| Chapter 328 |
| 2024 -- H 7537 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/25/2024 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCACY COUNCIL |
Introduced By: Representatives Voas, Hull, and Slater |
| Date Introduced: February 07, 2024 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 42-91-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-91 entitled "Small |
| Business Advocacy Council" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 42-91-2. Membership of council. |
| (a) The council shall consist of twenty (20) twenty-one (21) members, ten (10) of whom |
| shall be public members, two (2) to be appointed by the governor, two (2) by the lieutenant |
| governor, two (2) by the speaker of the house, two (2) by the president of the senate, one by the |
| secretary of state, and one by the general treasurer; provided, however, that all of the public |
| members shall be officers, partners, or proprietors of Rhode Island companies that are small |
| businesses or nonprofit corporations as defined by the United States Small Business |
| Administration; one of whom shall be affiliated with a business-related department of a Rhode |
| Island institution of higher learning, to be appointed by the lieutenant governor; one of whom shall |
| be a member of the minority party member of the joint committee on small business, to be appointed |
| by the speaker of the house; one of whom shall be a minority party member of the senate, to be |
| appointed by the president of the senate; one of whom shall be the chair of the house of |
| representatives small business committee; one of whom shall be the chair of the senate committee |
| on commerce; one of whom shall be a member of the governor’s staff, to be appointed by the |
| governor; and the chairperson of the joint committee on small business, ex officio; the vice- |
| chairperson of the joint committee on small business, ex officio; the director of the Rhode Island |
| economic development corporation, and the secretary of the Rhode Island commerce corporation |
| or the director’s secretary's permanent designee, ex officio; the director of the department of labor |
| and training, or the director’s permanent designee, ex officio; the secretary of state, or the |
| secretary’s permanent designee, ex officio; the general treasurer, or the treasurer’s permanent |
| designee, ex officio; and the lieutenant governor, ex officio. The lieutenant governor shall serve as |
| chairperson of the council. |
| (b) One of the public members appointed by each of the appointing authorities shall be |
| appointed to serve until the first day of June, 1987, and the other to serve until the first day of June, |
| 1988; and all members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. In the month |
| of May in any year in which a public member’s term of office expires, the respective appointing |
| authorities shall appoint successors to the members whose terms shall expire in that year, to hold |
| office commencing on the first day of June in the year of appointment for a term of three (3) years |
| or until their respective successors are appointed and qualified. Any vacancy of an appointed |
| member, whichthat may occur in the council shall be filled by appointment by the respective |
| appointing authority for the remainder of the unexpired term. Ex-officio members shall serve until |
| the end of their term of office; the member of the governor’s staff shall serve until the end of the |
| governor’s term of office. |
| (c) The council shall meet at the call of the lieutenant governor and shall elect from among |
| themselves a vice-chairperson, who shall be one of the public members, and a secretary. The |
| council shall meet at least quarterly during each calendar year. |
| (d) The membership shall receive no compensation for their services. The council may |
| request, through the department of economic developmentcommerce corporation, any clerical and |
| technical assistance it may deem necessary to accomplish its purpose. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
| ======== |
| LC004400/SUB A |
| ======== |