Thursday February 11

1PM COVID-19 Press Briefing

4PM Rhode Island House of Representatives

4PM Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

Presentation by the Rhode Island Department of Health:

• Update on the COVID-19 Vaccine

Scheduled for Consideration:

• S0004A AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE — THE TELEMEDICINE COVERAGE ACT

• S0016 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY – HARM REDUCTION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PILOT PROGRAM (Creates pilot program to establish harm reduction centers where use of pre-obtained controlled substances may occur under supervision of health care professionals)

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration

• S0047 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS — THE HEALING ART OF ACUPUNCTURE AND ORIENTAL MEDICINE (Changes title of chapter 37.2 of title 5 and throughout, replacing the words “Oriental medicine” with “Chinese medicine”. Allows individuals who are otherwise certified, to practice acupuncture & Chinese medicine using Chinese medical diagnostic methods.)

• S0108 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES — HIV/AIDS

• S0111 AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS — GENETIC COUNSELORS LICENSING ACT (Provides a statutory framework for the licensing and regulation of genetic counselors.)

4PM Senate Committee on Judiciary

Scheduled for Advice and Consent:

• Reappointment of Gregory Pizzuti to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation for a term expiring June 1, 2025.
• Reappointment of Michael Traficante to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation for a term expiring June 1, 2025.

Scheduled for Consideration:

• S0014 AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS – SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES (Allows the governor to designate any person to solemnize a marriage within the state of Rhode Island on a particular day and within a particular city or town.)

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration:

• S0055 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.)

• S0061 AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE — INSURERS’ REHABILITATION AND LIQUIDATION ACT — INSURANCE RECEIVERSHIP MODEL ACT (Adopts a portion of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) model act with respect to receiverships, specifically with regards to how derivative contracts are treated in cases of insurance receiverships.)
• S0133 AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE — SMALL CLAIMS AND CONSUMER CLAIMS — PROCEDURE IN PARTICULAR ACTIONS (Increases the maximum amount to be recovered in civil court action as a small claims from two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) to seven thousand dollars ($7,000).)

5PM (Rise) House Committee on Municipal Government & Housing

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration:

• H5257 AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY — RHODE ISLAND FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES ACT (Prohibits discrimination in housing against those persons who have a lawful source of income.)
• Written Testimony:
  • 20210209 WBNA H5257 ltr signed
  • 2021-02-11 House Committee Written Testimony H5257
  • 5257 testimony
  • EAgudelo-House Municipal Government and Housing Testimony-H5257
  • Fair Hsg SOI Testimony-H5257
  • Gabe Mernoff H5257
  • H 5257 – Housing – Source of Income – 2.11-2021
  • H 5257 Oasis Testimony
  • H 5257 Testimony – ACLU of RI
  • H5257 – Fair Housing Practices Act_2.11.21
  • H5257 – SCHH
  • H5257 – Source of Income – RIHousing Testimony 02-11-21
  • H5257 Fair Housing Elorza LOS
  • H-5257- Fair Housing Practices – MHARI Testimony
  • H5257 Fair Housing
  • H5257 SOI support letter
  • H5257 source of income support letter ONE Neighborhood Builders
  • H5257 Testimony – RI Commission for Human Rights
  • H5257_support_source of income_HNRI

• H5016 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.)
• Written Testimony:
  • H5016 LOS- PCHC Tax Exemption
• H5107 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.)
• H5124 AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES — COASTAL AND RIVERINE HOME PROTECTION (Enables cities and towns to provide a tax exemption to individuals who take resiliency measures to rehabilitate their property because of flood hazards.)
• Written Testimony:
  • H 5124 Save The Bay – NEUTRAL
• H5125 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.)
• Written Testimony
  • 2021 RIFB Testimony in Opposition of H 5125 Hemp Growth Act
• H5127 AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS — ABANDONMENT OF ROADS (Authorizes the town of Middletown, upon receiving a request for the abandonment of a highway from an abutting property owner, to buy the abandoned highway from the abutting owner, at fair market value.)
• H5128 AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES – ZONING ORDINANCES (Provides for the preservation of housing density when a municipality allows alternative uses within a residential zone. Transferal of the residential density would be to locations at the discretion of the municipality.)
• Written Testimony:
  • H-5128 — Zoning – OER-DEM-Planning Letter of Opposition 2-11-21
  • H5128 Tst-Housing Density 021121
  • h5128
• H5180 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 thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) annually and who receive disability benefits.)
• 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.)
• H5258 AN ACT IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 974 OF THE PUBLIC LAWS OF 1940, ENTITLED “AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE STONE BRIDGE FIRE DISTRICT AND TO FURNISH A SUPPLY OF WATER FOR THE TOWN OF TIVERTON” (Authorizes the Stone Bridge fire district to borrow up to $100,000 in funds to meet specific short-term financial obligations.)
• H5330 AN ACT VALIDATING AND RATIFYING AMENDMENTS TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF BARRINGTON

6PM House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration:

• H5113 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — MINIATURE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTAINER ACT OF 2021 {LC25/1} (Creates a refundable fifty cent ($0.50) deposit for miniature alcoholic beverage containers, often referred to as “nips.”)
• Written Testimony:
  • COVERLETTER TO REPRESENTATIVE DAVID BENNETT re 5113 2.11.2021
  • CWA_H5113_MiniAlchololicBeverageDeposit_WrittenTestimony 02-11-2021
  • H-5113 Barbi Beyer
  • H-5113 Carlotta Christy
  • H5113 CLF Written Testimony
  • H-5113 Dana Carvey
  • H-5113 Elizabeth Herron
  • H-5113 Erika Wilkinson
  • H-5113 Frank Hopkins
  • H-5113 John Gauvin
  • H-5113 Johnathan Berard
  • H-5113 Kate Fisher
  • H-5113 Michael Chambers
  • H-5113 Rachel Dahl
  • H-5113 Roe and Faith LaBossiere
  • H-5113 Ruth Platner
  • H-5113 Sarah St Laurent
  • H-5113 Shelia Andrew
  • H-5113, H-5280 George Zainyeh

• H5280 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT RECYCLING ACT OF 2021 (Creates a refundable ten cent ($0.10) deposit for non-reusable beverage containers. A four cents ($0.04) handling fee would be paid by distributors.)
• Written Testimony:
  • 2021 – BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT – H5280
  • Audubon TestimonyH5280
  • COVERLETTER TO REPRESENTATIVE DAVID BENNETT re 5280 2.11.2021
  • CWA_H5280_Bottle Bill WrittenTestimony 02-11-2021
  • H 5280 Save The Bay Testimony – SUPPORT
  • H-5113, H-5280 George Zainyeh

• H5329 AN ACT RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE — FIELD TRIALS AND SHOOTING PRESERVES (Defines captive hunting as a hunt that occurs within a structure designed to restrict the free movement of animals and prevents the animal from escaping and would prohibit captive hunting within the state of Rhode Island.)
• Written Testimony:
  • BHA Support for RI-2021-H5329

• H5132 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — BIODIESEL PRODUCTS (Amends the compliance standards for heating oil biobased products providing minimum standards for the percentage of biobased product that certain types of heating oil must contain.)
• Written Testimony:
  • FINALAmericanstrifold 09-15-19 H5132
  • GE Jacobson Testimony H5132 2019.5.2-1
  • GEC Support H5132
  • 210211 H5132 Biodiesel Products Energy Marketers Association of RI testimony

• H5135 AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — THE GEOENGINEERING ACT (Establishes licensing procedure for persons seeking to engage in geoengineering activity from DEM to protect health/safety/environment of state.)

6PM House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Scheduled for Hearing and/or Consideration:

• H5177 AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE — RHODE ISLAND VETERANS’ HOME (Changes the service requirement for admissions to RI Veterans’ Home from 90 days to 2 years, and gives priority to veterans defined as war veterans.)
• Written Testimony:
  • H5177 John Gallo testimony
• H5267 AN ACT RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE — DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE — MEDAL OF HONOR DAY (Designates March 25 in each and every year as Medal of Honor Day.)

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2021 Rhode Island State house Video:

• Rhode Island State House Monday, January 11, 2021 – Thursday January 14, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Monday, January 18, 2021 – Thursday January 21, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Monday, January 25, 2021 – Thursday January 28, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Monday, February 01, 2021 – Thursday, February 04, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Monday, February 08, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Tuesday, February 09, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Wednesday, February 10, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Thursday, February 11, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Friday, February 12, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Tuesday, February 16, 2021 – Thursday, February 18, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Monday, February 22, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Tuesday, February 23, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Wednesday, February 24, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Thursday, February 25, 2021
• Rhode Island State House Friday, February 26, 2021