TITLE 42
State Affairs and Government
CHAPTER 42-12
Department of Human Services
SECTION 42-12-19
§ 42-12-19 Permanent advisory commission
on traumatic brain injuries Commission established.
(a) There is hereby established a permanent advisory commission on traumatic
brain injuries.
(b) The purpose of the commission shall be to:
(1) Report on all matters relating to traumatic brain injury
in Rhode Island to the governor and the general assembly.
(2) Advise the executive office of health and human services,
the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and
hospitals, and the department of health regarding the development of priorities
and criteria for disbursement of moneys in response to both individual requests
and grant-seeking entities from the traumatic brain injury fund. Such
priorities and criteria shall be in accordance with the expenditure guidelines
set forth in § 42-12-28 of this chapter.
(3) Advise the executive office of health and human services,
the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and
hospitals, and the department of health on all matters regarding traumatic
brain injury.
(c) The commission shall consist of twenty (20) members. They
shall meet not less than four (4) times a year and report their findings
annually to the governor and general assembly. The members of the commission
shall serve without compensation. The commissioners shall elect their own
officers on a biennial basis.
(d) The membership of the commission shall be as follows: The
secretary of the executive office of health and human services or his or her
designee, the director of the department of behavioral healthcare,
developmental disabilities and hospitals or his or her designee; the director
of the department of health or his or her designee; the director of the
department of human services or his or her designee; the director of the
department of education or his or her designee, all of whom shall serve
ex-officio; the chief of neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital or his or her
designee; the president and executive director or two (2) designees of the
Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island; the director of the Rhode Island
Disability Law Center or his or her designee; the governor or his or her
designee; and ten (10) persons appointed by the governor as follows: two (2)
persons who are unrelated, one of whom must have a traumatic brain injury, and
one of whom may be an immediate family member of an individual with a traumatic
brain injury; one person who is a neurologist; one person who is a physiatrist;
one person who is a neuropsychologist; one person who is a cognitive
rehabilitation specialist; one of whom is a traumatic brain injury case
manager; one of whom is a physical therapist or occupational therapist; one of
whom is a representative of a post-acute rehabilitation facility; and one
person who is a community-based service provider.
(e) The first meeting of the members of the commission shall
be called to order by the governor or his or her designee within ninety (90)
days of the effective date of this act [July 7, 2006]. Of the ten
(10) members appointed by the governor, three (3) shall serve a term of one
year, three (3) shall serve a term of two (2) years, and four (4) shall serve a
term of three (3) years. Upon expiration of the initial term, commission
members shall serve terms of three (3) years. The initial terms of commission
members shall be determined by lot.
History of Section.
(P.L. 1986, ch. 536, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 180, § 97; P.L. 2006, ch.
363, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 456, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 285, § 1; P.L.
2013, ch. 382, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 501, § 5.)
