07-R347

2007 -- S 0520

Enacted 06/19/07

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

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE TAXATION OF FARM, FOREST, AND OPEN SPACE LAND

Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Breene, Felag, Raptakis, and Walaska

Date Introduced: February 15, 2007

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

consisting of nineteen (19) members; three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of

Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the

Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more than two (2)

from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; three (3) of whom

shall be members of the public, one of whom shall be a farmer, one of whom shall be an open

space land owner, and one of whom shall be a forestland owner, to be appointed by the Speaker

of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of the public, one of whom shall be a farmer,

one of whom shall be an open space land owner, and one of whom shall be a forestland owner, to

be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode

Island League of Cities and Towns, or designee; two (2) of whom shall be tax assessors, one of

whom shall be from a coastal city or town, and one of whom shall be from an inland city or town,

to be appointed by the President of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns; one of whom

shall be the Chief of the Division of Agriculture, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chief of

the Division of Forest Environment, from the Department of Environmental Management, or

designee; one of whom shall be the State Director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Nature

Conservancy, or designee; and one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Audubon

Society of Rhode Island, or designee.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to the commission the

appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator,

provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to

the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to study all matters related to the effects of

taxation on the preservation of farm, forest, and open space land and to examine the consistency

of the administration of laws pertaining to the valuation and taxation of farm, forest, and open

space land, including but not limited to, the uniform application of Chapter 44-27 of the Rhode

Island General Laws.

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

the call of the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and organize and shall select,

from among the legislators, a member of the house and a member of the Senate to serve as co-

chairpersons. 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 municipalities, 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 Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby 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 April 1, 2008 and said commission shall expire June 30, 2008.

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LC02050

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