Tuesday, March 23, 2021

11am Press Conference – Coalition for a Multilingual RI

4pm Rhode Island House

IN ORDER:

1. H5696 by McEntee ENTITLED, AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF SOUTH KINGSTOWN TO ISSUE NOT TO EXCEED $85,000,000 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 TOWN, AND ALL ATTENDANT EXPENSES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL COSTS, 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
2. S0374 by Sosnowski ENTITLED, AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF SOUTH KINGSTOWN TO ISSUE NOT TO EXCEED $85,000,000 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 TOWN, AND ALL ATTENDANT EXPENSES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL COSTS, 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
3. H5445 SUB A by Carson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – 2021 ACT ON CLIMATE
4. H5462 by Edwards ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
5. H5093 by McNamara ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD
6. S0148 by Miller ENTITLED, AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF PROVIDENCE RIVER BOAT CO.
7. S0224 by Goodwin ENTITLED, 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

4pm Rhode Island Senate

IN ORDER:

1. Appointment of R. David Cruise, Esq. VICE Associate Justice Bennett Gallo as Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court
2. Appointment of Daniel V. Ballirano as General Magistrate of the Rhode Island Family Court
3. Appointment of Denise Cassisi Finkelman, Esquire as Magistrate of the Rhode Island Family Court
4. Appointment of Stephen Burke of West Warwick as Clerk of the Superior Court for Providence & Bristol Counties for a term expiring February 1, 2026.
5. Appointment of Danielle Keegan of North Kingstown as Clerk of the Superior Court for Kent County for a term expiring February 1, 2026.
6. Reappointment of John Graziano of Cranston as Clerk of the Superior Court for Newport County for a term expiring February 1, 2026.
7. Appointment of Brenden Oates of Providence as Clerk of the Superior Court for Washington County for a term expiring February 1, 2026.
8. S0281 by Gallo ENTITLED, SENATE RESOLUTION RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE OFFICE OF THE POSTSECONDARY COMMISSIONER FORM A WORK GROUP TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH REVIEW INTO HOW RHODE ISLAND CAN PROTECT STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS
9. S0383 by Goodwin ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES
10. S0336A by DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT ADOPTING THE RULES OF THE SENATE FOR YEARS 2021-2022

5:30pm (Rise) House Committee on Corporations

SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION

• H6068 by Casey, Solomon, Lima, Phillips, Kennedy ENTITLED, AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF RANERE ASSOCIATES, INC.

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H5515 by Lima ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW-GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS – DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Specifies certain exemptions to the state’s deceptive trade practices act applying to actions/entities subject to regulation by certain federal commissions/authorities and state licensed real estate brokers and salespersons.)
• H6142 (Attorney General) by Lima, Phillips, Carson, Caldwell, Serpa, Fellela, Fenton-Fung, Casey ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW – GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS – DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Penalty of $10,000 for violating Deceptive Trade Practices Act.)
• H5778 by Solomon, Kennedy, Casey ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BANKING – FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CREATION AND EXPANSION (Amends provisions relating to receiverships/licensing. Security bonds, reporting requirements, resident agent to eliminate same requirement/clarify language to reduce burden on financial businesses.)
• H5779 by Solomon, Kennedy, Casey ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – SURPLUS LINES INSURANCE (Clarifies surplus lines licensing and eliminate an unnecessary bond requirement, eliminate the need for an “in person” hearing in an appeal of a classification and add additional lines of insurance to the Commercial Special Risks statute.)
• H5780 by Solomon, Kennedy, Casey ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – FINANCIAL SERVICES (Updates the Credit for Reinsurance, Risk Based Capital and Insurance Holding Company statutes to the current National Association of Insurance Commissioners standard.)
• H5905 by Fenton-Fung, Casimiro, Shallcross Smith, Serpa, Fellela, Tanzi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CORPORATIONS – ASSOCIATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS – GENERAL PROVISIONS (Requires publicly held corporations to be represented by women on their board of directors. Fines would be imposed for non-compliance.)
• H5908 by McLaughlin, Hull ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – UNFAIR SALES PRACTICES (Requires the formulation of a plan to reduce or waive fees and taxes for businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19.)
• H5909 by Kennedy, Diaz ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS – KRATOM CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT (Regulates the distribution of food products containing the drug kratom, a drug of concern for its stimulant and sedative effects, to consumers by the department of health.)
• H5910 by Kennedy ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – NONPROFIT DENTAL SERVICE CORPORATIONS (Authorizes the insurance commissioner to review dental fees paid to participating dentists by a nonprofit dental service corporation to ensure that they are fair and reasonable.)
• H5911 by Lombardi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW – GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS (Prohibits the practice of patient brokering and provides penalties and enforcement.)
• H5912 by Lombardi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – COVID-19 PANDEMIC INSURANCE RECOVERY ACT (Allows businesses that had an insurance policy in place for business interruption as of March 9, 2019 to recover from their insurance companies for a COVID-19 business impact.)
• H5913 by Lombardi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACEUTICAL COST TRANSPARENCY (Directs the state board of pharmacy to annually identify up to fifteen prescription drugs with increased costs and provide the list to the attorney general to obtain reasons for the cost increases.)
• H5914 by Shanley, Craven, Barros, Solomon, Filippi, Marszalkowski, Amore ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – REGULATION OF BUSINESS PRACTICES AMONG MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND DEALERS (Prevents a motor vehicle dealer from leasing a new or used motor vehicle to a member of the public requiring the payment of the exact amount of any excise tax assessed on the new or used motor vehicle as reimbursement to the motor vehicle dealer.)
• H5915 by Hull, Azzinaro, Fellela, Williams, Bennett, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS – COMMUNITY ANTENNA TELEVISION SYSTEMS (Requires cable television companies to give their customers the option to purchase, at its fair market value, a device which decodes digital cable signals for their cable signal reception.)
• H5916 by Hull, Azzinaro, Fellela, Williams, Bennett, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS – PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (Requires all public utilities to maintain a customer service facility within the state to perform services such as addressing customer inquiries and accepting bill payments.)
• H5956 by Kazarian, Solomon, Fogarty, Alzate, Chippendale, Henries, Edwards, Kislak, McGaw, Potter ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES – POWERS DURING STATE OF EMERGENCY (Grants chairman of PUC and DPUC emergency powers during governor declared emergencies for restoration of all utility services.)
• H6131 by Lombardi ENTITLED, AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF ROBERT O. CERRONI AUTO REPAIR SERVICES, INC.
• H6143 by Caldwell ENTITLED, AN ACT TO VACATE THE FORFEITURE OR REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER OF SALON VOGUE, INC.

5:30pm (Rise) House Committee on Finance

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H5062 by McNamara ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE RHODE ISLAND EARLY CHILDHOOD INNOVATION ACT (Establishes the RI Early Childhood Innovation Act and authorizes department of human services to fund programs for at-risk kindergarten children of $1m annually.)
• H5193 by O’Brien, Corvese, Ajello, Biah, Kislak, Amore ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS (Limits to the creation of new district charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academy’s. Mandates state to not appropriate funding for charter schools.)
• H5208 by Serpa, O’Brien, Phillips, Lima ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – PAUL W. CROWLEY STUDENT INVESTMENT INITIATIVE (Restructures professional development investment fund to assume duties of dissemination of curriculum materials/frameworks/assessments/development plans with annual allocation of $200 per student.)
• H5211 by Casimiro, Donovan, McNamara, Amore, O’Brien ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION (Provides $2m to support comprehensive and effective afterschool, summer learning and workforce development programs for students in grades K-12.)
• H5216 by O’Brien, Corvese, Kazarian, Williams, McNamara, Ajello, Casimiro, Amore ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – FUNDING OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS (SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 – THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT) (Requires charter schools that disenroll or return a student to the sending prior to the end of an academic year, to return all public received by the charter school to educate that student for that academic year.)
• H5239 by Diaz, Slater, Perez, Alzate, Felix, Biah, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, Tobon, Batista ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE WORLD LANGUAGE AND DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION ACT (Establishes and require funding for a world language and dual language immersion program.)
• H5317 by Quattrocchi, Place, Filippi, Chippendale ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – ARIANNA’S SPEECH FLUENCY ACT (Requires screening for dyslexia and related disorders for public school students in grades kindergarten through grade four (K-4) and would provide for instruction in cursive writing.)
• H5350 by Amore, Alzate, Messier, Williams, Barros, Fogarty, Biah ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT (Updates Access to Advanced Placement Courses for All Students Act.)
• H5367 by O’Brien, Corvese, McEntee, Craven, Costantino, Noret ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT (Extends the reimbursement to a school district or municipality for the employment of newly hired school resource officers only.)
• H5450 by Williams, Messier, Vella-Wilkinson, Slater, Felix, Alzate ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE DISTRESSED COMMUNITY CHILD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (Establishes distress community child enrichment program to provide grants for education in distresses communities apportioned 75% to STEAM programs/25% to academic/non-academic programs with funding from portion of fees paid for center approvals/renewals.)
• H5668 by Fellela, Serpa, Messier, McNamara, Amore ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – TEACHER’S RETIREMENT (Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire upon the earlier of reaching age 60 with 30 years of service or the employee’s retirement eligibility date under present state statutes.)
• H5679 by McEntee, Williams, Fogarty ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT (SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97-THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT) (Replaces the suspension year COLA for all retired teachers, state employees and municipal with a fractional COLA award of 25%.)
• H5699 by Williams, Alzate, Barros, Hull, Amore, Henries, Biah, Batista, Abney, Morales ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION (Establishes “Increasing Opportunities for Teachers of Color Act”.)
• H6029 by Kazarian, O’Brien, Fogarty, Alzate, McEntee, Morales, Potter, Kislak, Henries ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS, STATE FUNDED EXPENSES (Appropriates $2m for FY-2022 for school social workers.)
• H6030 by Tanzi, McEntee, Fogarty, Speakman, Donovan, Cortvriend ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS (Provides that the state would reimburse the school committees for the costs of providing student transportation services to public and private school pupils.)
• H6031 by Fogarty, Amore, Tanzi, Shallcross Smith, Hull, McEntee, Messier, McGaw, Donovan ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – RESIDENCE OF CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES (Requires the department of education and the DCYF to develop a procedure to ensure that the municipalities where group homes or other residential facilities are located are reimbursed for the educational expenses above the cost allocated.)
• H6140 by Amore, Fogarty, O’Brien, Cortvriend, Kazarian, Henries, Cassar ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – RESIDENCE OF CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES (Requires state to reimburse the city/town for any costs associated with transporting children placed in foster care by RI-licensed child-placing agency or RI governmental agency to an educational facility outside the regional transportation district.)