2016 -- S 2194

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LC004195

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

     

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Crowley, Jabour, Gallo, and Sheehan

     Date Introduced: January 27, 2016

     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 [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island

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Board of Education Act]" 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," (hereafter 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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(hereafter 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 (hereafter 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. The Station and Cooperative Extension

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are hereafter collectively referred to as the "land grant programs."

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

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station university, agricultural experiment station, and administrative headquarters for

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cooperative extension shall, until ordered, continue to be located in the town of South Kingstown

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upon the estate now occupied by them, and all money received after this under the act of

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congress, approved March 2, 1887, and under the act of congress approved August 30, 1890,

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entitled "An Act to Apply a Portion of the Proceeds of the Public Lands to the More Complete

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Endowment and Support of the Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts,

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Established Under the Provisions of an Act of Congress Approved July Second, Eighteen

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Hundred Sixty-two," land grant programs and all other money which shall be received by the

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state for the promotion of agriculture or the mechanic arts at land grant colleges under or by

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virtue of an act of congress shall, as and when received, be paid over to the treasurer of the

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university, to be used and applied and accounted for by the trustees board of governors for higher

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education and officers of the university, with the approval of the state controller, as required by

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the respective acts of congress under which the money is received.

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     16-32-5. Authority over experiment station Authority over agricultural experiment

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station and cooperative extension. -- The board of governors for higher education shall have

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authority over the agricultural experiment station, cooperative extension and Rhode Island sea

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grant 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 and sea grant

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programs. -- The agricultural experiment station, cooperative extension and Rhode Island sea

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

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United States government for experimental work and agricultural extension service, extension

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outreach, in compliance with the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, and the Sea

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Grant Act of 1966 and shall also continue to promote and encourage the work of farm bureaus

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agriculturalists (including aquaculturalists), their professional organizations, environmental

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organizations, conservation districts and other agencies of government concerned with

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agriculture, the environment, or the purposes of the station or cooperative extension, and the

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

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requirements of the Hatch Act of 1887 and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, and the Sea Grant Act

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of 1966 and expend sums of money received from federal and state appropriations, subject to

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budgetary control provided by chapter 3 of title 35.

 

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

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[See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by

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adding thereto the following sections:

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     16-32-4.1. Appropriation of state funds for the land grant programs. -- Beginning in

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the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2016, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a sum

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to the board of governors for higher education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the

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expenses of the land grant programs as defined in §16-32-3, to provide state funds to meet federal

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

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direction of the board of governors for higher education and officers of the university. The

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required match will be based on the full amount of federal funds awarded to the station under the

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Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, and Animal Health formula allocations of the preceding year 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.

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     16-32-4.2. Appropriations of state funds for the Rhode Island sea grant program. --

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Beginning in fiscal year 2016, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a sum to the board

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of governors for higher education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the expenses of the

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Rhode Island sea grant program to provide state funds to meet federal mandates that federal funds

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be matched by state funds, such funds to be expended under the direction of the board of

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governors for higher education and officers of the university. The required match will be based on

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the full amount of federal funds awarded to the sea grant program under United States

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Department of Commerce allocations of the preceding year.

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     16-32-4.3. Use of funds to enhance land grant and sea grant programs. -- The annual

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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 §16-32-9, and there shall

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be no reduction of appropriations to the university pursuant to §16-32-9. Funds appropriated for

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land grant programs shall be used exclusively to enhance the activities and capacities of the

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station, cooperative extension, and sea grant programs, and are not to be used to replace normal

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salaries for academic faculty or staff, or operating funds for academic departments, or for normal

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maintenance operations of the university, or for any other purpose not in accord with the purpose

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of enhancement of the land grant and sea grant programs. The use of funds may be used for

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summer salary recontracting of faculty on academic year appointments to participate in land grant

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or sea grant programs, for technical staff conducting land grant or sea grant program activities,

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for support of undergraduate or graduate students collaborating in land grant or sea grant program

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activities, and for capital acquisitions and physical plant improvements directly in support of the

 

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

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grant or sea grant programs, including use as a state matching contribution to grants received

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from federal agencies to support research or outreach conducted and administered conjointly with

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activities of the station, cooperative extension, or Rhode Island sea grant. The expenditure of

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funds shall follow rules promulgated in the official federal manuals of the station, cooperative

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extension, and sea grant, including rules governing approval for projects and activities and

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expenditure of funds for approved projects and activities.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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 U.S. Department of Agriculture,

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without a reduction of other appropriations by the general assembly as otherwise provided for in

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the university’s general operating budget.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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