2017 -- S 0633

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LC002143

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CIVIC EDUCATION COMMISSION

     Introduced By: Senators Gallo, DiPalma, Satchell, Pearson, and Metts

     Date Introduced: March 29, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-2.1-1 and 16-2.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2.1

entitled "Civic Education Commission" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-2.1-1. Civic education commission.

     There is hereby created a permanent commission to be known as the Rhode Island

Permanent Commission on Civic Education to consist of twenty-four (24) twenty-one (21)

members; three (3) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not more than two (2)

from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) of whom shall be from the

senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the senate

president; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island secretary of state, or designee; two (2) of whom

shall be teachers or representatives of teachers, one of whom shall be a member of the National

Education Association of Rhode Island, to be appointed by the speaker, and one of whom shall be

a member of the American Federation of Teachers, to be appointed by the senate president; one

of whom shall be a member of the Superintendent's Association, or Principal's Association, to be

appointed by the speaker; one of whom shall be the director of the Rhode Island Historical

Society, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island state archivist, or designee; one of

whom shall be the commissioner of elementary and secondary the department of education, or

designee; one of whom shall be the commissioner of postsecondary education, or designee; one

of whom shall be the director of legislative press and public information bureau, or designee; one

of whom shall be from the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, to be appointed by the speaker;

one of whom shall be from the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island to be appointed by

the senate president; and one of whom shall be a school librarian/media specialist to be appointed

by the speaker; one of whom shall be a teacher at a parochial/private school institution to be

appointed by the speaker; one of whom shall be the director of museum and program at the

Rhode Island Heritage Harbor Museum Foundation, or designee; one of whom shall be the

director of Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, or designee; one of whom shall be the

director of the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, or designee; one of

whom shall be the director of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund Progresso Latino, or designee;

and one of whom shall be the executive director of the Civics First Organization, or designee; and

one of whom shall be the director of the Center for Civic Education, or designee.

     16-2.1-2. Powers and duties.

     (a) The commission is empowered to appoint committees to study specialized areas of

concern and to report their findings and recommendations to the commission; provided, however,

that one of these committees shall be a Rhode Island history committee.

     (b) All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to the commission and its agents as may be necessary or desirable to

facilitate the purposes of this chapter.

     (c) The commission shall report its findings and/or recommendations to the speaker of

the house of representatives, the senate majority leader president, and the commission of

elementary and secondary commissioner of the department of education.

     (d) Nine (9) Eight (8) members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

     (e) The commission shall meet at least four (4) two (2) times per year.

     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 EDUCATION -- CIVIC EDUCATION COMMISSION

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     This act would alter the membership, reporting protocol, and meeting requirements of the

civic education commission.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC002143

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