Government

A Day at the Rhode Island State House: Tues, February 23, 2021

All the video from the Rhode Island State House for Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

Rhode Island News: A Day at the Rhode Island State House: Tues, February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021, 11:00 pm

By Steve Ahlquist

Tuesday February 23, 2021

1PM Press Conference Revenue for Rhode Island

For full coverage, see: Revenue for RI kicks off campaign to tax the one percent

4pm Rhode Island House of Representatives

  • H5181 (See Amendment) AN ACT RELATING TO AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF WESTERLY TO ISSUE NOT TO EXCEED $2,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, NOTES AND OTHER EVIDENCES OF INDEBTEDNESS TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, IMPROVEMENT, ALTERATION, REPAIR, FURNISHING AND EQUIPPING OF SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL FACILITIES IN THE TOWN
  • H5049 (See Amendment) ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF LODIE BRIEN AGENCY, INC.
  • H5050 (See Amendment) AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF SHERWOOD CONDOMINIUM, INC.

4pm Rhode Island Senate

Attendance

Black History Month Celebration:

Prayer and Pledge

Senator Valverde rebuked:

Resolutions:

For the full story on Senator Valverde’s objection, see here.

Senate Consent Calendar

  • Appointment of William Stone to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for a term expiring February 1, 2025.
  • Reappointment of Jason Kelly to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for a term expiring February 1, 2025.
  • Reappointment of Mary Jo Kaplan to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for a term expiring February 1, 2025.

In order:

  • Appointment of David Chenevert VICE Ronald P. O’Hanley to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for a term expiring February 1, 2025.
  • Reappointment of Karl Wadensten to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for a term expiring February 1, 2025.
  • Reappointment of Gregory Pizzuti to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation for a term expiring June 1, 2025.
  • Reappointment of Michael Traficante to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation for a term expiring June 1, 2025.
  • S0016A (See Amendment) An Act Relating to Health and Safety – Harm Reduction Center Advisory Committee and Pilot Program
  • S0047 (See Amendment) An Act Relating to Businesses and Professions – The Healing Art of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
  • S0108 (See Amendment) An Act Relating to Health and Safety – Prevention and Suppression of Contagious Diseases – HIV/Aids

5:30pm House Committee on Judiciary

Scheduled for Consideration

  • H5100 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS (Prohibits any development of land contiguous to the State House unless approved by the general assembly.)

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • H5297 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION (Requires judicial nominating commission actively and aggressively solicit attorneys of color to apply for judicial appointments.)
  • H5298 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION (Requires that the judicial nominating commission be composed of at least three members of color.)
  • H5299 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – JUDICIAL SELECTION (Promotes more diversity in the composition of the judicial nominating commission and requires that each list of qualified judicial candidates it submits to the governor for nomination include a person of color.)
  • H5300 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – JUDICIAL SELECTION (Requires the judicial nominating commission to include certain questions on application/retain race, nationality, ethnicity, and gender data/classifies application as public record with opt out provision.)
  • H5301 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – JUDICIAL SELECTION (Judicial Nominating Committee to consider judicial nominee’s unique background.)
  • H5308 AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS – DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS – SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN (Eliminates any award of interest by the family court in any enforcement proceeding resulting in a judgment or order for failure to make child support payments.)
  • H5382 AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – STATE POLICE (Prohibits more than two members of the state police to be from the same family whether by blood, adoption or marriage.)
  • H5379 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – COURT ADMINISTRATION (Requires that the selection pool for court appointed receivers be composed of at least 10% of receivers who are persons of color.)
  • H5383 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES (Extends the “lookback” period for third and subsequent offenses under chapter relative to driving under the influence of liquor or drugs and refusal to submit to chemical test from five to ten years.)
  • H5377 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES (Permits the district court to issue probationary operator’s licenses to those who had their licenses suspended, under certain conditions and for reasons of extreme hardship. Offenses involving alcohol, injury or death would be ineligible.)
  • H5471 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES (Imposes three hundred dollar substance abuse education assessment for any conviction of driving under the influence or refusal to submit to breathalyzer. Funds would be allocated to department of behavioral health and used for substance abuse programs.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5292 AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE — MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA CONFIDENTIALITY ACT (Provides confidentiality protection to military sexual trauma (MST) victims.)
  • H5387 AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS – MARRIAGE LICENSES (Requires a person to be at least 18 to obtain a marriage license.)
  • H5398 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – SEARCH WARRANTS (Requires the sealing of an application for a search warrant unless the court issuing the warrant issues an order granting relief from the seal.)
  • H5488 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – GENERAL PROVISIONS (Reduces the maximum sentence for a misdemeanor from one year to 364 days, and would apply to all persons sentenced after its effective date.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5319 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – SEARCH WARRANTS – ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AND DATA PRIVACY ACT (Requires law enforcement agencies to obtain search warrants for electronic information, data, location information and other identifying information of subscribers and customers, except in specified circumstances.)
  • H5320 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – SEARCH WARRANTS – AUDIO AND VIDEOS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY – WARRANT REQUIRED (Requires law enforcement to obtain consent or a warrant before placing audio or video recorders on or near the private property of another. A violation of this act makes any evidence inadmissible in any court proceedings.)
  • H5321 AN ACT RELATING CRIMINAL PROCEDURE — INDICTMENTS, INFORMATIONS AND COMPLAINTS (Prohibits prosecutions for violations in this state if violation arises from same facts or acts for which defendant has been acquitted in another jurisdiction, unless there exists new evidence substantially warranting prosecution in this state.)
  • H5322 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Adds roadways to the prohibited activities contained in this section and would also include grass/grass clippings.)
  • H5312 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES (Redefines felony, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor and requires correctional impact statements be attached to every act having any effect on corrections prior to consideration by the general assembly.)
  • H5390 AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT, FALSE PRETENSES, AND MISAPPROPRIATION (Provides that any person convicted of larceny of a package delivered by any government or private delivery service, shall, if committing larceny while operating a motor vehicle, that motor vehicle shall be subject to forfeiture.)
  • H5400 AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS – ADOPTION OF CHILDREN (Terminates all parental rights of any person convicted of sexual assault which results in the birth of a child from that assault.)
  • Written Testimony:

6pm House Committee on Health & Human Services

Scheduled for Consideration

  • H5248 HOUSE RESOLUTION REINSTATING THE LIFE OF AND EXTENDING THE REPORTING AND EXPIRATION DATES OF THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION TO EXAMINE AND RECOMMEND GUIDELINES FOR STEP THERAPY PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROTOCOLS (Reinstates the life, and extends the reporting and expiration dates of the Commission to Examine and Recommend Guidelines for Step Therapy Prescription Drug Protocols from April 28, 2020 to April 6, 2021, and expires on June 6, 2021.)

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • H5196 AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS (Limits health insurance carriers that provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes to fifty ($50) dollars for a copayment for a thirty (30) day supply of medically necessary insulin.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5151 AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS – RHODE ISLAND FOOD, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS ACT (Limits insured persons insulin costs to $25 per month.)
  • H5251 AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE — PRESCRIPTIONS (Limits health insurance carriers that provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes to fifty ($50) dollars copayment for a thirty (30) day supply of medically necessary insulin.)
  • H5154 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – THE HEALING ART OF ACUPUNCTURE AND ORIENTAL MEDICINE (Changes title of chapter 37.2 of title 5 and throughout, replacing the words “Oriental medicine” with “Chinese medicine”. Allows individuals who are otherwise certified, to practice acupuncture & Chinese medicine using Chinese medical diagnostic methods.)
  • H5198 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHYSICAL THERAPISTS (Includes in the practice of physical therapy the ordering of diagnostic imaging (x-ray imaging) to be performed by other health care professionals.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5247 AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS – UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT (Excludes chronic intractable pain from the definition of acute pain management. Prescribes new guidelines for treatment based upon 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5066 AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS – GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (Increases the membership of the governor’s council on behavioral health from thirty-one (31) to thirty-two (32) members by adding the president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island or a designee.)
  • H5081 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – ESTABLISHING THE RHODE ISLAND RARE DISEASE MEDICATION ACCESSIBILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND REINSURANCE ACT (Provides for establishment of the rare disease medication reinsurance program to be funded by insurer contributions that would be administered by the secretary of health and human services based on recommendations from a 15 member advisory council.)
  • H5189 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Amends the definition of the practice of pharmacy to include the authority to prescribe drugs and devices. The act also provides the conditions for which a pharmacist may prescribe an indicated drug or device.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5240 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Increases the state board of pharmacy from nine (9) to eleven (11) members by adding two (2) pharmacy technicians.)
  • Written Testimony:

  • H5242 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – OPIOID ALTERNATIVES (DOH to develop and publish opioid alternative pamphlet.)
  • H5246 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKPLACE SAFETY ACT (Provides that any law or regulation which protects a person from exposure to second hand smoke would also provide protection from exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke, regardless of how the smoke was generated.)
  • H5272 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PSYCHOLOGISTS (Includes licensed school psychologists under the provisions of the general laws governing the regulations of psychologists.)

6pm House Committee on Internet, Innovation and Technology

Overview of Rhode Island’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure:

  • Presentation by the Honorable Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea on the integrity of elections and voting in Rhode Island.
  • Presentation on the security of state agency data and websites by Bijay Kumar, Chief Digital Officer and Brian Tardiff, Chief Information Security Officer, Rhode Island Division of Information Technology

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

2021 Rhode Island State house Video:

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