Introduced By: Representative Senators Coderre, Fogarty, Enos, Cicilline, & Kelly, et al
Date Introduced : June 16, 1998 February 10, 1998
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
RESOLVED, That a special senate commission be and the same is hereby created consisting of eighteen (18) members: 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 majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the state of Rhode Island library services, to be appointed by the director of state library services; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, to be appointed by the association president; one (1) of whom shall be an academic who specializes in communications, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be a representative from the disabled community, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be a superintendent of a public school, to be appointed by the chairman of the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education; three (3) of whom shall be representatives from the Rhode Island cable industry, of whom two (2) shall be from Cox Communications, to be appointed by the Cox Communications Chief Executive Officer and one (1) of whom shall be from Media One, to be appointed by the Media One Chief Executive Officer; one (1) of whom shall be a member of New England Cable Television Association, to be appointed by the association president; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Cable TV Citizen Advisory Board, to be appointed by the board chairman; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Attorney General's Consumer Affairs Division, to be appointed by the Attorney General; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the minority community, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be an institutional user, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the public access community, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; and one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Public Utilities Commission to be appointed by the Commission Chairman.
In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a general assembly resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.
The Purpose of said commission shall be to study the Rhode Island cable television industry and all matters relating thereto.
Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at the call of the senate majority leader and organize and shall select from among the legislators a chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.
The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.
The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for said commission: and be it further
RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the senate on or before June 2, 1999 and said commission shall expire on August 2, 1999.
