2013 -- S 0907

=======

LC01435

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

     Introduced By: Senator Ryan W. Pearson

     Date Introduced: May 02, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Section 42-11-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11 entitled

1-2

"Department of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     42-11-10. Statewide planning program. -- (a) Findings. - The general assembly finds

1-4

that the people of this state have a fundamental interest in the orderly development of the state;

1-5

the state has a positive interest and demonstrated need for establishment of a comprehensive

1-6

strategic state planning process and the preparation, maintenance, and implementation of plans

1-7

for the physical, economic, and social development of the state; the continued growth and

1-8

development of the state presents problems that cannot be met by the cities and towns

1-9

individually and that require effective planning by the state; and state and local plans and

1-10

programs must be properly coordinated with the planning requirements and programs of the

1-11

federal government.

1-12

      (b) Establishment of statewide planning program.

1-13

      (1) A statewide planning program is hereby established to prepare, adopt, and amend

1-14

strategic plans for the physical, economic, and social development of the state and to recommend

1-15

these to the governor, the general assembly, and all others concerned.

1-16

      (2) All strategic planning, as defined in subsection (c) of this section, undertaken by all

1-17

departments and agencies of the executive branch unless specifically exempted, shall be

1-18

conducted by or under the supervision of the statewide planning program. The statewide planning

1-19

program shall consist of a state planning council, and the division of planning, which shall be a

2-1

division within the department of administration.

2-2

      (c) Strategic planning. - Strategic planning includes the following activities:

2-3

      (1) Establishing or identifying general goals.

2-4

      (2) Refining or detailing these goals and identifying relationships between them.

2-5

      (3) Formulating, testing, and selecting policies and standards that will achieve desired

2-6

objectives.

2-7

      (4) Preparing long-range or system plans or comprehensive programs that carry out the

2-8

policies and set time schedules, performance measures, and targets.

2-9

      (5) Preparing functional short-range plans or programs that are consistent with

2-10

established or desired goals, objectives, and policies, and with long-range or system plans or

2-11

comprehensive programs where applicable, and that establish measurable intermediate steps

2-12

toward their accomplishment of the goals, objectives, policies, and/or long-range system plans.

2-13

      (6) Monitoring the planning of specific projects and designing of specific programs of

2-14

short duration by the operating departments, other agencies of the executive branch, and political

2-15

subdivisions of the state to insure that these are consistent with and carry out the intent of

2-16

applicable strategic plans.

2-17

      (7) Reviewing the execution of strategic plans and the results obtained and making

2-18

revisions necessary to achieve established goals.

2-19

      (d) State guide plan. - Components of strategic plans prepared and adopted in accordance

2-20

with this section may be designated as elements of the state guide plan. The state guide plan shall

2-21

be comprised of functional elements or plans dealing with land use; physical development and

2-22

environmental concerns; economic development; housing production; energy supply, including

2-23

the development of renewable energy resources in Rhode Island, and energy access, use, and

2-24

conservation; human services; and other factors necessary to accomplish the objective of this

2-25

section. The state guide plan shall be a means for centralizing, integrating, and monitoring long-

2-26

range goals, policies, plans, and implementation activities related thereto. State agencies

2-27

concerned with specific subject areas, local governments, and the public shall participate in the

2-28

state guide planning process, which shall be closely coordinated with the budgeting process.

2-29

      (e) Membership of state planning council. - The state planning council shall consist of:

2-30

      (1) The director of the department of administration as chairperson;

2-31

      (2) The director, policy office, in the office of the governor, as vice-chairperson;

2-32

      (3) The governor, or his or her designee;

2-33

      (4) The budget officer;

3-34

      (5) The chairperson of the housing resources commission;

3-35

      (6) The highest-ranking administrative officer of the division of planning, as secretary;

3-36

      (7) The president of the League of Cities and Towns or his or her designee and one

3-37

official of local government, who shall be appointed by the governor from a list of not less than

3-38

three (3) submitted by the Rhode Island League Cities and Towns;

3-39

      (8) The executive director of the League of Cities and Towns;

3-40

      (9) One representative of a nonprofit community development or housing organization

3-41

appointed by the governor;

3-42

      (10) Four (4) public members, appointed by the governor;

3-43

      (11) Two (2) representatives of a private, nonprofit environmental advocacy

3-44

organization, both to be appointed by the governor;

3-45

      (12) The director of planning and development for the city of Providence;

3-46

      (13) The director of the department of transportation;

3-47

      (14) The director of the department of environmental management;

3-48

      (15) The director of the department of health; and

3-49

      (16) The executive director of the economic development corporation; .

3-50

      (17) The commissioner of the Rhode Island office of energy resources;

3-51

      (18) The chief executive officer of the Rhode Island public transit authority; and

3-52

      (19) The executive director of Rhode Island housing.

3-53

      (f) Powers and duties of state planning council. - The state planning council shall have

3-54

the following powers and duties:

3-55

      (1) To adopt strategic plans as defined in this section and the long-range state guide plan,

3-56

and to modify and amend any of these, following the procedures for notification and public

3-57

hearing set forth in section 42-35-3, and to recommend and encourage implementation of these

3-58

goals to the general assembly, state and federal agencies, and other public and private bodies;

3-59

approval of strategic plans by the governor; and to ensure that strategic plans and the long-range

3-60

state guide plan are consistent with the findings, intent, and goals set forth in section 45-22.2-3,

3-61

the "Rhode Island Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act";

3-62

      (2) To coordinate the planning and development activities of all state agencies, in

3-63

accordance with strategic plans prepared and adopted as provided for by this section;

3-64

      (3) To review and comment on the proposed annual work program of the statewide

3-65

planning program;

3-66

      (4) To adopt rules and standards and issue orders concerning any matters within its

3-67

jurisdiction as established by this section and amendments to it;

4-68

      (5) To establish advisory committees and appoint members thereto representing diverse

4-69

interests and viewpoints as required in the state planning process and in the preparation or

4-70

implementation of strategic plans. The state planning council shall appoint a permanent

4-71

committee comprised of:

4-72

      (i) Public members from different geographic areas of the state representing diverse

4-73

interests, and

4-74

      (ii) Officials of state, local and federal government, which shall review all proposed

4-75

elements of the state guide plan, or amendment or repeal of any element of the plan, and shall

4-76

advise the state planning council thereon before the council acts on any such proposal. This

4-77

committee shall also advise the state planning council on any other matter referred to it by the

4-78

council; and

4-79

      (6) To establish and appoint members to an executive committee consisting of major

4-80

participants of a Rhode Island geographic information system with oversight responsibility for its

4-81

activities.

4-82

      (7) To adopt, amend and maintain as an element of the state guide plan or as an

4-83

amendment to an existing element of the state guide plan, standards and guidelines for the

4-84

location of eligible renewable energy resources and renewable energy facilities in Rhode Island

4-85

with due consideration for the location of such resources and facilities in commercial and

4-86

industrial areas, agricultural areas, areas occupied by public and private institutions, and property

4-87

of the state and its agencies and corporations, provided such areas are of sufficient size, and in

4-88

other areas of the state as appropriate.

4-89

      (g) Division of planning.

4-90

      (1) The division of planning shall be the principal staff agency of the state planning

4-91

council for preparing and/or coordinating strategic plans for the comprehensive management of

4-92

the state's human, economic, and physical resources. The division of planning shall recommend

4-93

to the state planning council specific guidelines, standards, and programs to be adopted to

4-94

implement strategic planning and the state guide plan and shall undertake any other duties

4-95

established by this section and amendments thereto.

4-96

      (2) The division of planning shall maintain records (which shall consist of files of

4-97

complete copies) of all plans, recommendations, rules, and modifications or amendments thereto

4-98

adopted or issued by the state planning council under this section. The records shall be open to

4-99

the public.

4-100

      (3) The division of planning shall manage and administer the Rhode Island geographic

4-101

information system of land-related resources, and shall coordinate these efforts with other state

4-102

departments and agencies, including the University of Rhode Island, which shall provide

5-1

technical support and assistance in the development and maintenance of the system and its

5-2

associated data base.

5-3

      (4) The division of planning shall coordinate and oversee the provision of technical

5-4

assistance to political subdivisions of the state in preparing and implementing plans to accomplish

5-5

the purposes, goals, objectives, policies, and/or standards of applicable elements of the state guide

5-6

plan and shall make available to cities and towns data and guidelines that may be used in

5-7

preparing comprehensive plans and elements thereof and in evaluating comprehensive plans and

5-8

elements thereby.

5-9

      (h) [Deleted by P.L. 2011, ch. 215, section 4, and by P.L. 2011, ch. 313, section 4_.

5-10

      (i) The division of planning shall be the principal staff agency of the water resources

5-11

board established pursuant to chapter 46-15 ("Water Resources Board") and the water resources

5-12

board corporate established pursuant to chapter 46-15.1 ("Water Supply Facilities").

5-13

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

=======

LC01435

========

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

***

6-1

     This act would add three (3) members to the State Planning Council.

6-2

     This act would take effect upon passage.

=======

LC01435

=======