§ 22-7.6-1. Declaration of purpose - "Small business" defined. The legislature finds and declares:

(1) That the essence of the American economic system is free competition; and

(2) That only through full and free competition can free markets, free entry into business, and opportunities for the expression and growth of personal initiative and individual judgment be assured; and

(3) That small business stands as a symbol of American character and spirit which includes the traits of individual initiative, self-reliance, and creativity; and

(4) That small business has been a major positive factor in the political, economic, and social development of the state; and

(5) That the future welfare of the state depends on the continued development of small business; and

(6) That the opportunity for all people to participate in a manner and method of their own choosing has been a hallmark of our free enterprise system; and

(7) That the people of the state of Rhode Island must be assured of the opportunity and right to participate in our system of free enterprise; and

(8) That it is the sense of the people of the state of Rhode Island that private enterprise and small business entrepreneurship are essential to the preservation of individual liberty and freedom for all our citizens; and

(9) That all citizens of the state of Rhode Island have the right to live in an economically diverse society; and

(10) That all citizens of the state of Rhode Island have the right to own and manage their own business; and

(11) That all citizens of the state of Rhode Island have an equal entrepreneurial opportunity to participate in our free enterprise system regardless of race, creed, and sex; and

(12) That it shall be the declared policy of the people and the legislature of the state of Rhode Island to preserve, protect, and foster the creation, development, and growth of small business in the state; and

(13) That it shall be the policy of the legislature that all agencies, departments, bureaus and instrumentalities of the state government shall take all possible measures to preserve these rights and aggressively foster small business opportunity; and

(14) That the best method of furthering these legislative policies is through the establishment of a permanent state commission for small business development; and

(15) That small business shall be defined as a person, partnership, corporation, or other form of business entity independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field and which business employs five hundred (500) or fewer employees and has its principal place of business located in the state of Rhode Island. This definition shall apply in the interpretation of any statute, regulation, or executive order.

History of Section. (P.L. 1980, ch. 334, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 352, § 1.)