05-R 206

2005 -- H 5744 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED

Enacted 04/27/05

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF

ENACTING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CHANGE THE MANDATORY SCHOOL

ATTENDANCE AGE FROM SIXTEEN (16) TO SEVENTEEN (17)

Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Almeida, Slater, Pacheco, and Melo

Date Introduced: February 17, 2005

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of nine (9) members: four (4) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not

more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; one member

shall be the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or his or her designee; one

member shall be a member of the American Federation of Teachers or the National Education

Association and shall be appointed by the speaker; one member shall be a current member of a

municipal school committee and shall be appointed by the speaker; one member shall be a current

member of a parent teacher organization and shall be appointed by the speaker; and one member

shall be a current member of the Rhode Island principals association and shall be appointed by

the speaker.

     Members of the general public may be appointed in lieu of legislators, provided, that

at least two (2) legislators shall be appointed to the commission and said appointments shall

be made by the same authority as for the legislators supplanted.

     The purpose of the commission shall be to study the feasibility of enacting legislation

that would change the mandatory school attendance age from sixteen (16) to seventeen (17).

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members shall meet at the call of the

speaker of the house and shall select, from among the legislators, a chairperson. Vacancies in said

commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. All

departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and

otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the

commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The speaker of the house hereby is authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

general assembly on or before March 1, 2006, and said commission shall expire on May 1, 2006.

=======

LC02259/SUB A

=======