| LA 058 |
| 2023 -- H 6424 Enacted 06/23/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| VALIDATING AND RATIFYING AMENDMENTS TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY |
Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Chippendale, Nardone, Roberts, and Serpa |
| Date Introduced: May 19, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. In all respects in which the amendments to the home rule charter of the town |
| of Coventry, which amendments were adopted and approved by the electors of the town of |
| Coventry on November 8, 2022, may require ratification, confirmation, validation, or enactment |
| by the general assembly, but in no other respects, the provisions of said amendments to the home |
| rule charter of the town of Coventry are hereby ratified, confirmed, validated, and enacted. It is the |
| express intention of the general assembly, by the passage of this act, to give effect to, ratify, |
| confirm, validate, and enact those provisions of the said amendments to the home rule charter of |
| the town of Coventry that require ratification, confirmation, validation, or enactment and, by the |
| passage of this act, the legislature does hereby ratify, confirm, validate, and enact said provisions. |
| Nothing in this act shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers now or hereafter granted to |
| towns by the home rule amendment and other applicable laws of the State of Rhode Island or those |
| rights retained by said town of Coventry in its home rule charter. |
| SECTION 2. If any provision of this act, or the application thereof, to the town of Coventry |
| or to any person or circumstances, is deemed invalid for any reason, the remainder of this act, or |
| the application of such provision, to aid town or other persons or circumstances, shall not be |
| affected thereby and, to this end, the provisions of this act are declared to be severable. |
| SECTION 3. Section 16-2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2 entitled "School |
| Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education |
| Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 16-2-5. Composition of city or town school committees — Election and terms of |
| members — Vacancies. |
| The school committee of each city or town shall consist of three (3) residents of the city or |
| town, or of any number as at the present time constitute the committee. In cities or towns having |
| annual elections of city or town officers the committee shall be divided as equally as may be into |
| three (3) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at the end of three (3) years from the |
| dates of their respective elections. In cities or towns having biennial elections the committee shall |
| be divided as equally as may be into two (2) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at |
| the end of four (4) years from the dates of their respective elections. As the office of each class |
| shall become vacant, the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by the city or town at its regular city |
| or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, or by the city or town council at |
| its next meeting after this. In case of a vacancy by death, resignation, or otherwise than as is |
| provided in this section, the vacancy shall be filled by the city or town council until the next regular |
| city or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, when it shall be filled for the |
| unexpired term as is provided in this section. This section shall not apply to the cities of Providence, |
| Central Falls, Woonsocket, or the Town towns of Coventry and North Smithfield. |
| SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC003029 |
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