| R 344 |
| 2017 -- H 5243 AS AMENDED Enacted 06/26/2017 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY RHODE ISLAND'S MINIMUM PRICING STATUTES |
| Introduced By: Representatives Barros, Regunberg, McLaughlin, Johnston, and Shanley |
| Date Introduced: January 26, 2017 |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of nine (9) members: four (4) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of |
| Representatives, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed by the |
| Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Division of |
| Taxation, or designee; one of whom shall be an individual who represents the New England |
| Convenience Stores Association, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall |
| be a representative from a tobacco wholesale distributer, to be appointed by the Speaker of the |
| House; one of whom shall be an individual who represents the dairy industry, to be appointed by |
| the Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be an individual with expertise in finance or |
| consumer economics, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. |
| 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 make a comprehensive study of all Rhode |
| Island laws and regulations pertaining to minimum pricing and to make recommendations to: |
| (1) Examine the minimum pricing laws in existence in Rhode Island and the purpose |
| behind their initial creation; |
| (2) Examine the minimum pricing laws of Rhode Island's neighboring states; |
| (3) Provide an analysis of the impact of the Rhode Island minimum pricing laws on the |
| cost and price of products so regulated; |
| (4) Provide an analysis of the impact of the neighboring states' minimum pricing laws on |
| the cost and price of products so regulated; |
| (5) Develop recommendations as to whether Rhode Island's minimum pricing laws |
| continue to serve their original purpose and whether such laws put Rhode Island and its |
| businesses and residents at a competitive disadvantage; and |
| (6) Determine whether the state's minimum pricing laws benefit certain businesses as |
| opposed to others by creating subsidies of unnecessarily large profit. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at |
| the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select 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 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 |
| House of Representatives no later than April 6, 2017 April 5, 2018, and said commission shall |
| expire on June 6, 2017 June 5, 2018. |
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| LC000563 |
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