Monday, April 5, 2021

10:30am House Oversight – Subcommittee on Administrative Efficiency

AGENDA

1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Presentation by James Thorsen, Acting Director, the Rhode Island Department of Administration
   • Review of the department’s functions, missions, and goals.
   • Review of what obstacles the department faces in performing its functions or in accomplishing its mission/goals
   • Discussion related to how the department might improve its performance and establish a set of “best practices” with respect to its functions.
3. Next Meeting Date.
4. Adjournment

4pm House Corporations

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H6051 by Kennedy, Abney, Azzinaro, Edwards, Solomon, Shanley, Vella-Wilkinson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO AERONAUTICS – RHODE ISLAND TF GREEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (Renames the state airport in Warwick from “TF Green State Airport” to “Rhode Island TF Green International Airport.”)
• H6064 (Secretary of State) by Caldwell ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS – MERGER AND CONSOLIDATION (Amends the Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act regarding consolidation and merger.)
• H6065 by Batista ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – UNFAIR CLAIMS SETTLEMENT PRACTICES ACT (Raises appraisal threshold for auto insurance from $2,500 to $5,000, requires an insurance company to complete the appraisal within four days and redefines fair market value to include commonly used insurance industry compilations.)
• H6066 by Cardillo ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -DISTRIBUTED GENERATION INTERCONNECTION (Requires the electric distribution company to report interconnection studies and not charge more than actual costs for the studies.)
• H6067 by Lima, Casey ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO AERONAUTICS – AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS (Adds airspace to the land the department of transportation can acquire that is necessary for a suitable airport or to preserve, maintain, or restore an approach. Additionally this act would add the term “Approach, approach zone, approaches” to state law.)
• H6141 by Shallcross Smith ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW – GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT (Provides that original equipment manufacturers of agricultural equipment would provide independent service providers repair information and tools to maintain and repair electronics of the agricultural equipment.)
• H6169 by Speakman, Ruggiero, Cortvriend, Carson, Donovan, Tanzi, Ajello, Morales, Potter ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS – RENEWAL ENERGY RESOURCE PROJECTS (Prohibits the co-location of multiple renewable energy resources one or more contiguous parcels, unless the total capacity of the co-location is less than 10MW in total.)
• H6188 by Vella-Wilkinson, Cardillo, Casimiro, Bennett ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – RHODE ISLAND SALVAGE LAW (Provides that if an insurance company is unable to obtain a certificate of title for a vehicle, the insurance company or its agent may apply for and obtain, free and clear of all liens and claims of ownership, a salvage certificate of title.)

4pm House Special Legislation

SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION

• H5654 by Tanzi, McEntee ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY – NAMING STATE CONSTRUCTIONS – E RICHARD DURFEE ROAD (Would name a certain portion of Sand Hill Cove Road in Narragansett, “E Richard Durfee Road”.)
• 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.)
• H5593 by Fogarty, Tanzi, McEntee ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY – HOLLEY LANDING (Renames the landing in South Kingstown known as Wordens Pond Landing to Holley Landing.)

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• H6191 by Solomon, Vella-Wilkinson, Casimiro, Shekarchi, Bennett, McNamara ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY – PERMANENT JOINT COMMITTEE ON NAMING ALL NEW BUILDINGS, BRIDGES, EDIFICES AND OTHER STATE CONSTRUCTIONS (Names the fishing pier at Rocky Point State Park in Warwick after the former department of environmental management deputy director, Larry Mouradjian.)
• H6158 by Shekarchi, Abney ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows the Honorable Marvin Abney to join Sydney Amado and Mandla Tuthill in marriage on or about June 4, 2021, with the City of Providence.)
• H6176 by Potter ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows Connor Lynch to join Meghan Lynn Palmer and John Joseph Falvey, IV, in marriage on or about June 5, 2021, within the City of Woonsocket.)
• H6177 by Ackerman ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows James F. Queenan, Jr., Esq., to join Mary Cheryl Queenan and Richard Earl Downes, Jr., in marriage on or about June 10, 2021, within the Town of South Kingstown.)
• H6178 by Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Carson, Cortvriend, Barros, Hawkins ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows the Honorable Marvin Abney to join Tess Abney and Derek Dunlea in marriage on or about July 26, 2021, within the Town of Tiverton.)
• H6190 by Carson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows Catherine Mohan to join Kara Hallisey and Kyle Durocher in marriage on or about May 22, 2021, within the City of Newport.)

4pm Senate Finance

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING:

• H6122 (Governor) by Abney ENTITLED, AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2022
• Article 5 – Relating to Borrowing in Anticipation of Receipts from Taxes (TANs)
  • FY2021 Supplemental and FY2022 Budgets: General Treasurer

SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION

• H5025 by Newberry ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – NORTH SMITHFIELD – HISTORIC RESIDENCE TAX CREDIT (Allows North Smithfield historic residence owners to become eligible for state historic residence tax credits.)
• H5477 by McLaughlin, Giraldo, Ackerman, Corvese ENTITLED, 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/equipping of recreational areas and facilities in the town.)
• H5534 by Diaz, Slater, Williams, Batista, Perez 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 (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.)

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

• S0293 by Pearson, Seveney, DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – MUNICIPAL INCENTIVE AID (Authorizes the general treasurer to withhold state aid to municipalities which do not meet certain requirements regarding locally-administered pension plans and, if applicable, funding improvement plans.)
• S0371 by Miller, Sosnowski, Quezada, Goldin, Cano, Goodwin ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT – RHODE ISLAND PAY FOR SUCCESS ACT (Creates a five year pilot program entitled, pay for success, an intervention program that would assist homeless individuals with the goal towards improving financial and social outcomes.)
• S0478 by Pearson, Cano, Miller, Coyne, Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – THE FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS SAVINGS ACCOUNT ACT (Authorizes the creation of first-time homebuyer savings account from which savings to purchase a home could be deducted from an individual’s or couple’s personal income taxes.)
• S0575 by Lawson, Coyne, Mendes ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Grants an exemption from the personal income tax to writers, composers and artists residing within the East Providence arts zone.)
• S0578 by Mack, Bell, Calkin, Anderson, Acosta, Mendes ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCE – DIVESTMENT OF STATE PENSION FUNDS FROM MILITARY CONTRACTORS (Requires the state investment commission to identify and divest pension fund investments in military weapon manufacturers whether held directly and indirectly.)
• S0579 by Acosta, Anderson, Calkin, Cano ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION – NARRAGANSETT BAY COMMISSION-THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS TO THE NARRAGANSETT BAY COMMISSION (Authorizes the City of Central Falls to transfer ownership of the city’s sewer infrastructure to the Narragansett Bay Commission.)
• S0586 by Sosnowski, Miller, Euer, Picard 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%.)
• S0640 (General Treasurer) by Kallman, Cano, Quezada, Valverde, DiMario, Euer, Coyne, Seveney, Lombardo ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCE – RHODE ISLAND SECURE CHOICE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PROGRAM ACT (Establishes the Rhode Island secure choice retirement savings program. Establishes a board which is a public corporation. Allows for creation of IRA-type retirement investments managed by the board.)
• S0708 by Lawson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO A TAX AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF EAST PROVIDENCE AND EXXONMOBIL OIL CORPORATION (Provides for a tax treaty between the city of East Providence and ExxonMobil Oil Corporation subject to the ratification of the East Providence city council.)
• S0781 (General Treasurer) by Pearson, Murray, Seveney, Cano, DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS – DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND CARRIERS (Requires electric and gas distribution companies, with exceptions, to remit 15% of the amount of demand-side charge collections to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank for any energy-related financing programs.)
• S0782 (General Treasurer) by Pearson, Murray, Seveney, Kallman, Acosta, Cano, DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MAKING REVISED APPROPRIATIONS IN SUPPORT OF FY 2021 – CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION (Appropriates $469,655 to the Crime Victim Compensation Program created by the Criminal Injuries Compensation to be extended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.)

5:30pm Senate Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight

Agenda:

1. Opening Comments – Chairman Louis DiPalma
2. Topics – Overview and review of the Executive Orders issued as a result of and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
   • Presenter – Claire Richards, Executive Counsel, Office of the Governor Daniel McKee
3. Public Comment
4. Closing Comments – Chairman DiPalma