2017 -- S 0891

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LC002562

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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 AERONAUTICS -- AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS

     

     Introduced By: Senator Michael J. McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: May 11, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 1-2-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 1-2 entitled "Airports and

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Landing Fields" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     1-2-7. Leases, concessions, and licenses.

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     (a) The department of transportation may lease any portion of any airport or landing field

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owned or operated by the state or any of the buildings or structures erected on any airport or

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landing field and grant concessions upon portions of any airport or landing field owned or

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operated by the state for a period not exceeding five (5) years, with or without renewal options for

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a like period, in the manner prescribed by § 37-7-9. Where a substantial building, renovation,

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improvement, or addition to an existing building is to be constructed for any airport or

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aeronautical service, activity, purpose, or function or any allied service, activity, purpose, or

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function, the department may lease in the manner provided in § 37-7-9 any portion of any airport

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or landing field owned or operated by the state for a period not exceeding thirty (30) fifty (50)

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years.

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     (b) In all department leases, concessions, licenses, and in all landing fee schedules

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imposed by the department, provisions shall be included requiring a graduated scale of payments

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designed to encourage take-offs and landings between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and midnight (12:00

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a.m.). Any landings occurring after midnight (12:00 a.m.) and before 6:30 a.m. because of

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conditions beyond the control of the airlines and/or aircraft operator are not subject to any

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additional landing fees.

 

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     (c) The department shall include a provision in all leases, licenses, and concessions

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requiring aircraft landing at Theodore Francis Green State Airport:

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     (1) To be equipped with noise and emission abatement devices as required by federal law

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or regulation in effect on July 1, 1985; and

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     (2) By January 1, 1989, to be equipped with noise and emission abatement devices as

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contained in federal aviation regulation, part 36, noise standards: aircraft type and airworthiness

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certification scheduled to take effect on January 1, 1989.

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     SECTION 2. Section 42-64-7.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-64 entitled "Rhode

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Island Commerce Corporation" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-64-7.1. Subsidiaries.

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     (a) (1) The parent corporation shall have the right to exercise and perform its powers and

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functions, or any of them, through one or more subsidiary corporations whose creation shall be

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approved and authorized by the general assembly.

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     (2) (i) Express approval and authorization of the general assembly shall be deemed to

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have been given for all legal purposes on July 1, 1995 for the creation and lawful management of

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a subsidiary corporation created for the management of the Quonset Point/Davisville Industrial

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Park, that subsidiary corporation being managed by a board of directors, the members of which

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shall be constituted as follows: (A) two (2) members who shall be appointed by the town council

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of the town of North Kingstown; (B) two (2) members who shall be residents of the town of

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North Kingstown appointed by the governor; (C) four (4) members who shall be appointed by the

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governor; (D) the chairperson, who shall be: (i) the executive director of the Rhode Island

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economic development corporation until such time that the secretary of commerce is appointed;

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(ii) Upon the appointment of a secretary of commerce, the chief executive officer of the Rhode

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Island commerce corporation, who also shall be the secretary of the Rhode Island executive office

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of commerce; and (E) non-voting members, who shall include the members of the general

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assembly whose districts are comprised in any part by areas located within the town of North

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Kingstown and one non-voting member who shall be a resident of the town of Jamestown,

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appointed by the town council of the town of Jamestown. Upon receipt of approval and

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authorization from the general assembly, the parent corporation by resolution of the board of

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directors may direct any of its directors, officers, or employees to create subsidiary corporations

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pursuant to chapter 1.2 or 6 of title 7 or in the manner described in subsection (b); provided, that

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the parent corporation shall not have any power or authority to create, empower or otherwise

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establish any corporation, subsidiary corporation, corporate body or any form of partnership or

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any other separate entity, without the express approval and authorization of the general assembly.

 

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     (ii) The approval and authorization provided herein shall terminate upon the

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establishment of the Quonset Development Corporation as provided for in chapter 64.10 of this

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title.

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     (iii) The Quonset Development Corporation shall be deemed a subsidiary of the Rhode

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Island commerce corporation:

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     (A) As set forth in § 42-64.10-6(c); and

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     (B) Insofar as it exercises any powers and duties delegated to it by the corporation

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pursuant to this chapter for any project other than on real and personal property owned, leased or

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under the control of the corporation located in the town of North Kingstown, and the corporation

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shall be deemed to have authority to delegate any of its powers, with the exception of the power

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to issue any form of negotiable bonds or notes and the power of eminent domain, in order to

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accomplish the purposes of chapter 64.10 of this title; provided, however, that the corporation

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may, as provided for in this chapter, issue bonds or exercise the power of eminent domain on

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behalf of the Quonset Development Corporation or to undertake a project of the Quonset

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Development Corporation.

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     (b) As used in this section, "subsidiary public corporation" means a corporation created

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pursuant to the provisions of this section. The person or persons directed by the resolution

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referred to in subsection (a) shall prepare articles of incorporation setting forth: (1) the name of

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the subsidiary public corporation; (2) the period of duration, which may be perpetual; (3) the

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purpose or purposes for which the subsidiary public corporation is organized which shall not be

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more extensive than the purposes of the corporation set forth in § 42-64-5; (4) the number of

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directors (which may, but need not be, more than one) constituting the initial board of directors

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and their names and business or residence addresses; (5) the name and business or residence

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address of the person preparing the articles of incorporation; (6) the date when corporate

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existence shall begin (which shall not be earlier than the filing of the articles of incorporation

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with the secretary of state as provided in this subsection); (7) any provision, not inconsistent with

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law, which the board of directors elect to set forth in the articles of incorporation for the

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regulation of the internal affairs of the subsidiary public corporation; and (8) a reference to the

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form of authorization and approval by the general assembly and to the resolution of the board of

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directors authorizing the preparation of the articles of incorporation. Duplicate originals of the

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articles of incorporation shall be delivered to the secretary of state. If the secretary of state finds

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that the articles of incorporation conform to the provisions of this subsection, the secretary shall

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endorse on each of the duplicate originals the word "Filed," and the month, day and year of the

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filing; file one of the duplicate originals in his or her office; and a certificate of incorporation to

 

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which the secretary shall affix the other duplicate original. No filing fees shall be payable upon

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the filing of articles of incorporation. Upon the issuance of the certificate of incorporation or upon

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a later date specified in the articles of incorporation, the corporate existence shall begin and the

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certificate of incorporation shall be conclusive evidence that all conditions precedent required to

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be performed have been complied with and that the subsidiary public corporation has been duly

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and validly incorporated under the provisions hereof. The parent corporation may transfer to any

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subsidiary public corporation any moneys, real, personal, or mixed property or any project in

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order to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Each subsidiary public corporation shall have all

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the powers, privileges, rights, immunities, tax exemptions, and other exemptions of the parent

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corporation except to the extent that the articles of incorporation of the subsidiary public

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corporation shall contain an express limitation and except that the subsidiary public corporation

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shall not have the condemnation power contained in § 42-64-9, nor shall it have the powers

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contained in, or otherwise be subject to, the provisions of § 42-64-12 and § 42-64-13(a), nor shall

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it have the power to create, empower or otherwise establish any corporation, subsidiary

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corporation, corporate body, any form of partnership, or any other separate entity, without the

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express approval and authorization of the general assembly.

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     (c) Any subsidiary corporation shall not be subject to the provisions of § 42-64-8(a), (c),

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and (d), except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation of the subsidiary

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corporation.

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     (d) The Rhode Island commerce corporation, as the parent corporation of the Rhode

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Island Airport Corporation, shall not be liable for the debts or obligations or for any actions or

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inactions of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, unless the Rhode Island commerce

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corporation expressly agrees otherwise in writing.

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     (e) The East Providence Waterfront District shall, with the approval of its commission

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and the board of directors of the corporation, be a subsidiary of the Rhode Island commerce

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corporation for the purposes of exercising such powers of the corporation as the board of

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directors shall determine, and notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (b), the act creating

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the District shall be deemed fully satisfactory for the purposes of this section regarding the

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establishment of subsidiary public corporations, and the express approval and authorization of the

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general assembly shall be deemed to have been given for all legal purposes for the creation and

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lawful management of a subsidiary corporation created for the purposes of implementing the

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purposes of the District.

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     (f) The parent corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to create a subsidiary

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corporation for the expressed purpose to issue bonds and notes of the type and for those projects

 

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and purposes specified in the Joint Resolution and Act of the general assembly adopted by the

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Rhode Island house of representatives and the Rhode Island senate.

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     (g) The I-195 redevelopment district shall be a subsidiary of the Rhode Island commerce

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corporation for the purposes of exercising such powers of the corporation as the board of

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directors shall determine, and notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (b), the chapter

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creating the district shall be deemed fully satisfactory for the purposes of this section regarding

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the establishment of subsidiary public corporations, and the express approval and authorization of

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the general assembly shall be deemed to have been given for all legal purposes for the creation

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and lawful management of a subsidiary corporation created for the purposes of implementing the

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purposes of the district.

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     (h) The Rhode Island airport corporation -- appointment of directors:

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     The board of directors of the Rhode Island airport corporation shall consist of seven (7)

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members: The board of directors shall have extensive experience in the fields of finance,

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business, construction and/or organized labor, and at least one director shall have a current pilot's

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license.

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     The governor of the State of Rhode Island shall appoint, with the advice and consent of

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the senate when nominated to serve, the seven (7) members of the board of directors. One director

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shall be appointed for a term of one year; two (2) directors shall be appointed for a term of two

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(2) years; three (3) directors shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years; and one director shall

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be appointed for a term of four (4) years. Appointments made thereafter shall be for four (4) year

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terms.

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     Any vacancy occurring in the board of directors shall be filled by the governor of the

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State of Rhode Island in the same manner prescribed for the original appointments.

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     A director appointed to fill a vacancy of a director appointed by the governor of the State

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of Rhode Island shall be appointed for the unexpired portion of the term of office of the director

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whose vacancy is to be filled.

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     All members of the board of directors of the Rhode Island airport corporation shall serve

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without compensation.

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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 AERONAUTICS -- AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS

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     This act would permit the department of transportation to lease our airport property for a

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period of fifty (50) years and would require one member of the airport corporation board of

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directors to have a pilot's license.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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