§ 40.1-29-3. Members.
(a) The council shall consist of thirty-two (32) voting members.
(1) There shall be four (4) members of the legislature, two (2) shall be from the senate
and shall be appointed by the senate president to serve for their legislative term,
one from each of the major political parties, and two (2) shall be from the house
of representatives and shall be appointed by the speaker to serve for their legislative
term, one from each of the two (2) major political parties.
(2) The nonlegislative members shall be the executive director of the Substance Use and
Mental Health Leadership Council of RI, the mental health advocate, the child advocate,
a representative of the AFL-CIO to be appointed by the governor, and the president
of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island or a designee thereof.
(3) The remaining twenty-three (23) public members shall be appointed by and serve at
the pleasure of the governor and shall represent community interests such as substance
use disorder treatment and prevention professionals; youth with behavioral health
challenges, or their representatives; consumers of substance-use disorder programs
and their families; mental health treatment professionals; adult and elderly consumers
of mental health services and their families; families of children who are consumers
of mental health and substance-use disorder services; the judiciary; criminal justice
officials; and local government officials.
(4) Not less than fifty (50%) percent of the public members shall be individuals who are
not state employees or providers of behavioral health services.
(5) There shall be sufficient representation by the families of children who are consumers
of mental health and substance-use disorder services in order to ensure adequate representation
of such children.
(6) Every effort shall be made to ensure that appointed members represent the cultural
diversity of the state.
(7) All members shall have demonstrable expertise in, or experience with, substance use
disorders or mental health services in Rhode Island. In addition, the directors, or
their designees, of the departments of children, youth and families; corrections;
education; health; human services; behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities
and hospitals; the office of healthy aging; the attorney general, or designee, and
the executive director of the Rhode Island justice commission shall serve as ex officio
and without a vote as members of the council.
(b) Any vacancy that may occur in the council shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointments.
(c) The governor shall designate one member as the chairperson of the council.