Government

A Day at the Rhode Island State House: Thu, February 25, 2021

All the video from the Rhode Island State House for Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Rhode Island News: A Day at the Rhode Island State House: Thu, February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021, 11:00 pm

By Uprise RI Staff

Thursday, February 25, 2021

1pm Walmart Foundation grant for RI African Heritage History Education curriculum for public schools

1pm Covid Press briefing

4pm Rhode Island House

  • H5077 (See Amendment) AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH TERMINAL ILLNESS – THE NEIL FACHON TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS’ RIGHT TO TRY ACT OF 2021
  • H5039 (See Amendment) AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – EXPLOSIVES, FIREWORKS, AND PYROTECHNICS
  • S0070 (See Amendment) AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF MIGRANT, LLC

4pm Senate Committee on Finance

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • S0226 AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES – THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM (Provides for adjustments to the payment standard for cash assistance.)
  • S0223 AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES – THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM (Amends the current law so that monthly payments of child support (and payment of any arrearages) be exempt from income in determining an applicant’s qualifications for The Rhode Island Works Program.)
  • S0092 AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – PAYMENTS TO FIRE COMPANIES (Provides for an appropriation of state funds to cities and towns who are members of the Narragansett Bay marine task force (NBMTF) for the maintenance of boats providing services to Narragansett Bay.)
  • S0093 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PROPERTY TAX RELIEF (Defines as “disabled,” persons receiving veterans’ affairs disability benefits paid by the federal government for purposes of property tax relief.)
  • S0163 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PROPERTY TAX RELIEF (Amends the definition of “disabled”, for the purposes of property tax relief, to include veterans who earn less than $30,000 annually and who receive disability benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.)
  • S0096 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Prohibits cities and towns from performing spot assessments that increase the assessment value of properties that have sold, except in accordance with their revaluation or update schedule.)
  • S0102 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION – EXEMPTIONS (Includes the real and tangible personal property of The Providence Community Health Centers, a Rhode Island domestic nonprofit corporation, located in Providence, Rhode Island, on the list of properties exempt from taxation.)
  • S0103 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Authorizes cities/towns to establish a property tax credit program in exchange for volunteer service by persons over age 60 up to $1,500 calculated by multiplying service hours by the state minimum wage per hour.)
  • S0224 AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE TO ISSUE NOT TO EXCEED $140,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, NOTES AND OTHER EVIDENCES OF INDEBTEDNESS TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, IMPROVEMENT, ALTERATION, REPAIR, LANDSCAPING, FURNISHING AND EQUIPPING OF SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF STATE HOUSING AID AT A REIMBURSEMENT RATE OR STATE SHARE RATIO OF NOT LESS THAN 75% AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE AND PROVIDED THAT THE AUTHORIZATION SHALL BE REDUCED BY THE AMOUNT OF CERTAIN GRANTS RECEIVED FROM STATE BOND PROCEEDS, FROM THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OR FROM THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY (Authorizes Providence to issue not more than $140,000,000 bonds to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, alteration, repair, landscaping, furnishing and equipping of schools and school facilities throughout the city of Providence.)
  • S0296 AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – RETIREMENT OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES – MIDDLETOWN MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT (Allows the town of Middletown to enroll its full-time police officers hired on or after July 1, 2021, in a defined contribution plan established by the town and prevents newly hired police officers from becoming members of the retirement system.)
  • S0325 AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF CUMBERLAND TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND/OR NOTES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,500,000 TO FINANCE THE DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, IMPROVEMENT, ALTERATION, REPAIR ND EQUIPPING OF RECREATIONAL AREAS AND FACILITIES IN THE TOWN (Authorizes the town of Cumberland to issue general obligation bonds and notes not to exceed $2,500,000 for the development, improvement, repair, alteration, construction, renovation and equipping of recreational areas and facilities in the town.

4pm Senate Committee on Judiciary

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • S0266 AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows the Honorable Maryellen Goodwin to join Katiuska Perez and Brian Parker in marriage on or about September 3, 2021, within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.)
  • S0054 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – COURTS – FAMILY COURT (Family Court to hear abuse allegations for immigrants up to 21 years of age.)
  • S0056 AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – PRESERVATION OF FAMILIES WITH DISABLED PARENT ACT (Precludes a parent’s disability from serving as the sole basis for the state to institute an investigation of the disabled parent’s family.)
  • S0177 AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS – SOCIAL HOST REGULATIONS (Authorizes the imposition of civil and criminal penalties against any person(s) who purchase, furnish, procure marijuana or permit marijuana to be used by others.)
  • S0179 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS – TRAUMA INFORMED SCHOOLS ACT (Establishes the implementation of trauma-informed practices in schools throughout the state.)
  • S0186 RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF THE TRAUMA INFLICTED ON CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE (Creates a 13 member commission to study the impact of the trauma inflicted on children exposed to violence, and report back by February 8, 2022, and expire on May 8, 2022.)
  • S0250 AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS – ADOPTION OF CHILDREN (Reduces age from 25 to 18.)
  • S0264 AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS – THE ELDER ADULT FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION PREVENTION ACT (Requires employees of regulated financial institutions to report suspected financial exploitation of elder adults to the office of healthy aging and provide authority to the regulated financial institution to place a temporary hold on transactions.)

5pm (Rise) House Committee on Finance

  • Budget status update based on all of the information available including the audited FY 2020 closing (report expected by Monday 2/22), expenditures through the second quarter of the current fiscal year: report, additional developments regarding federal assistance and impacts of legislation passed after the FY 2021 budget was adopted.
  • Budget Status Closing and Q2 February 25

5pm (Rise) House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing

Scheduled for Consideration

  • H5217 AN ACT VALIDATING AND RATIFYING AMENDMENTS TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF COVENTRY (This act would validate and ratify amendments to the Home Rule Charter of the town of Coventry, which amendments were adopted and approved by the electors of the town of Coventry on November 3, 2020.)

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • H5126 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – SIZE, WEIGHT AND LOAD LIMITS – MIDDLETOWN (Prohibits the operation of through commercial vehicles on Turner Road in Middletown.)
  • H5256 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Prohibits any city or town employee, including private contractors, removing trash from leaving trash receptacles in any condition or place so as to constitute a hazard on the street or highways, except private roads or driveways.)
  • H5260 AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Makes permanent the exemption from taxation for certain residential property developments which have not been completed or, if completed, have not been sold and occupied.)
  • H5323 AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY – FORM AND EFFECT OF CONVEYANCES (Allows the towns of Burrillville and Glocester to publish notices in any newspaper located within their municipalities. This act would also allow publication in other designated platforms selected by their city or town councils.)
  • H5361 AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT (Includes East Providence in the Northern Rhode Island regional tourism district.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5477 AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF CUMBERLAND TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND/OR NOTES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,500,000 TO FINANCE THE DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, IMPROVEMENT, ALTERATION, REPAIR AND EQUIPPING OF RECREATIONAL AREAS AND FACILITIES IN THE TOWN (Authorizes the town of Cumberland to issue general obligation bonds and notes not to exceed $2,500,000 for the development, improvement, repair, alteration, construction, renovation and equipping of recreational areas and facilities in the town.)
  • Written Testimony:

During the RI House of Representatives Municipal Government and Housing Committee hearing Chair Ray Hull asks Representative Justin Price to leave because he isn’t wearing his mask.

7pm House Committee on Health and Human Services

Scheduled for Consideration

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

  • H5153 AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES — RHODE ISLAND PATHWAYS PROJECT (Requires the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to conduct a study to assess the impact of using Medicaid funds to provide coverage for the treatment of the chronically homeless.)
  • Written Testimony:
  • H5163 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – LICENSING OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES – THE HOSPITAL CONVERSION ACT (Expands the health services council from twelve 12 to 24 members and amends the hospital conversion act relative to disclosure.)
  • H5283 AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – LICENSING AND MONITORING OF CHILD PLACING AGENCIES, CHILD CARING AGENCIES, FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE HOMES, AND CHILDREN’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS (Requires all foster parents to undergo sensitivity training regarding the culture of their foster child.)
  • Written Testimony:

2021 Rhode Island State house Video: