(a)  There is hereby created a permanent commission to be known as the Rhode Island Holocaust and genocide education commission to consist of thirteen (13) members: one of whom shall be the Rhode Island commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or designee; one of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island Superintendent’s Association, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals, or designee; one of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, or designee; one of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Education Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the president of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, or designee; and seven (7) of whom shall be appointed by the governor to serve a term of three (3) years, at least three (3) of whom shall be involved in Holocaust and genocide education or have a personal connection or experience with the Holocaust or genocide; and at least three (3) of whom shall have expertise in investigating, analyzing, or researching the Holocaust or genocide.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 16-93.1-3

  • Genocide: means any act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in substantial part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group such as:

    (i)  Killing members of that group;

    (ii)  Causing serious bodily injury to members of that group;

    (iii)  Causing permanent impairment of the mental faculties of members of the group through drugs, torture, or similar techniques;

    (iv)  Subjecting the group to conditions of life that are intended to cause the physical destruction of the group in whole or in part;

    (v)  Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; or

    (vi)  Forcibly transferring or attempting to transfer children of the group to another group, as defined by the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (Rhode Island General Laws 16-93.1-2

  • Holocaust: means the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million (6,000,000) Jews and five million (5,000,000) other individuals by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. See Rhode Island General Laws 16-93.1-2
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

(b)  When making appointments, the governor shall ensure that appointees represent diverse communities affected by genocide.

(c)  A member of the commission may be removed by the governor for inefficiency, neglect of duty, misconduct, or malfeasance in office, after being given a written statement of the charges and an opportunity to be publicly heard on such charges by the general assembly.

(d)  Vacancies in the commission shall be filled in the manner provided under subsection (a) of this section. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. Any appointed member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration of that member’s term until the member’s successor takes office.

History of Section.
P.L. 2021, ch. 274, § 2, effective July 9, 2021; P.L. 2021, ch. 275, § 2, effective July 9, 2021.