Monday, March 15, 2021

1pm House Committee on Oversight

AGENDA:

An Overview of the Arts in Rhode Island

• Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director, RI State Council on the Arts
• Kate Blacklock, Vice Chair of the RI State Council on the Arts
• Steven Feinberg, Director, RI Film & TV Office
• Dominique Alfandre, Member, RI State Council on the Arts
• Loren Spears, Executive Director, Tomaquag Museum

3pm 14th Annual Paul W Crowley Award Ceremony

4pm House Committee on State Government & Elections

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H5591 by Lombardi, Henries ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – EMERGENCY SHELTERS (Establishes rules and procedures for licensing emergency shelters, including setting minimum standards and prohibiting the charging of fees to the residents.)
• H5640 by Cassar, Amore, Kazarian, Henries, Felix, Morales, Knight ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – GENERAL PROVISIONS (Allows individuals, who have not reached the age of eighteen (18) years, to vote in a primary election, as long as the voter will be eighteen (18) as of the date of the general or special election.)
• H5738 by Kazarian, Fogarty, Alzate, McEntee, Morales, Potter, Kislak, Edwards, Barros, Felix ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS (Requires all new school buildings and those undergoing major renovations or substantial repair or replacement to plumbing systems to install water bottle filling stations.)
• H5739 by Serpa ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION (Requires the contracting department of the department of human services or the department of administration to pilot at least one contract for professional or technical services using automatic verification software to verify hours billed under contract.)
• H5741 by Edwards, Kislak, Caldwell, Casimiro, Felix, Henries, Kazarian, Handy, Baginski, Tobon ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – STATE BUILDING CODE (Requires public building/place of public accommodation to have single-user toilet facility for use by any gender eff. 1/1/22/ new construction/ renovations over 50% value of state/municipal buildings provide for single-user toilet eff. 1/1/22.)
• H5743 (Board of Elections) by Batista ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES REPORTING (Eliminates competing reporting requirements relating to referenda and consolidate all reporting requirements concerning the independent expenditures and electioneering communications for elections.)
• H5744 (Board of Elections) by Batista ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – NOMINATION OF PARTY AND INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES (Allows voters to endorse nomination of candidacy documents by mail, email, or facsimile and deliver to the candidate or board of canvassers in-person, via mail, email or facsimile.)
• H5745 by Giraldo, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Creates early in-person voting and online applications for mail ballots. It removes the two (2) witnesses’ notarization of voter signature for mail ballots.)
• H5749 by Giraldo, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – MUNICIPAL DETENTION FACILITY CORPORATIONS (Prohibits the operation of private detention facilities and private public partnerships within the state and prohibits the housing of Rhode Island prisoners in other states as well as hold out-of-state prisoners in Rhode Island facilities.)
• H5750 by Giraldo, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT (Prohibits contracts with private, for profit, prison facilities or with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).)
• H5751 by Giraldo, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT (Provides for a safety inspection of the Wyatt Detention Facility twice a year.)
• H5756 by Place, Quattrocchi, Chippendale, Nardone, Filippi, Newberry, Fenton-Fung ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND VOTING EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES (Creates a new post election audit procedure to verify the accuracy of mail ballot envelopes user’s signature prior to the certification of the elections results.)
• H5890 (Board of Elections) by Shanley, Ruggiero, Craven, Barros, Amore ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Allows the board of elections to begin the certification of mail ballots 20 days prior to election day and require notice of such certification sessions and establishes a new and more comprehensive mail ballot voter signature verification process.)
• H5943 (Board of Elections) by Corvese ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Repeal is to follow the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and to account for permitting voters to cast provisional ballots at the polling place.)
• H5999 (Board of Elections) by Vella-Wilkinson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – WRITE-IN VOTES (Requires all write in candidates to file prior to election a declaration of intent to run for office with the secretary of state. Finally it would require the board of elections to report all votes received by declared write in candidates.)
• H6000 (Board of Elections) by Tanzi, Ajello, Cassar, Cortvriend, Henries, Batista, Donovan, Speakman, Felix, Ranglin-Vassell ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Removes the two (2) witness and notary requirement for mail ballot applications and mail ballot certificate envelope. It would also delete the requirement that person may vote by mail, only if they are unable to vote in person.)
• H5983 by Kazarian, Morales, Potter, Henries, Edwards, Felix, McGaw ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE – OF SUFFRAGE (This joint resolution would propose an amendment to the state constitution eliminating the thirty-day residency and registration requirement before voting in an election.)
• H5742 by Phillips, Caldwell, Carson, Cortvriend, Serpa, Fellela, Casey, Filippi, Lima ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE (GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TO APPEAR JOINTLY ON THE BALLOT)
• H5729 by Phillips, Potter, Caldwell, Carson, Cortvriend, Serpa, Fellela, Casey, Lima ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE-OF ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE (Proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing four (4) year terms for members of the general assembly, elected members from even numbered districts would begin to be elected to four (4) year terms.)
• H5595 by Perez, Vella-Wilkinson, Shanley ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE (INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM)
• H5022 by Lombardi, Potter ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE – FOUR YEAR TERMS AND TERM LIMITS FOR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS
• H5861 by Place, Nardone ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE – REFERENDUM ON LINE ITEM VETO (This joint resolution would provide for the publishing and submission to the electors a proposition of amendment to the constitution of the state for a line item veto.)
• H5862 by Fenton-Fung ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE – FOUR YEAR TERMS AND TERM LIMITS FOR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS (This joint resolution would submit a constitutional amendment to the voters at the next election scheduled for November, 2022 to limit the terms of senators and representatives to 5 consecutive 2 year terms commencing with the election of November, 2024.)

4pm Senate Committee on Judiciary

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• S0263 by Coyne, Ruggerio, Gallo, Lombardo, Goodwin, McCaffrey, Sosnowski, Miller, Lombardi, DiMario ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – CHILDREN (Raises the legal age for persons to purchase or be sold or delivered certain tobacco products, electronic nicotine-delivery systems and liquid nicotine containers from eighteen (18) years of age to twenty-one (21) years of age.)
• S0258 by Sosnowski, Coyne, Seveney, Gallo ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – ORDINANCES (Allows cities and towns to create ordinances to regulate the use and sales of cigarettes, other tobacco products, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.)
• S0127 by Calkin, Anderson, Acosta, Mack, Mendes, Bell, Quezada ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – ENERGY SITING (Requires carbon-emissions-reduction goals be considered in energy plant siting proceedings.)
• S0132 by Valverde, DiMario, Sosnowski, Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY – HEMP GROWTH ACT (Authorizes cities and towns to enact ordinances to address and protect their citizens’ public safety and welfare from the impact of hemp cultivation and any of its derivative products.)
• S0187 by Sosnowski, Coyne, Miller, McCaffrey, Gallo, Euer, Valverde ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION – COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL (Authorizes the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, to appoint an executive director of coastal resources management to act as a liaison to the director of the department of environmental management to plan and manage coastal resources.)
• S0194 by de la Cruz, Euer, Miller, Felag, DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – ENERGY FACILITY SITING ACT (Increases membership from 3 to 5 members/revises siting process to mandate public/municipal participation.)
• S0219 by Acosta, Mack, Calkin, Anderson, Kallman, Bell, Mendes ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – HOUSING CONSTRUCTION (Creates the housing jobs department and a series of other initiatives designed to create jobs in housing construction, specifically affordable and low-income housing, green and solar energy jobs and programs for low-income individuals.)
• S0254 by Lombardo, Lombardi, Morgan, Rogers, Paolino, de la Cruz ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – REFUSE DISPOSAL-ELIMINATION OF POST-USE POLYMERS AND RECOVERED FEEDSTOCKS USED IN ADVANCED RECYCLING PROCESSES FROM SOLID WASTE (Exempts post-use polymers and recovered feedstocks used in advanced recycling processes from the definition of solid waste.)
• S0321 by Euer, Cano, Murray, DiMario, Valverde ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION – STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – HEALTH AND SAFETY (Updates and modernize the Department of Environmental Management’s ability to enforce environmental laws, and more specifically modifies practices regarding a Notice of Violation.)
• S0527 by Valverde, Euer, DiMario, Miller, Anderson, Raptakis ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY- HIGH-HEAT WASTE FACILITY ACT OF 2021 (Prohibits new high-heat waste processing facilities.)
• S0540 by Mack, Mendes, Acosta, Quezada, Calkin, Anderson, Bell, Kallman, DiMario, Valverde ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – THE GREEN JUSTICE ZONE ACT (Establishes the first Green Justice Zone, a model that may be replicated in future years to ensure that all communities throughout the state have clean air and clean water.)

5:30pm Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight

SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION

• S0336 by DiPalma, Ruggerio, McCaffrey, Goodwin ENTITLED, SENATE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE RULES OF THE SENATE FOR YEARS 2021-2022

PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE

• S0336A

6pm House Committee on Special Legislation

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H5122 by Bennett ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO GODDARD STATE PARK (Requires the department of environmental management to install certain moorings at Goddard State Park.)
• H5621 by Noret ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES (Issues permanent registration and registration plates to vehicles owned by the Civil Air Patrol.)
• H5782 by Caldwell, Phillips, Baginski, Azzinaro, Vella-Wilkinson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES (Authorizes the issuance of veteran plates with decals affixed to the top left corner for veterans who are recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star and Bronze medal.)
• H5783 by Phillips, Potter, Caldwell, Carson, Casey, Filippi, Lima ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES – SPECIAL PLATE FOR MASONIC GRAND LODGE CHARITIES OF RHODE ISLAND (Authorizes a special license plate for MASONIC GRAND LODGE CHARITIES OF RHODE ISLAND, specify the minimum order, and govern the amount and distribution of the fee surcharge.)
• H6043 by Shanley, Marszalkowski, Barros ENTITLED, HOUSE RESOLUTION REINSTATING THE LIFE OF AND EXTENDING THE REPORTING AND EXPIRATION DATES OF THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION KNOWN AS THE “RHODE ISLAND ONLINE DATA TRANSPARENCY AND PRIVACY PROTECTION COMMISSION” (Reinstates the life and extends the reporting and expiration dates of the “Rhode Island Online Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Commission” from February 5, 2019, to May 5, 2021, and would expire on July 5, 2021.)
• H6044 by Fogarty, Alzate, Hawkins, Kazarian, Tanzi, Shallcross Smith, Hull, McEntee, Messier, Ajello ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE (Creates a special license plate for the not for profit Atlantic Shark Institute.)
• H6109 by Tanzi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows John Wardle to join Alison Bubly and Adam Feinstein in marriage on or about August 1, 2021, within the Town of Middletown, Rhode Island.)
• H6120 by Casey, Phillips, Newberry, Amore, O’Brien, Azzinaro, Kennedy, Filippi, Hawkins, Marszalkowski ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows the Honorable Stephen R. Ucci to join Darlene M. Boudreau and the Honorable Michael A. Morin in marriage on or about July 30, 2021, within the City of Warwick, Rhode Island.)
• H6130 by Lombardi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES Alexa Shanahan and Leighton Scott Lobdell in marriage on or about October 9, 2021, within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.)