It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 25-2 of the general laws entitled "Holidays and Days of Special Observance" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

{ADD 25-2-18.1. Permanent commission. -- ADD} {ADD There is hereby created a permanent commission to be known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission to consist of thirty-one (31) members, three (3) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) of whom shall be from the senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party to be appointed by the senate majority leader; three (3) of whom shall be representatives of the general public, to be appointed by the speaker; two (2) of whom shall be representatives of the general public to be appointed by the senate majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the governor's office, to be appointed by the governor; and one (1) of whom shall be the lieutenant governor, all of the foregoing to be known as commission members. The following members shall be known as ex-officio voting members and shall consist of the following: one (1) of whom shall be the chair of the Black Heritage society, or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the chair of the Rhode Island Heritage Commission or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island Ministerial Alliance or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the commissioner of elementary or secondary education or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the commissioner of higher education or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the chair of the Rhode Island council on humanities or designee; one (1) of whom shall be chair of the Rhode Island council on the arts or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island league of cities and towns or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Providence or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the executive minister of the State Council of Churches or designee; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the NAACP or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the president of the Urban League of Rhode Island or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the chair of the Rhode Island Commission on Women, or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the Grand Master of Prince Hall Masonic Temple; one (1) of whom shall be president of Grow Rhode Island, or designee; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island board of Rabbis, and whose purpose it shall be to plan, supervise and administer, in conjunction with the federal Martin Luther King Day Commission and the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Social Change, an appropriate celebration to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, which will be observed on the third Monday in January each year. The commission shall not limit its activities to such annual celebration, but shall endeavor to promote educational efforts throughout the year, as well as to promote seminar events during the annual celebration that will be of informative value to all segments of the Rhode Island community;

Forthwith upon the passage of this act, the members of the commission shall meet at the call of the speaker and shall elect from among themselves a chair, who shall be a legislator, and a vice-chair, who shall not be a government official or employee. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

The commission is empowered to appoint committees to study specialized areas of concern and to report their findings and recommendations to the commission; provided, however, that one of such committees shall be an education committee.

The commission is empowered to establish a Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund and to award scholarships therefrom. Decisions concerning scholarship awards shall be made by the education committee of the commission in conjunction with the higher education assistance authority.

The commission is empowered to apply for and receive grants, appropriations, or gifts from any federal, state, or local agency, from any public or private foundation, and from any person, firm, or corporation in order to carry out the purposes of this chapter. However, commission members only shall be responsible for allocation of all funds of this permanent commission upon a majority vote of said commission members.

All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as may be necessary or desirable to facilitate the purposes of this chapter.

The speaker is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for the commission.

The commission shall file a report with the general assembly outlining its plans for the celebration on or before December 15th each year prior to the celebration. ADD}