It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "State Affairs and Government" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

{ADD 42-126-1. Short title. -- This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The East Bay Economic Initiative Act of 1996". ADD}

{ADD 42-126-2. Legislative findings and declaration of public policy. -- (a) The general assembly finds:

(1) That boating, boat building, outfitting, and related industries have been and continue to be a vital component of Rhode Island's economy;

(2) That these marine related businesses and their skilled workers are heavily concentrated in Rhode Island's East Bay Region;

(3) That this region has been considered a labor surplus area by the United States department of labor and that serious conditions of unemployment and underemployment exist in this region;

(4) That this region contains vacant and under-utilized facilities and resources;

(5) That as a result of the repeal of the federal luxury tax on boats and the state sales use tax on boats, boating, boat building, outfitting, and related industries have enjoyed a revival in the East Bay region, and that there is the opportunity for substantial continued expansion of these industries;

(6) That these industries face national and technical and international competition, that the market for the goods and services produced by these industries is national and international, that Rhode Island is an excellent location for boating and yachting, and that Rhode Island's marine industries are renowned nationally and internationally; and

(7) That the promotion and expansion of boating, boat building, outfitting, and related industries, the creation jobs in these industries, and the fuller use of facilities and resources by these industries in the East Bay region will require the cooperation of federal, state and local governments, and private businesses.

(b) The general assembly declares that it is a public policy and in the public interest to promote job creation and economic development in boating and marine-related industries in the East Bay region and that the establishment of the East Bay Economic Initiative is a public purpose. ADD}

{ADD42-126-3. East Bay region defined. -- As used in this chapter, East Bay shall mean Bristol County, Newport County, and the city of East Providence. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-4. Establishment of East Bay Economic Initiative. -- There is hereby authorized, created, and established within the state of Rhode Island, the East Bay Economic Initiative as a body corporate and politic, having a distinct legal existence from the state and from the municipalities in the East Bay, with the purposes to promote and expand boating, boat building, outfitting, and related industries, to create jobs in these industries, and to make fuller use of facilities and resources by these industries, in the East Bay specifically and Rhode Island generally. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-5. Creation of the steering committee. -- The East Bay Economic Initiative's activities shall be governed by a steering committee, which shall serve as its board of directors, and shall have the following membership: three (3) state senators from the East Bay appointed by the senate majority leader, nor more than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political party, three (3) state representatives from the East Bay appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, not more than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political party, the director of Economic Development Corporation, or the designee of the director, the associate director for planning of the Department of Administration, or the designee of the associate director, and nine (9) public members from private businesses in the East Bay or from business organizations, appointed by the governor. The governor shall appoint the chairperson of the steering committee from among the public members. Members of the steering committee established by executive order 94-3 shall be members of the steering hereby created and shall remain in office until their successors are duly appointed. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-6. Duties and activities and powers. -- (a) The duties and activities of the East Bay Economic Initiative to accomplish its purposes shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) To work in cooperation with federal, state, and local government agencies, private businesses, business organizations, non-profit groups and individuals;

(2) To issue public statements and to participate in marketing efforts;

(3) To identify opportunities and to support and engage in activities, including training programs, for the expansion of boating, boat building, outfitting and related industries;

(4) To assess and evaluate current programs and policies as they relate to the promotion of boating, boat building and related marine industries;

(5) To prepare, adopt, and implement plans to accomplish its purposes;

(6) To advise the governor, state and federal agencies, the general assembly, and local governments in the East Bay with regard to issues pertaining to its purposes or affecting its activities;

(7) To hold public meetings and forums and to foster public understanding of and involvement in its programs and activities;

(8) To engage in such other activities that are necessary or appropriate to accomplish its purposes.

(b) The East Bay Economic Initiative shall have the following powers to accomplish its purposes:

(1) To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs;

(2) To establish committees, subcommittees, and advisory bodies;

(3) To adopt and order a corporate seal;

(4) To sue and be sued;

(5) To enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, subgrants, licenses, and other agreements;

(6) To acquire, hold, use, lease, sell, transfer, and dispose of any property or interest thereon, and to own, operate, maintain, repair, or improve any property acquired hereunder;

(7) To employ such staff and consultants as may from time to time be necessary or desirable;

(8) To apply for, contract for, receive, and expend grants, to fix rates for its facilities, and to collect fees and charges for its services or for any commodities it provides. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-7. Reporting. -- The East Bay Economic Initiative shall report annually, on a state fiscal year basis, to the governor, the speaker of the house, the senate majority leader, and to the chief executive officers of the cities and towns in the East Bay. The reports to local chief executive officers shall be submitted to the clerk of the city or town, who shall provide a copy of the report to the city or town council. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-8. Cooperation of state agencies and political subdivisions. -- All state departments and agencies and all political subdivisions of the state shall cooperate as appropriate with the East Bay Economic Initiative to accomplish its purposes. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-9. Construction. -- The provisions of this chapter shall be construed liberally in order to accomplish the purposes thereof. ADD}

{ADD 42-126-10. Sunset. -- The provisions of this chapter shall be repealed effective June 30, 2000. ADD}

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.