It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Sections 37-14-1 and 37-14-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 37-14 entitled "Public Buildings Authority" are hereby amended to read as follows:

{ADD 37-14-1. Members -- Compensation. -- ADD} (a) There is hereby created a body corporate and politic to be known as the "Rhode Island public buildings authority". The authority shall consist of nine (9) members. Nine (9) of the members shall be appointed by the Governor, one (1) of the members shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three (3) names submitted by the speaker and one of the members shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three (3) names submitted by the senate majority leader. If the governor fails to appoint within thirty (30) days of the submission of the list, then the speaker or the senate majority leader, as the case may be, shall make the appointment. One of the members shall be an engineer registered in the State of Rhode Island to be appointed by the governor. One of the members shall be an architect who holds a Rhode Island Certificate to be appointed by the governor.

(b) In the month of March annually in each year the governor shall appoint one member of the authority to serve for a term of five (5) years to succeed the member whose term will then next expire. In the event of vacancy occurring in the membership, the governor shall appoint a member for the unexpired term. Any member of the authority shall be eligible for reappointment. In March of the appropriate year the Senate Majority Leader shall submit his or her list of names to the governor. In March of the appropriate year the Speaker shall submit his or her list of names to the governor.

(c) Each member of the authority before entering upon his or her duties shall take an oath to administer the duties of his or her office faithfully and impartially, and the oath shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state.

(d) The authority shall elect one of its members as chairman and another as vice chairman and shall also elect a secretary and a treasurer who may or may not be members of the authority. Five (5) members of the authority shall constitute a quorum and the vote of five (5) members shall be necessary for any action taken by the authority. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the authority.

(e) The members of the authority other than the chairman shall receive {ADD no ADD} compensation {ADD for their services but shall ADD} {DEL in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each day or portion thereof of actual service in attending meetings of the authority in which business is transacted; provided, however, that the compensation in any one year shall not exceed the sum of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) per member. The chairperson of the authority shall receive compensation in the amount of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for each day or portion thereof of actual service in attending meetings of the authority in which business is transacted; provided, however, that compensation of the chairperson in any one year shall not exceed the sum of four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500.00). The members of the authority shall also DEL} be reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

{ADD 37-14-5. Powers of authority. -- ADD} The authority is hereby authorized and empowered:

(a) To adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;

(b) To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;

(c) To maintain an office at such place or places within the state as it may designate;

(d) To sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded; provided, however, that any and all actions against the authority shall be brought only in the county in which the principal office of the authority shall be located;

(e) To acquire, purchase, hold, and use any property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of the authority, and to mortgage, lease, or sell any of the property; and (without limitation of the foregoing) to lease as lessee, any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein to lease as lessor to the federal government, the state, and any municipality any project of the authority, and to sell, transfer, and convey to any lessee or to any other person upon such terms and conditions and for such considerations as the authority shall determine;

(f) To acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise, and to construct, improve, equip, furnish, maintain, repair, and operate projects, and to establish rules and regulations for the use of any project;

(g) To rent such space in such public facilities as from time to time may not be needed by any governmental entity to any person for such other purposes as the authority may determine and upon such terms and in such manner as the authority may determine;

(h) To employ, in its discretion, planning, architectural, or engineering consultants, attorneys, accountants, construction, and financial experts, superintendents, managers, and such other officers,

(i) To fix and revise from time to time, subject to the provisions of this chapter, and to charge and collect fees, rentals, and other charges for the use of the facilities of, or for the services rendered by, the authority or projects thereof, at rates to be determined by the authority, for the purpose of providing for the payment of the expenses of the authority, the acquisition, construction, improvement, repair, equipping, furnishing, maintenance, and operation of its facilities and properties, the payment of the principal of and interest on its obligations, and to fulfill the terms and provisions of any agreements made with the purchasers or holders of any obligations;

(j) With the consent of both the governor and the general assembly to issue bonds of the authority for any of its purposes, payable solely from the revenues pledged for their payment all as provided in this chapter;

(k) To borrow money in anticipation of the issuance of bonds for any of its purposes and to issue notes, certificates, or other evidences of borrowing upon such terms as may be authorized by resolution of the authority;

(l) To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter;

(m) Without limitation of the foregoing, to borrow money from, to receive, and accept grants for or in aid of construction or acquisition of projects authorized under this chapter from, and to enter into contracts, leases, or other transactions with, any federal agency; and to receive and accept from the state or any municipality, and from any other source, aid or contributions of either money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied only for the purposes for which the grants and contributions may be made;

(n) To combine for financing purposes any two (2) or more projects authorized to be acquired or constructed under the provisions of this chapter;

(o) To be a promoter, partner, member, owner, associate, or manager of any partnership, condominium, or other enterprise or venture;

(p) To acquire in the name of the authority by purchase or otherwise, on such terms and conditions and in such manner as it may deem proper, or by the exercise of the rights of condemnation in the manner hereinafter provided, such public or private lands, including public parks, playgrounds, or reservations, or parts thereof or rights therein, rights of way, property, rights, easements, and interests as it may deem necessary for carrying out the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that all public property damaged in carrying out the powers granted by this chapter shall be restored or repaired and placed in its original condition as nearly as practicable; and

(q) To do all other acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.