Government

Rhode Island State House Thursday, May 13, 2021

2:30pm Senate Committee on Health & Human Services SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION S0488 by Anderson, DiMario, Calkin, Bell, Quezada, Mack ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Authorizes a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives, provided that the pharmacist has completed a training program approved by the state board

Rhode Island News: Rhode Island State House Thursday, May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021, 11:00 pm

By Uprise RI Staff

2:30pm Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

  • S0488 by Anderson, DiMario, Calkin, Bell, Quezada, Mack ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Authorizes a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives, provided that the pharmacist has completed a training program approved by the state board of pharmacy.)
  • S0490 by Lawson, Quezada, Murray, Euer, Cano, F Lombardi, Kallman, Valverde ENTITLED, 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.)
  • S0589 by Valverde, Miller, DiMario, Mack, Lawson, Goldin ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Authorizes a licensed pharmacist, who successfully completes a course on tobacco cessation therapy, to prescribe and dispense tobacco cessation drug products to a qualified patient pursuant to rules adopted by the board of pharmacy.)
  • S0879 by Valverde, Miller, DiMario ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – PHARMACIES (Amends the definition of practice of pharmacy to include the administration of medications.)
  • S0489 by Coyne, Sosnowski, Archambault, Lombardo ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY – DONATION OF MEDICATIONS FOR USE BY NONPROFIT, STATE AND LOCAL FACILITIES (Establishes a process for the donation of unused medications for use by nonprofit, state and local facilities by owners of animals.)
  • S0859 by Gallo, McCaffrey, Miller, Ciccone, Goodwin ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE – PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS (Provides that health insurance contributions made by enrollees for cost sharing requirements include those amounts paid by the enrollee or another person on behalf of the enrollee.)
  • S0877 by DiMario, Valverde, Sosnowski, Acosta, Lawson, Mendes, Anderson, Kallman ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE (Prohibits insurance carriers from charging out-of-pocket expenses to the insured for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and mandates that all COVID-19 testing or vaccination is free.)
  • S0830 by Valverde, DiMario, Miller, Gallo, Sosnowski, Goldin ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS – BOARD OF MEDICAL LICENSURE AND DISCIPLINE (Prohibits the board of medical licensure and discipline from requiring specialty board certification as a condition of licensure and prohibits the denial of reimbursement for refusal to participate in national board certification program.)
  • H5012A as amended by Slater, O’Brien ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – NURSING HOME STAFFING AND QUALITY CARE ACT

3pm House Committee on Veterans Affairs

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

  • H6285 by Azzinaro, Fellela, Casimiro, Noret, Place, Abney ENTITLED, HOUSE RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PLAN AND THE DESIGN OF A VIETNAM MEMORIAL TO BE LOCATED IN THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (Creates a nine member commission to study and make recommendations for a plan and design of a Vietnam Memorial to be located in the City of Providence, and who would report back to the House by January 31, 2022, and expire on April 30, 2022.)
  • H6286 by Azzinaro, Fellela, Abney, Donovan, Serpa, Corvese, Costantino, Phillips, Kennedy ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE – RHODE ISLAND VETERANS’ HOME (Removes the word “war” from the sentence “honorable discharged war veteran.”)

3pm Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

  • S0237 by Picard ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Increases the maximum tax for qualifying low-income housing from 8% to 10% of the property’s previous year’s gross scheduled rental income.)
  • S0238 by Picard ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Permits a municipality, in which 12% of the housing in a municipality qualifies for low-income housing, to charge a tax up to 10% of the current year’s gross scheduled rental income.)
  • S0243 by DiPalma, E Morgan, DiMario ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING (Allows mobile and manufactured homes which are a part of a mobile and manufactured home park to be counted as low and moderate income housing for purposes of compliance with the requirements of the city’s or town’s comprehensive land use plan.)
  • S0653 by E Morgan ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOBILE AND MANUFACTURED HOMES-AFFORDABLE HOUSING (Qualifies mobile and manufactured homes as affordable housing when installed and affixed in mobile and manufactured home parks in groups of 20 or more for a year or more.)
  • S0832 by DiPalma, F Lombardi, Miller, Seveney, Sosnowski ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Requires cities and towns to assess renewable energy resources to be taxed as tangible property and the real property on which it is located shall not be reclassified, revalued or reassessed.)

4pm House Committee on Finance

4pm House Committee on Oversight

AGENDA

  • Department of Children Youth and Families
    • Update on case load numbers and number of calls to the child abuse hotline
    • Update on hiring process for permanent Director
    • Update on process to seek human and social services accreditation from the Council of Accreditation
    • Update on Settlement Agreement in the case of Andrew C. v. Raimondo
    • Update on efforts to recruit and retain frontline workers to fill all available FTE’s

5pm Senate Committee on 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
  • Department of Human Services: FY2021 Supplemental and FY2022 Budgets
    • Article 13, Sections 5-6: RI Works and Childcare Rates
  • Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals: FY2021 Supplemental and FY2022 Budgets
    • Article 3, Sections 5-6: BHDDH Data Reporting
    • Article 4, Sections 4-5: Eleanor Slater Hospital Debt Management Act changes

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

  • S0358 by Ciccone ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Taxpayers requesting an extension of time to pay state taxes must declare the reasonable amount of tax due in a taxable year.)
  • 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.)
  • S0763 by DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – ESTATE AND TRANSFER TAXES-LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Increases the exemption for estate taxes to $2,500,000 effective January 1, 2023. There would be a further increased estate tax exemption to five million dollars $5m effective January 1, 2025.)
  • S0792 by Archambault ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Removes the town of Smithfield from the provisions of state law in regard to property tax classification and tax levy determinations.)

5pm Senate Committee on Judiciary

SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION

  • S0055 by Ruggerio, Miller, McCaffrey, Goodwin, Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – HOSPITAL WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT (Establishes procedures for employees to file complaints with hospital or director of department of health, for assaultive behavior or other violation of law occurring on hospital grounds and require hospitals to institute safety training for employees.)
  • S0259 by Sosnowski, Seveney ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO AERONAUTICS – AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS (Adds airspace to the land the DOT can acquire that is necessary for a suitable airport or to preserve, maintain, or restore approach. Additionally this act would add the term “Approach, approach zone, approaches” to section 1-2-3.1.)
  • S0609 by Paolino, Quezada, Goodwin, Rogers, Pearson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE- PROCEDURE GENERALLY – FEES (Allows jurors to donate their juror fees to the state. Any such donation would be deposited into the general fund.)
  • S0675 (Judiciary) by Coyne ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE REPARATIONS ACT (Provides that financial security is required for any motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in the state of Rhode Island.)
  • S0677 (Judiciary) by Raptakis ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE – TRAFFIC TRIBUNAL (Vests the traffic tribunal with jurisdiction over the adjudication of alleged violations of the harassment of hunters, trappers and fishers law.)
  • S0682 (Judiciary) by Sosnowski ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Provides that the permissive use of a wireless communication device for the purpose of navigation of a motor vehicle shall only be applicable in cases where the device is mounted or otherwise affixed to the vehicle and not held in the motorist’s hand.)
  • S0734 by DiMario, Felag, Euer, Sosnowski, Valverde, Mendes, Coyne, Raptakis, Murray ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES – ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN (Establishes a military family advocacy program to address child abuse and neglect in military families.)

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

  • S0665 by Mack ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – DISORDERLY CONDUCT (Amends the penalty provisions for disorderly conduct, willful trespass, and shoplifting.)
  • S0667 by de la Cruz, E Morgan, Lombardo ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – SEXUAL ASSAULTS (Defines any act of sexual penetration or contact perpetrated by an individual with a position of authority upon a person over the age of 14 and under the age of 18 as third degree sexual assault.)
  • S0740 by F Lombardi, McCaffrey, Ruggerio ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – ABUSE IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES (Removes the “intentional” element in the definition of “abuse” and “neglect” in the abuse in health care facilities’ law.)
  • S0771 by Mack, Goldin, Acosta, Calkin, Anderson ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY (Decriminalizes certain commercial sexual activity and repeals the authority to detain a defendant in the event they test positive for venereal disease.)
  • S0796 by Gallo, Coyne, Sosnowski, Cano, Valverde, Quezada, Lawson, Goodwin, Murray, Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS (Amends definition of dating violence to include abusive, coercive behaviors used to exert control and power and provides that abuse may be physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, financial, or psychological and includes threats, isolation, and intimidation.)
  • S0797 by Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS – THE GOOD SAMARITAN PREVENTION ACT OF 2016 (Changes the title and text of the immunity from legal repercussions for emergency overdose care to include the furnisher of assistance for medical emergencies.)
  • S0834 by Euer, McCaffrey, Goodwin, Gallo, Valverde, DiMario, Sosnowski, Lawson, Cano, Coyne ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – SEXUAL ASSAULT (Eliminates the marital sexual assault exception when a victim is incapacitated, disabled, or helpless.)
  • S0598 by Paolino, de la Cruz, E Morgan, Rogers ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – VITAL RECORDS (Requires notification of the name and address of the deceased on a death certificate with the office of secretary of state and the chairperson of the board of canvassers for the purpose of removal from the rolls of registered voters.)
  • S0662 by E Morgan ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Requires that only the mail ballot voter, their spouse, court appointed guardian, cohabitant, or any adult person related to the voter by blood or marriage, be allowed to physically mail the voted mail ballot.)
  • S0663 by E Morgan, Raptakis, de la Cruz, Paolino ENTITLED, RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION – GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO REVIEW REGULATIONS
  • S0666 by E Morgan, de la Cruz ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS – CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND VOTING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES (Requires any person voting by mail ballot or emergency mail ballot to provide proof of identity, exempting those who are hospitalized or residents in a hospice or skilled nursing facility.)
  • S0738 by Archambault ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – MAIL BALLOTS (Entitles disabled and military voters to utilize electronically transmitted ballots.)
  • S0799 by Cano, Quezada, Kallman, Valverde, Lawson, DiPalma, Pearson, Euer ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – REGISTRATION OF VOTERS (Increases the role of the division of motor vehicles in the voter registration and address verification process, by establishing very specific obligations.)
  • S0835 (Secretary of State) by Coyne, Seveney ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – SECRETARY OF STATE (Authorizes the secretary of state and board of elections to conduct an extensive cybersecurity assessment of our election systems and facilities and to establish a cybersecurity review board.)
  • S0886 by McCaffrey, Raptakis, Gallo, Ciccone ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS – RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES REPORTING (Authorizes the reopening of a dissolved campaign account and fund upon notice to the board of elections.)
  • S0885 by Felag ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows Alec Dalton to join Olivia Phillips and Adam Dutra in marriage on or about October 16, 2021, within the Town of Bristol, Rhode Island.)
  • H6220 by Quattrocchi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows Gary Bucci to join Jennifer Heng and Griffin Pharr in marriage on or about June 19, 2021, within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.)
  • H6221 by Quattrocchi ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows Gary Bucci to join Taylor Dryden and Joseph Murray in marriage on or about December 11, 2021, within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.)
  • H6242 by Kazarian ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows David Klepper to join Brenna McCabe and Christopher Raia in marriage on or about July 17, 2021, within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.)