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TO INCORPORATE THE PARTNERSHIP FOR RHODE ISLAND MARINE EVENT DEVELOPMENT

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. The General Assembly hereby establishes a body corporate by the name of the Partnership for Rhode Island Marine Event Development, which shall be and remain a body corporate by that name forever. The design and purpose of said corporation is to attract, promote, expand and develop marine events of national and international significance as a vehicle to expand boating, boat building, outfitting, tourism, and related industries, to create jobs in these industries, and to foster public awareness and participation in marine events.

SECTION 2. The entire management and control of the affairs of said corporation shall be vested in the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of: four (4) state senators, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed by the majority leader; four (4) state representatives, not more than three (3) of whom shall be from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) members to be appointed by the Governor, with at least one being the Director of the Economic Development Corporation or his designee, and four (4) members of the general public, of whom two (2) shall be appointed by the senate majority leader, and two (2) shall be appointed by the speaker. In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to the partnership for Rhode Island Marine Event Development, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

SECTION 3. The duties of said corporation shall be to: (1) to work in cooperation with and to coordinate activities among federal, state, and local government agencies, private businesses, business organizations, non-profit groups and individuals; (2) to issue public statements and to participate in marketing efforts; (3) to identify opportunities and to support and engage in activities to attract, promote expand and develop marine events of national and international significance; (4) to assess and evaluate current programs and policies as they relate to the attraction, promotion, expansion and development of marine events; (5) to coordinate and make better use of existing facilities and resources and develop new facilities and resources that are necessary or beneficial to the attraction, promotion, expansion and development of marine events; (6) to prepare, adopt, and implement plans to accomplish its purposes; (7) to advise the governor, state and federal agencies, the general assembly, private business, nonprofit corporations, and local governments with regard to issues pertaining to its purposes or affecting its activities; (8) to hold public meetings and forums and to educate and foster public understanding of and involvement in its programs and activities; and (9) to engage in any other activities that are necessary or appropriate to accomplish its purposes.

SECTION 4. Said corporation shall have full power and authority, consistent with Chapter 6 of Title 7 of the Rhode Island General Laws, to do any lawful act which is necessary or proper to accomplish its duties and fulfill the purposes of its incorporation. Without limiting the effect of the general agent authority, said corporation shall have the full power to make contracts, incur liability and borrow money, to sue and be sued in all actions, real, personal, or mixed, in its said corporate name; to have and use a corporate seal which it may alter or renew at its pleasure; elect from time to time such officers as it shall deem necessary; and other agents as its purposes require, and to determine the duties, salary, responsiblity and tenures of their several officers, and to make and adopt by-laws consistent with the constitution and laws of the United States or of this state; or with this charter, which by-laws may prescribe the time and place of holding the manner of calling and of conducting of meetings of the corporation, officers or agents and may contain any other provisions, whether of the same or different nature, respecting the management of the corporation's property and the regulation and government of its affairs.

SECTION 5. Said corporation shall have the power to take and hold in fee simple or otherwise any less estate by gift, grant, bequest, devise, purchase or any land tenements or other estate property, real or personal. Said property and the income and profit thereof shall be appropriated to the maintenance, upkeep and endowment of said corporation and otherwise in such manner as shall be deemed most effectual for the design, object, duties and purposes of said corporation. Whenever the corporation shall have any property or estate given, granted, bequested or devised to said corporation upon any special trust or for any special use of purpose, such property or estate shall be held and appropriated by said corporation in accordance with the trust, uses and limitation expressed with respect to such gifts, bequests and devices.

SECTION 6. No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of any members of the corporation, nor shall any member receive compensation for his or her service as a member or have any right, title or in any property of the corporation.

SECTION 7. The corporation shall have the power to enter into arrangements with other organizations or groups either within or without of this state for cooperation or for mutual exchange of services whereby the facilities of any such organizations or groups shall be available to this corporation, or the facilities of this corporation shall be available to any such other organizations or groups upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon; and said other organizations or groups incorporated within this state are hereby empowered to enter into such agreements with the corporation hereby incorporated.

SECTION 8. All state departments and agencies and all political subdivisons of the state shall cooperate as appropriate with said corporation to enable it to perform its duties and responsibilties.

SECTION 9. This act shall take effect upon passage.