2006 -- S 2566

=======

LC01620

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2006

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Paiva-Weed, and Sosnowski

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2006

     Referred To: Senate Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-32-3, 16-32-4, 16-32-5 and 16-32-6 of the General Laws in

1-2

Chapter 16-32 entitled "University of Rhode Island" are hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     16-32-3. Purposes of university. -- The board, as now constituted, and their successors,

1-4

for the terms for which they have been or for which they hereafter may be appointed regents,

1-5

shall continue to be a body politic and corporate for the purpose of continuing and maintaining

1-6

the University of Rhode Island as a university where the leading object shall be, without

1-7

excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach any

1-8

branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the

1-9

liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of

1-10

life, as provided in the act of the congress of the United States, approved July 2, 1862, entitled

1-11

"An Act Donating Public Lands to the Several States and Territories Which May Provide

1-12

Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts," and for the purpose of continuing

1-13

and maintaining an agricultural experiment station as a department an administrative unit of the

1-14

college university under and in accordance with, and to carry out the purposes of, the act of

1-15

congress approved March 2, 1887, entitled "An Act to Establish Agricultural Experiment Stations

1-16

in Connection with the Colleges Established in the Several States Under the Provisions of An Act

1-17

Approved July 2, 1862, and of the Acts Supplementary Thereto." (hereafter the "Hatch Act")

1-18

and/or "An Act to Provide for Cooperative Agricultural Extension Work Between the

1-19

Agricultural Colleges in the Several States Receiving Benefits of an Act of Congress Approved

2-1

July Second, Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-Two, and of Acts Supplementary Thereto, and the

2-2

United States Department of Agricultural" (hereafter the "Smith-Lever Act"). The Smith-Lever

2-3

Act established Cooperative Agricultural Extension Work (hereafter called "cooperative

2-4

extension").

2-5

     The University of Rhode Island is also designated as a Sea Grant Institution and operates

2-6

the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program as authorized by the national Sea Grant College and

2-7

Program Act of 1966, and subsequent amendments to the Sea Grant College Program Act of 1966

2-8

up to and including the National Sea Grant College Program Act amendments of 2002. The

2-9

Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program is also hereafter referred to as "sea grant programs."

2-10

     16-32-4. Location -- Application of federal funds. -- The university and experiment

2-11

station and cooperative extension shall, until ordered, continue to be located in the town of South

2-12

Kingstown upon the estate now occupied by them, and all money received after this under the act

2-13

of congress, approved March 2, 1887, and under the act of congress approved August 30, 1890,

2-14

entitled "An Act to Apply a Portion of the Proceeds of the Public Lands to the More Complete

2-15

Endowment and Support of the Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts,

2-16

Established Under the Provisions of an Act of Congress Approved July Second, Eighteen

2-17

Hundred Sixty-two," Hatch Act, Smith-Lever Act and all subsequent acts of congress that modify

2-18

these acts, and all other money which shall be received by the state for the promotion of

2-19

agriculture or the mechanic arts at land grant colleges under or by virtue of an act of congress

2-20

shall, as and when received, be paid over to the treasurer of the university, to be used and applied

2-21

and accounted for by the trustees board of governors for higher education and officers of the

2-22

university, with the approval of the state controller, as required by the respective acts of congress

2-23

under which the money is received. The Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program and its

2-24

University-based extension and communications units shall, until ordered, continued to be located

2-25

in the towns of South Kingstown and Narragansett upon the estate now occupied by them, and all

2-26

money received after this, under the Sea Grant College Program Act and its subsequent

2-27

amendments and other monies which may be received by the state for the promotion of marine

2-28

and coastal science education and outreach under or by virtue of an act of congress shall, as and

2-29

when received, be paid over to the treasurer of the university to be used and applied and

2-30

accounted for by the board of governors for higher education and officers of the university with

2-31

the approval of the state controller, as required under which acts of congress under which the

2-32

money is received.

2-33

     16-32-5. Authority over experiment station. Authority over the station and

2-34

cooperative extension. -- The board of governors for higher education shall have authority over

3-1

the experiment station and cooperative extension of the university located in the town of South

3-2

Kingstown.

3-3

     16-32-6. Activities of experiment station. Activities of the land grant and sea grant

3-4

programs. -- The experiment station and cooperative extension and Rhode Island Sea Grant at

3-5

the University of Rhode Island shall continue to expend sums of money received from the United

3-6

States government for experimental work and agricultural extension service and outreach in

3-7

compliance with the Hatch Act, the Smith-Lever Act and the Sea Grant College Program Act, and

3-8

shall also continue to promote and encourage the work of farm bureaus agriculturalists (including

3-9

aquaculturalists) and their professional organizations, agricultural technologists, scientists, marine

3-10

educators and outreach professionals, environmental organizations, conservation districts and

3-11

federal, regional and state agencies concerned with agriculture, the environment and marine and

3-12

coastal resources, as well as the purposes of the station, cooperative extension, Rhode Island Sea

3-13

Grant, and the private sectors in collaboration with the station, cooperative extension, and Rhode

3-14

Island Sea Grant, and expend sums of money received from federal and state appropriations,

3-15

subject to budgetary control provided by chapter 3 of title 35.

3-16

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-32 of the General Laws entitled "University of Rhode Island" is

3-17

hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

3-18

     16-32-4.1. Appropriation of state funds for the land grant programs. – Beginning in

3-19

the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2006, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a sum

3-20

with the board of governors for higher education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the

3-21

expenses of the land grant programs as defined in section 16-32-3 and to meet federal mandates

3-22

that federal formula funds be matched by state funds (federal $1: state $1). Such state funds will

3-23

be expended under the direction of the board of governors for higher education and the officers of

3-24

the university. The sum will be based on the full amount of federal funds awarded to the station

3-25

under the Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, and Animal Health formula allocations of the preceding year

3-26

and on the full amount of federal funds awarded to cooperative extension under the Smith-Lever

3-27

formula allocations of the preceding year. Appropriations of state funds shall be phased in at a

3-28

restricted rate of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in year one (fiscal year 2006). Thereafter,

3-29

appropriations will increase annually at a rate equal to ten percent (10%) of the total federal

3-30

formula allocation until a one hundred percent (100%) match yearly is reached.

3-31

     16-32-4.2. Appropriation of state funds for the Rhode Island sea grant program. --

3-32

Beginning in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2006, the general assembly shall annually

3-33

appropriate a sum with the board of governors for higher education for the exclusive purpose of

3-34

defraying the expenses of the Rhode Island sea grant program as defined in section 16-32-3 and

4-1

to meet federal mandates that federal sea grant funds by matched by state funds. Such state funds

4-2

will be expended under the direction of the officers of the university. The sum will be based on

4-3

the full amount of federal funds awarded to the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program by the

4-4

U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the

4-5

preceding year. The initial funding request is for fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). Appropriations

4-6

of state funds shall be phased in at a restricted rate of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in year one

4-7

(fiscal year 2006). Thereafter, appropriations will increase annually at a rate equal to ten percent

4-8

(10%) of the total federal formula allocation until a one hundred percent (100%) match yearly is

4-9

reached.

4-10

     16-32-4.3. Use of funds to enhance land grant and sea grant programs. – The annual

4-11

appropriation of funds for the land grant and sea grant programs shall be in addition to and

4-12

separate from any funds regularly appropriated to the university under section 16-32-9; thus there

4-13

shall be no reduction of appropriations to the university as authorized under section 16-32-9.

4-14

Funds appropriated for land grant and seas grant programs shall be used exclusively to enhance

4-15

the activities and capacities of the station, cooperative extension and Rhode Island sea grant, and

4-16

are not to be used for any other purpose not in accord with the purpose of the land grant and sea

4-17

grant programs. Use of funds is approved for summer salary recontracting of faculty on academic

4-18

year appointments to participate in land grant or sea grant programs, for technical staff

4-19

conducting land grant or sea grant program activities, for support of undergraduate or graduate

4-20

students collaborating in land grant or sea grant program activities, and for capital acquisitions

4-21

and physical plant improvements directly in support of the land grant or sea grant programs, and

4-22

for all other expenditures directly in support of the land grant or sea grant programs, including

4-23

use as a state matching contribution to grants received from federal agencies to support research

4-24

or outreach conducted and administered conjointly with activities of the station, cooperative

4-25

extension or Rhode Island sea grant. Expenditure of funds shall follow rules promulgated in the

4-26

official federal manuals of the station, cooperative extension and sea grant, including rules

4-27

governing approval for projects and activities and expenditure of funds for approved projects and

4-28

activities.

4-29

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

=======

LC01620

=======

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

***

5-1

     This act would designate the University of Rhode Island as a sea grant institution and

5-2

would operate the Rhode Island sea grant college program and specifics in the relation thereto.

5-3

     This act would take effect upon passage.

=======

LC01620

=======