2012 -- S 2457

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LC01786

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Walaska, McCaffrey, Tassoni, and Jabour

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 16-32-3, 16-32-4, 16-32-5 and 16-32-6 of the General Laws in

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Chapter 16-32 entitled "University of Rhode Island" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-32-3. Purposes of university. -- The board, as now constituted, and their successors,

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for the terms for which they have been or for which they hereafter may be appointed regents,

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shall continue to be a body politic and corporate for the purpose of continuing and maintaining

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the University of Rhode Island as a university where the leading object shall be, without

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excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach any

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branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the

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liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of

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life, as provided in the act of the congress of the United States, approved July 2, 1862, entitled

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"An Act Donating Public Lands to the Several States and Territories Which May Provide

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Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts," (hereinafter, the “Morrill Act of

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1862”) and for the purpose of continuing and maintaining an agricultural experiment station

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(hereinafter, the “station”) as a department of the college university under and in accordance with,

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and to carry out the purposes of, the act of congress approved March 2, 1887, entitled "An Act to

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Establish Agricultural Experiment Stations in Connection with the Colleges Established in the

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Several States Under the Provisions of An Act Approved July 2, 1862, and of the Acts

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Supplementary Thereto." (hereinafter, the “Smith-Lever Act of 1914”), and as provided in all

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subsequent acts of the congress of the United States which modify the Morrill Act of 1862, the

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Hatch Act of 1887, and/or the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, and as provided by “The National Sea

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Grant College and Program Act of 1966” (hereinafter, the “Sea Grant Act of 1966”), and as

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provided in all subsequent acts of the congress of the United States which modify the Sea Grant

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Act of 1966, and as provided by the “Higher Education Act of 1965”, and as provided in all

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subsequent acts of the congress of the United States that provide for the urban grant college

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programs. The station and cooperative extension are hereafter collectively referred to as the

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“Land Grant Programs.”

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     16-32-4. Location -- Application of federal funds. -- The university and agricultural

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experiment station shall and administrative headquarters for cooperative extension, until ordered,

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continue to be located in the town of South Kingstown upon the estate now occupied by them,

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and all money received after this under the act of congress, approved March 2, 1887, and under

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the act of congress approved August 30, 1890, entitled "An Act to Apply a Portion of the

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Proceeds of the Public Lands to the More Complete Endowment and Support of the Colleges for

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the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, Established Under the Provisions of an Act of

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Congress Approved July Second, Eighteen Hundred Sixty-two," land grant programs and all

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other money which shall be received by the state for the promotion of agriculture or the mechanic

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arts at land grant colleges under or by virtue of an act of congress shall, as and when received, be

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paid over to the treasurer of the university, to be used and applied and accounted for by the

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trustees board of governors for higher education and officers of the university, with the approval

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of the state controller, as required by the respective acts of congress under which the money is

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received.

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     16-32-5. Authority over experiment station Authority over the land grant, sea grant,

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and urban grant programs. -- The board of governors for higher education, through the

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president of the university and program directors, shall have authority over the agricultural

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experiment station, cooperative extension, Rhode Island sea grant, and Rhode Island urban grant

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of the university located in the town of South Kingstown.

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     16-32-6. Activities of experiment station Activities of the land grant, sea grant and

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urban grant programs. -- The agricultural experiment station, cooperative extension, and Rhode

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Island sea grant at the University of Rhode Island shall continue to expend sums of money

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received from the United States government for experimental work and agricultural extension,

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service, and shall also continue to promote and encourage the work of farm bureaus and expend

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sums of money received from federal and state appropriations, subject to budgetary control

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provided by chapter 3 of title 35 outreach in compliance with the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-

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Lever Act of 1914, and the Sea Grant Acct of 1966 and shall also continue to promote and

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encourage the work of agriculturalists (including aquaculturalists), their professional

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organizations, environmental organizations, conservation districts and other agencies of

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government concerned with agriculture, the environment, or the purposes of the station or

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cooperative extension, and the private sector collaborating with the station or cooperative

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extension, consistent with the requirements of the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-Lever Act of

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1914, the Sea Grant Act of 1966 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 and expend sums of

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money received from federal and state appropriations, subject to budgetary control provided by

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chapter 3 of title 35.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-32 of the General Laws entitled "University of Rhode Island" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

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     16-32-4.1. Appropriation of state funds for the Land Grant Programs. – Beginning

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in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2012, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a

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sum with the board of governors of higher education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the

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expenses of the land grant programs as defined in section 16-32-3 and of providing state funds to

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meet federal mandates that federal funds be matched by state funds, such funds to be expended

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under the direction of the director of land grant programs with due oversight by the president of

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the University and the board of governors for higher education. There shall be no more than one

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hundred percent (100%) of the full amount of federal funds awarded to the station under the

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Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, and Animal Health and other formula allocations of the United States

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department of agriculture the preceding fiscal year as reported under section 16-32-7, and on the

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full amount of federal funds awarded to cooperative extension under the Smith-Lever formula

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allocations of the preceding year as reported under section 16-32-7.

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     16-32-4.2. Appropriation of state funds for the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. –

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Beginning in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2012, the general assembly shall annually

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appropriate a sum with the board of governors for higher education for the exclusive purpose of

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defraying the expenses of the Rhode Island sea grant program as defined in section 16-32-3 and

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of providing state funds to meet federal mandates that federal funds be matched by state funds,

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such funds to be expended under the direction of the director of Rhode Island sea grant with due

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oversight by the president of the university and the board of governors for higher education. The

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state appropriation shall be no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the full amount of

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federal funds awarded to the Rhode Island sea grant program under formula allocations of the

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United States department of commerce the preceding fiscal year as reported under section 16-32-

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7.

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     16-32-4.3. Use of funds to enhance Land Grant and Sea Grant Programs. – The

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annual appropriation of funds for the land grant and sea grant programs shall be in addition to and

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separate from any funds regularly appropriated to the university under section 16-32-9; thus there

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shall be no reduction of appropriations to the university as authorized under section 16-32-9.

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Funds appropriated for land grant programs shall be accounted for separately within the budget of

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the board of governors for higher education to be used exclusively to enhance the activities and

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capacities of the station, cooperative extension, and sea grant programs, and are not to be used to

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replace operating funds for academic departments, or for normal maintenance operations of the

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university, or for any other purpose not in accord with the purpose of enhancement of the land

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grant and sea grant programs. Use of funds is approved for summer salary of faculty on nine (9)

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month academic year appointments to participate in land grant or sea grant programs, and for use

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to release faculty from teaching responsibilities to participate in land grant or sea grant programs,

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and for technical staff conducting land grant or sea grant program activities, and for support of

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undergraduate or graduate students collaborating in land grant or sea grant program activities, and

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for capital acquisitions and physical plant improvements directly in support of the land grant or

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sea grant programs, and for all other expenditures directly in support of the land grant or sea grant

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programs, including use as a state matching contribution to grants received from federal agencies

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to support research or outreach conducted and administered conjointly with activities of the

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station, cooperative extension, or Rhode Island sea grant. Expenditure of funds shall follow rules

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promulgated in the official federal manuals of the state, cooperative extension, and sea grant,

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including rules governing approval for projects and activities and expenditures of funds for

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approved projects and activities.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01786

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

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     This act would promote the capability of the University of Rhode Island in the areas of

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environmental and agricultural research and extension education by authorizing the appropriation

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of additional state funds to match annual federal funds from the United States department of

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agriculture and the United States department of commerce without reduction in the University’s

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general operating budget.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC01786

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