§ 42-129-2. Commission established. (a) There is established a Legislative Advisory Persian Gulf War information and relief commission which shall obtain information relating to the health effects of exposure to any Gulf War-related risk substance for veterans of this state who may have been exposed to any such substance in the Persian Gulf region or Southwest Asia during their period of military service in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War or current Persian Gulf hostilities or hostilities anywhere in Southwest Asia subsequent to September 11, 2001.

(b) The commission consists of eleven (11) members who shall serve for a term of five (5) years, five (5) non-appointed commissioner positions shall include:

(i) The director of veterans' affairs or his or her designee;

(ii) The president of the united veterans' council, or his or her designee;

(iii) The chairperson of the Multi Service council of Rhode Island or his or her designee;

(iv) The past director of veterans' affairs, or his or her designee; and

(v) The chairperson of the advisory council for veterans' affairs, or his or her designee.

The remaining six (6) members are appointed as follows:

The president of the senate shall appoint two (2) members, one of whom shall be a licensed physician in epidemiology, and one of whom shall be a veteran who served in South West Asia subsequent to September 11, 2001; the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two (2) members, one of whom shall be an honorably discharged veteran from the Persian Gulf War; and the minority leaders of the senate and the house of representatives shall each appoint one member, one who shall be an honorably discharged veteran, and one who served in the Persian Gulf during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. The director of the office of veterans' affairs, the president of the united veterans' council and the chairperson of the advisory council shall be appointed for a term to expire August 31, 2010. The members appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house shall be appointed for a term to expire August 31, 2009; the members appointed by the minority leaders of the house of representatives and senate shall be appointed for a term to expire August 31, 2008. Thereafter the commissioners shall serve staggered five (5) year terms, each member serving until his or her successor shall be appointed.

(c) The commission shall elect a chairperson from among its members. Reappointments shall be made in the same manner as the original appointment. Vacancies in the membership of the commission and its officers shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment or election. The commission shall meet at least four (4) times a year at the call of the chairperson. The initial meeting of the commission shall be called by the director of the department of human services not later than September 1, 2006. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

History of Section. (P.L. 1998, ch. 79, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 323, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 325, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 180, § 135; P.L. 2003, ch. 61, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 73, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 552, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 142, art. 4, § 18.)