2013 -- H 5752

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LC01482

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN

SERVICES

     Introduced By: Representatives Cimini, Bennett, Naughton, Tomasso, and Kazarian

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2013

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-12-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-12 entitled

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"Department of Human Services" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-12-19. Permanent advisory commission on traumatic brain injuries --

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Commission established. -- (a) There is hereby established a permanent advisory commission on

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traumatic brain injuries.

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      (b) The purpose of the commission shall be to:

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      (1) Report on all matters relating to traumatic brain injury in Rhode Island to the

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governor and the general assembly.

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      (2) Advise the executive office of health and human services, the department of human

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services, the department of mental health, retardation behavioral healthcare, developmental

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disabilities and hospitals, and the department of health regarding the development of priorities

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and criteria for disbursement of moneys in response to both individual requests and grant-seeking

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entities from the traumatic brain injury fund. Such priorities and criteria shall be in accordance

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with the expenditure guidelines set forth in section 42-12-28 of this chapter.

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      (3) Advise the executive office of health and human services, the department of human

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services, the department of mental health, retardation behavioral healthcare, developmental

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disabilities and hospitals, and the department of health on all matters regarding traumatic brain

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injury.

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      (c) The commission shall consist of nineteen (19) twenty (20) members. They shall meet

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not less than four (4) times a year and report their findings annually to the governor and general

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assembly. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation. The commissioners

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shall elect their own officers on a biennial basis.

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      (d) The membership of the commission shall be as follows: The secretary of the

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executive office of health and human services or his or her designee, the director of the

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department of mental health, retardation behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and

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hospitals or his or her designee; the director of the department of health or his or her designee; the

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director of the department of human services or his or her designee; the director of the department

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of education or his or her designee, all of whom shall serve ex-officio; the chief of neurosurgery

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at Rhode Island Hospital or his or her designee; the president and executive director or two (2)

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designees of the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island; the director of the Rhode Island

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Disability Law Center or his or her designee; the governor or his or her designee; and ten (10)

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persons appointed by the governor as follows: two (2) persons who are unrelated, one of whom

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must have a traumatic brain injury, and one of whom may be an immediate family member of an

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individual with a traumatic brain injury; one person who is a neurologist; one person who is a

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psychiatrist; one person who is a neuropsychologist; one person who is a cognitive rehabilitation

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specialist; one of whom is a traumatic brain injury case manager; one of whom is a physical

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therapist or occupational therapist; one of whom is a representative of a post-acute rehabilitation

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facility; and one person who is a community-based service provider.

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      (e) The first meeting of the members of the commission shall be called to order by the

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governor or his or her designee within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this act [July 7,

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2006] Of the ten (10) members appointed by the governor, three (3) shall serve a term of one

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year, three (3) shall serve a term of two (2) years, and four (4) shall serve a term of three (3)

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years. Upon expiration of the initial term, commission members shall serve terms of three (3)

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years. The initial terms of commission members shall be determined by lot.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01482

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN

SERVICES

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     This act would add the secretary of the executive office of health and human services to

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the commission on traumatic brain injuries and updates the name change of the department of

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behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals.

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     This at would take effect upon passage.

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LC01482

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