§ 17-7-3 - Appointment of members – Vacancies.
SECTION 17-7-3
§ 17-7-3 Appointment of members –Vacancies. – (a) The governor shall forthwith upon June 8, 1979 appoint seven (7) members ofinitial terms as follows: one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of two (2) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of four (4) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of six (6) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of eight (8) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of ten (10) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve for aterm of twelve (12) years; one member upon initial appointment shall serve fora term of fourteen (14) years; and upon the expiration of the terms, thegovernor shall appoint persons for succeeding terms of fourteen (14) years,respectively. All members of the board appointed or reappointed after January1, 2008, shall serve for terms of nine (9) years beginning in January 2008, andin January of every even numbered year thereafter, the chairperson and vicechairperson of the board shall be elected by majority vote of the members ofthe board.
(b) In the event a vacancy occurs in the office ofchairperson or vice chairperson after January 1, 2008, the board shall in themanner provided in subsection 17-7-3(a) elect another of its members to bechairperson or vice chairperson, to fill the vacancy; provided, if the vacancyoccurs as a result of death or resignation, the new chairperson or vicechairperson shall only fill the unexpired term.
(c) In the event a vacancy occurs on the board, the governorshall appoint within thirty (30) days a new member to fill the vacancy;provided if the vacancy occurs as a result of death or resignation, the newmember shall only fill the unexpired term. All appointments to fill vacanciesshall be made in accordance with Article IX, section 5 of the Constitution ofthe state of Rhode Island and §§ 36-1-10 through 36-1-12.