Rhode Island § 22-14-1 - Legislative Oversight Commission

§ 22-14-1. Establishment — Purpose — Membership — Compensation.

(a) There is established an oversight commission empowered to conduct evaluations and reviews of statutes, statutory entities, and associated rules and regulations. The review or evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, the following as its objectives:

(1) The elimination of inactive entities or statutes;

(2) The elimination of entities or statutes that duplicate other entities or statutes or other governmental programs and activities or determination of an appropriate consolidation for the duplicate entities, statutes, or governmental programs and activities;

(3) The elimination or modification of inefficient, unnecessary, or ineffective entities or statutes; and

(4) The determination of the impact of rules and regulations promulgated by any entity.

(b) The commission shall consist of fourteen (14) members all of whom shall be citizens and residents of this state; four (4) of whom shall be members of the house of representatives, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) of whom shall be members of the senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the president of the senate; one of whom shall be the director of administration; four (4) of whom shall be members of the general public to be appointed by the governor; one of whom shall be the fiscal assistant to the house finance committee; and one of whom shall be the auditor general.

(c) The public members shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years except for the two (2) members originally appointed; one shall be appointed for a term of one year and one shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years.

(d) The legislative members shall serve a term of two (2) years. The members shall annually elect one of them as chairperson of the commission.

(e) Any vacancy on the commission, occurring for any reason prior to the expiration of the term, including, but not limited to, termination of active membership in the general assembly, shall be filled for the unexpired term by the appointing authority in the same manner as the original appointment.

(f) Any member of the commission may, for cause, be summarily removed from office by the appointing authority, which removal shall be subject to judicial review by the superior court, and pending that review the member shall not carry out any duties as a commission member.

(g) The director of administration, the fiscal assistant to the house finance committee, and the auditor general respectively may designate a person to represent them at all commission meetings.

(h) The members of the commission, except those members from the general public, shall receive no salaries but shall be allowed reasonable expenses in the performance of their official duties.

(i) The members from the general public shall not be compensated for service on the board.