2004 -- H 7140

=======

LC00637

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2004

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - - UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, and Crowley

     Date Introduced: January 13, 2004

     Referred To: House Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-32-3, 16-32-4, 16-32-5 and 16-32-6 of the General Laws in

1-2

Chapter 16-32 entitled "University of Rhode Island" are hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     16-32-3. Purposes of university. -- The board, as now constituted, and their successors,

1-4

for the terms for which they have been or for which they hereafter may be appointed regents,

1-5

shall continue to be a body politic and corporate for the purpose of continuing and maintaining

1-6

the University of Rhode Island as a university where the leading object shall be, without

1-7

excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach any

1-8

branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the

1-9

liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of

1-10

life, as provided in the act of the congress of the United States, approved July 2, 1862, entitled

1-11

"An Act Donating Public Lands to the Several States and Territories Which May Provide

1-12

Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts," (hereafter the “Morrill Act of

1-13

1862”), and for the purpose of continuing and maintaining an agricultural experiment station

1-14

(hereafter the “Station”) as a department of the college University under and in accordance with,

1-15

and to carry out the purposes of, the act of congress approved March 2, 1887, entitled "An Act to

1-16

Establish Agricultural Experiment Stations in Connection with the Colleges Established in the

1-17

Several States Under the Provisions of An Act Approved July 2, 1862, and of the Acts

1-18

Supplementary Thereto (hereafter, the “Smith-Lever Act of 1914”), and as provided in all

1-19

subsequent acts of the congress of the United States which modify the Morrill Act of 1862, the

2-1

Hatch Act of 1887, and/or the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. The Station and Cooperative Extension

2-2

are hereafter collectively referred to as the “Land Grant Programs."

2-3

     16-32-4. Location -- Application of federal funds. -- The university and experiment

2-4

station University, Agricultural Experiment Station, and administrative headquarters for

2-5

Cooperative Extension shall, until ordered, continue to be located in the town of South Kingstown

2-6

upon the estate now occupied by them, and all money received after this under the act of

2-7

congress, approved March 2, 1887, and under the act of congress approved August 30, 1890,

2-8

entitled "An Act to Apply a Portion of the Proceeds of the Public Lands to the More Complete

2-9

Endowment and Support of the Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts,

2-10

Established Under the Provisions of an Act of Congress Approved July Second, Eighteen

2-11

Hundred Sixty-two," Land Grant Programs and all other money which shall be received by the

2-12

state for the promotion of agriculture or the mechanic arts at land grant colleges under or by

2-13

virtue of an act of congress shall, as and when received, be paid over to the treasurer of the

2-14

uUniversity, to be used and applied and accounted for by the trustees Board of Governors for

2-15

Higher Education and officers of the uUniversity, with the approval of the state controller, as

2-16

required by the respective acts of congress under which the money is received.

2-17

     16-32-5. Authority over experiment station Authority over the Agricultural

2-18

Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension. -- The board of governors for higher

2-19

education Board of Governors for Higher Education shall have authority over the experiment

2-20

station Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension and Rhode Island Sea Grant of

2-21

the uUniversity located in the town of South Kingstown.

2-22

     16-32-6. Activities of experiment station Activities of the Land Grant and Sea Grant

2-23

Programs. -- The experiment station Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension

2-24

and Rhode Island Sea Grant at the University of Rhode Island shall continue to expend sums of

2-25

money received from the United States government for experimental work and agricultural

2-26

extension service, extension outreach, in compliance with the Hatch Act of 1887, the Smith-Lever

2-27

Act of 1914, and the Sea Grant Act of 1966 and shall also continue to promote and encourage the

2-28

work of farm bureaus agriculturalists (including aquaculturalists), their professional

2-29

organizations, environmental organizations, conservation districts and other agencies of

2-30

government concerned with agriculture, the environment, or the purposes of the Station or

2-31

Cooperative Extension, and the private sector collaborating with the Station or Cooperative

2-32

Extension, consistent with the requirements of the Hatch Act of 1887 and the Smith-Lever Act of

2-33

1914, and the Sea Grant Act of 1966 and expend sums of money received from federal and state

2-34

appropriations, subject to budgetary control provided by chapter 3 of title 35.

3-1

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-32 of the General Laws entitled "University of Rhode Island" is

3-2

hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

3-3

     16-32-4.1. Appropriation of state funds for the Land Grant Programs. - - Beginning

3-4

in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2005, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a

3-5

sum with the Board of Governors for Higher Education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the

3-6

expenses of the Land Grant Programs as defined in section 16-32-3 and of providing state funds

3-7

to meet federal mandates that federal funds be matched by state funds, such funds to be expended

3-8

under the direction of the Board of Governors for Higher Education and officers of the

3-9

University. The required match will be based on the full amount of federal funds awarded to the

3-10

Station under the Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, and Animal Health formula allocations of the

3-11

preceding year and on the full amount of federal funds awarded to Cooperative Extension under

3-12

the Smith-Lever formula allocations of the preceding year.

3-13

     16-32-4.2. Appropriation of state funds for the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program. –

3-14

Beginning in fiscal year 2005, the general assembly shall annually appropriate a sum with the

3-15

Board of Governors for Higher Education for the exclusive purpose of defraying the expenses of

3-16

the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program and of providing state funds to meet federal mandates that

3-17

federal funds be matched by state funds, such funds to be expended under the direction of the

3-18

Board of Governors for Higher Education and officers of the University. The required match will

3-19

be based on the full amount of federal funds awarded to the Sea Grant Program under United

3-20

States Department of Commerce allocations of the preceding year.

3-21

     16-32-4.3. Use of funds to enhance Land Grant and Sea Grant Programs. – The

3-22

annual appropriation of funds for the Land Grant and Sea Grant Programs shall be in addition to

3-23

and separate from any funds regularly appropriated to the University under section 16-32-9; thus

3-24

there shall be no reduction of appropriations to the University as authorized under section 16-32-

3-25

9. Funds appropriated for Land Grant Programs shall be used exclusively to enhance the activities

3-26

and capacities of the Station, Cooperative Extension, and Sea Grant Programs, and are not to be

3-27

used to replace normal salaries for academic faculty or staff, or operating funds for academic

3-28

departments, or for normal maintenance operations of the University, or for any other purpose not

3-29

in accord with the purpose of enhancement of the Land Grant and Sea Grant Programs. Use of

3-30

funds is approved for summer salary recontracting of faculty on academic year appointments to

3-31

participate in Land Grant or Sea Grant programs, for technical staff conducting Land Grant or Sea

3-32

Grant Program activities, for support of undergraduate or graduate students collaborating in Land

3-33

Grant or Sea Grant Program activities, and for capital acquisitions and physical plant

3-34

improvements directly in support of the Land Grant or Sea Grant Programs, and for all other

4-1

expenditures directly in support of the Land Grant or Sea Grant Programs, including use as a state

4-2

matching contribution to grants received from federal agencies to support research or outreach

4-3

conducted and administered conjointly with activities of the Station, Cooperative Extension, or

4-4

Rhode Island Sea Grant. Expenditure of funds shall follow rules promulgated in the official

4-5

federal manuals of the Station, Cooperative Extension, and Sea Grant, including rules governing

4-6

approval for projects and activities and expenditure of funds for approved projects and activities.

4-7

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

=======

LC00637

=======

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - - UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

***

5-1

     This act would promote the capability of the University of Rhode Island in the areas of

5-2

environmental and agricultural research and extension education by authorizing the appropriation

5-3

of additional state funds to match annual federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,

5-4

without reduction in the University’s general operating budget.

5-5

     This act would take effect upon passage.

=======

LC00637

=======