed to the board by the governor shall continue to serve the balance of their current terms. |
| Upon the expiration of the term of the member representing the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, |
| the governor shall appoint a new member, and shall give due consideration to the recommendation |
| of Grow Smart Rhode Island. Thereafter, the appointments shall be made by the governor as |
| prescribed in this section. No one shall be eligible for appointment unless he or she is they are a |
| resident of this state. The director of the department of transportation shall direct staff to support |
| the board within the constraints of available resources. |
| 24-15-10.1. Chair, quorum and removal for cause. |
| (a) Upon the passage of this act and the appointment and qualification of the four (4) new |
| members prescribed in § 24-15-10, the board shall meet at the call of the director of transportation |
| and shall elect from among the members a chair and a vice-chair. Thereafter, the board shall |
| annually elect in February a chair and a vice-chair from among the members. The board may elect |
| from among its members such other officers as it deems necessary. |
| (b) Six (6) Five (5) members of the board shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of |
| those present and voting shall be required for action. |
| (c) Members of the board shall be removable by the governor pursuant to § 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. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004416 |
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