Title 42
State Affairs and Government

Chapter 64.19
Executive Office of Commerce

§ 42-64.19-6. Duties of the secretary.

The secretary shall be subject to the direction and supervision of the governor for the oversight, coordination, and cohesive direction of state economic development activities of the state and in ensuring the laws are faithfully executed, notwithstanding any law to the contrary. In this capacity, the secretary of commerce shall be authorized to:

(1) Coordinate the administration and financing of various departments or divisions within the office and to supervise the work of the Rhode Island commerce corporation;

(2) Serve as the governor’s chief advisor and liaison to federal policymakers on economic development as well as the principal point of contact in the state on any such related matters;

(3) Review and ensure the coordination of the development of an overarching economic development plan as produced by the office;

(4) Receive from department directors, within the timelines specified, any information and resources the secretary deems necessary in order to perform the reviews authorized in this section;

(5) Engage in regulatory reform across all state agencies to protect the health and wellbeing of Rhode Islanders while meeting business needs for a clear, predictable, and reliable regulatory structure in the state; including the implementation of systems to enhance customer service by simplifying and expediting state permitting processes;

(6) Prepare and submit to the governor, the chairpersons of the house and senate finance committees, and the caseload estimating conference, by no later than April 15 of each year, a comprehensive overview of the Rhode Island economy. The secretary shall determine the contents of the overview and shall determine the important economic data and information that will inform the governor, and the revenue estimating committee on the economic conditions of the state and future issues and forward looking projects of the Rhode Island economy;

(7) The directors of the departments, as well as local governments and school departments, shall assist and cooperate with the secretary in fulfilling this responsibility by providing whatever information and support shall be necessary;

(8) Resolve administrative, jurisdictional, operational, program, or policy conflicts among departments and their executive staffs and make necessary recommendations to the governor;

(9) Assure continued progress toward improving the quality, the accountability, and the efficiency of state-administered programs to support the Rhode Island economy. In this capacity, the secretary shall:

(i) Direct implementation of reforms in the economic development practices of the departments that streamline and upgrade services, achieve greater economies of scale and establish the coordinated system of the staff education, cross-training, and career development services necessary to recruit and retain a highly-skilled, responsive, and engaged workforce;

(ii) Encourage departments to utilize consumer-centered approaches to service design and delivery that expand their capacity to respond efficiently and responsibly to the diverse and changing needs of the people and communities they serve;

(iii) Develop all opportunities to maximize resources by leveraging the state’s purchasing power, centralizing fiscal service functions related to budget, finance, and procurement, centralizing communication, policy analysis and planning, and information systems and data management, pursuing alternative funding sources through grants, awards and partnerships and securing all available federal financial participation for programs and services provided through the departments; and

(iv) Strengthen the financial support system for business and enterprises program integrity, quality control and collections, and recovery activities by consolidating functions within the office in a single unit that ensures all affected parties pay their fair share of the cost of services and are aware of alternative financing.

(10) Prepare and integrate comprehensive budgets for the commerce services departments and functions and duties assigned to the office. The budgets shall be submitted to the state budget office by the secretary, for consideration by the governor, on behalf of the state’s commerce agencies in accordance with the provisions set forth in § 35-3-4;

(11) Utilize objective data to evaluate economic development policy goals, resource use and outcome evaluation and to perform short and long-term policy planning and development;

(12) Establishment of an integrated approach to interdepartmental information and data management that complements and furthers the goals of the council of economic advisors and that will facilitate the transition to consumer-centered system of state administered economic development programs and services;

(13) At the direction of the governor or the general assembly, conduct independent reviews of state-administered economic development programs, policies and related agency actions and activities and assist the department directors in identifying strategies to address any issues or areas of concern that may emerge thereof. The department directors shall provide any information and assistance deemed necessary by the secretary when undertaking such independent reviews;

(14) Provide regular and timely reports to the governor and make recommendations with respect to the state’s economic development agenda;

(15) Employ such personnel and contract for such consulting services as may be required to perform the powers and duties lawfully conferred upon the secretary; and

(16) Implement the provisions of any general or public law or regulation related to the disclosure, confidentiality and privacy of any information or records, in the possession or under the control of the executive office or the departments assigned to the executive office, that may be developed or acquired for purposes directly connected with the secretary’s duties set forth herein.