It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows

SECTION 1. In all respects to which the Home Rule Charter of the Town of Exeter was adopted and approved by the electors of the Town of Exeter on November 5, 1996, may require ratification, confirmation, validation or enactment by the General Assembly, but in no other respects, the provisions of the Home Rule Charter of the Town of Exeter is hereby ratified, confirmed, validated and enacted. It is the express intention of the General Assembly, by the passage of this act, to give effect to, ratify, confirm, validate and enact those provisions of the said Home Rule Charter of the town of Exeter which require ratification, confirmation, validation or enactment and by passage of this act, the legislation does hereby ratify, confirm, validate and enact said charter, but nothing in this act shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers now or hereafter granted to the towns by the home rule amendment and other applicable law of the State of Rhode Island or those rights retained by said Town of Exeter.

SECTION 2. If any provision of this act, or the application thereof to the town of Exeter or to any person or circumstances is deemed invalid for any reason, the remainder of this act, or the application of said provision to said town or other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby, and to this end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.