2023 -- S 0445
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARIES
Introduced By: Senators Mack, Britto, Acosta, Ujifusa, Gu, Lauria, Valverde, Kallman,
Lawson, and DiMario
Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 29-2-4 and 29-2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 29-2 entitled 1
"Historical Society Libraries" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
29-2-4. Use of historical society libraries. 3
All books, periodicals, and papers in the keeping of the Rhode Island Historical Society, 4
the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the Newport Historical Society, shall at all reasonable 5
times be open to the use of all the citizens of the state, under the same conditions pertaining to the 6
members of the society as long as funds are provided under §§ 29-2-1, 29-2-2, 29-2-2.1, and 29-2-7
3. 8
29-2-5. Reports on expenditures. 9
(a) The Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the 10
Newport Historical Society, respectively, shall place on file with the state librarian annual reports 11
as to the manner in which the funds are expended, as long as funds are appropriated in accordance 12
with §§ 29-2-1, 29-2-2, and 29-2-3. 13
(b) The Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the 14
Newport Historical Society, respectively, shall submit to the general assembly and the state 15
librarian annually a plan for the preservation initiatives for the collections in its care. The report 16
shall be submitted as part of the annual report of each agency. 17
(c) The Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the 18
Newport Historical Society, respectively, shall submit to the state librarian a disaster preparedness 19
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plan for the collection in its care on or before January 1, 1993. The plan will be maintained on file 1
at the state library and will be updated annually. 2
SECTION 2. Chapter 29-2 of the General Laws entitled "Historical Society Libraries" is 3
hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 4
29-2-2.1. Appropriations for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society. 5
The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary, out 6
of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended by the state librarian for 7
the purpose of caring for, preserving, and cataloguing the property of the state in the keeping of the 8
Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and for the purchase and binding of books relating to the 9
history of the state, and for copying and preserving the records of the several towns of the state, 10
and the state librarian, with the approval of the secretary of state, may pay this sum to the Rhode 11
Island Black Heritage Society for this purpose. 12
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 13
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARIES
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This act would include all books, periodicals and papers in the keeping of the Rhode Island 1
Black Heritage Society to be placed under the care of the state librarian. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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