§ 40.1-29-3. Members. (a) The council shall consist of thirty-one (31) 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 non-legislative members shall be the executive director of the Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI, the mental health advocate, the child advocate, and a representative of the AFL-CIO to be appointed by the governor.

(3) The remaining twenty-three (23) public members shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor and shall represent such community interests 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.

History of Section. (P.L. 2001, ch. 57, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 216, § 33; P.L. 2017, ch. 124, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 143, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 168, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 172, § 1.)