2015 -- S 0406

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LC001749

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, DaPonte, Coyne, Archambault, and Kettle

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 42-140.1-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-140.1 entitled "The

Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council" is hereby amended to read

as follows:

     42-140.1-4. Composition and appointment. -- (a) The council shall consist of thirteen

(13) fifteen (15) members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate;

nine (9) members shall be voting members, and the governor shall give due consideration to

appointing persons with knowledge of: (1) energy regulation and law; (2) large

commercial/industrial users, (3) small commercial/industrial users; (4) residential users; (5) low

income users; (6) environmental issues pertaining to energy; (7) energy design and codes; (8)

energy efficiency education and employment tracking; and (9) municipal energy users; (10) large

nonprofit institutional users; and (11) small nonprofit institutional users. Four (4) members shall

be ex-officio, non-voting members, representing an electric distribution entity, a gas distribution

entity, fuel oil or heating fuel industry, and the commissioner of the office of energy resources.

From the nine (9) eleven (11) voting members, the governor shall appoint one person to be

chairperson of the council and one person to be vice chairperson of the council; the commissioner

of the office of energy resources shall be the executive secretary and executive director of the

council.

      (b) With the exception of the commissioner of the office of energy resources; of the

initial appointments; three (3) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years, three (3)

members shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years, and four (4) members shall be appointed

for a term of five (5) years; thereafter members of the council shall be appointed for a term of five

(5) years and may be reappointed.

      (c) A simple majority of the total number of voting members shall constitute a quorum.

      (d) A vacancy other than by expiration shall be filled in the manner of the original

appointment but only for the unexpired portion of the term. The appointing authority shall have

the power to remove its appointee for just cause.

      (e) The members of the council shall not be compensated for their service but shall be

reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The

provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to the executive secretary/executive director.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT

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     This act would increase the membership of the Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and

Resource Management Council to fifteen (15) and includes large and small nonprofit institutional

users among the persons to be considered for appointment.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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