12-R352
2012 -- H 7985
Enacted 06/11/12
J O I N T R E S
O L U T I O N
CREATING THE
SENATOR CLAIBORNE PELL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON THE HUMANITIES
Introduced
By: Representatives Ruggiero, Martin, Jackson, Reilly, and
Date Introduced: March 22, 2012
WHEREAS, In 1965, Senator Claiborne Pell sponsored legislation
creating the National
Endowment for the Humanities; and
WHEREAS, Senator Pell
believed that promoting the humanities was “significant to our
nation’s cultural advancement and to the full growth of a
truly great society”; and
WHEREAS, Article XII of
the Rhode Island Constitution underscores the importance of
“the diffusion of knowledge,
as well as of virtue among the people being essential to the
preservation of their rights and liberties”; and
WHEREAS, The humanities are an integral part of
public life; and
WHEREAS, It is the priority of the general assembly, in keeping with
Senator Pell’s
vision, to inspire intellectual curiosity and imagination
and ignite the diffusion of knowledge in
all Rhode Islanders by promoting the public understanding
of the tradition of thought and
accomplishment that is the humanities; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission to be known as “The
Senator
Claiborne Pell Legislative Commission on the
Humanities” be and the same is hereby created
consisting of twelve (12) 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; and six (6) of whom
shall be citizens of
house, and three (3) of whom shall be appointed by the
president of the senate.
In lieu of any
appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission
created by a general assembly
resolution, 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 member of
the general public.
The purpose of said
commission shall be to examine the state of the humanities in Rhode
Island, develop strategies that foster a greater appreciation
of the humanities by our state’s
citizenry, and promote the incorporation of the humanities
curricula in public and private
institutions of learning.
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 a
chairperson from among the legislators. 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
commission; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the commission shall annually report its findings and
recommendations to the general assembly.
=======
LC02273
========