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Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is requesting assistance with the weather events affecting our State. Submitting this information will assist the State in determining whether to pursue Federal reimbursement. If impacted by multiple storms, use each one that is applicable.
Welcome | Emergency Management Agency (ri.gov) December 17 - 19, 2023 - Damage Assessment Form RIEMA is requesting Business owners who sustained losses and/or damages from the Severe Weather event from December 17 - 19, 2023 to complete an initial damage assessment form. Submitting this information will assist the State in determining whether to pursue Federal reimbursement. Click on the following link to complete the Damage Assessment Form: Business Form - Click Here January 9 – 11, 2024 - Damage Assessment Form RIEMA is requesting Individuals and Business owners who sustained losses and/or damages from the Severe Weather event from January 9 – 11, 2024 to complete an initial damage assessment form. Submitting this information will assist the State in determining whether to pursue Federal reimbursement. Click on the following link to complete the Damage Assessment Form: Residential (Individuals) Form - Click Here Business Form - Click Here January 12 – 14, 2024 - Damage Assessment Form RIEMA is requesting Individuals and Business owners who sustained losses and/or damages from the Severe Weather event from January 12 – 14, 2024 to complete an initial damage assessment form. Submitting this information will assist the State in determining whether to pursue Federal reimbursement. Click on the following link to complete the Damage Assessment Form: Residential (Individuals) Form - Click Here Business Form - Click Here
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Watch last week's Disaster Assistance Information Session with Rhode Island Commerce and the U.S. Small Business Administration below. (Recorded on January 26, 2024)
Two Disaster Declarations in RI RI 20130: Road Closure Due to Sudden Bridge Failure Incident Date: December 11, 2023 and continuing Type of Loans: Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) only Working capital disaster loans to meet your operating expenses until full recovery Counties: Providence, Bristol and Kent in RI; Windham, CT; Bristol, Norfolk, and Worcester in MA Eligible: Small businesses, non-profit organizations Interest rate: 4% for businesses; 3.25% for non-profits Application deadline: September 16, 2024 Note: Must show a direct relationship between your financial losses and the incident Questions? SBA Customer Service Center (www.SBA.gov/disaster) (800) 659-2955 [email protected] Rhode Island Commerce (https://commerceri.com) (401) 521 - HELP [email protected] RI Emergency Management Agency (https://riema.ri.gov) (401) 946-9996 Last Week At the State House
The House Corporations Committee held, for further study, H.7089, a bill that effectively removes the ability of businesses in the retail and service industries to utilize digital coupons to market their businesses. While the bill does not specifically ban the use of digital coupons, it does require retail and service businesses to provide consumers with a paper coupon of equal value to any digital coupon offered. If the business violates this mandate, it is subject to a substantial fine of $2500 for the first offense and $5000 for each subsequent offense. Meanwhile, the House Committee on Municipal Government listened to testimony on H.7112. this legislation is enabling legislation allowing municipalities to waive interest on one quarter of overdue commercial property tax if:
The Chamber believes this bill could help small businesses that perhaps missed a payment inadvertently, or due to a temporary financial hardship situation. It is another economic development tool in the tool belt of municipalities should they choose to participate. This Week At the State House Wednesday, January 31, 2024 The Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs has scheduled a vote on S.2028, the bill allowing restaurants to continue to offer outdoor dining subject to continuing compliance with the state food code, and other state regulations through February 15, 2025. The bill, as written, bars municipalities from adopting ordinances prohibiting outdoor dining, limiting the time of year outdoor dining may be offered, restricting hours of operation between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm or requiring new parking capacity standards. The Committee may pass the bill in its current form or may amend it based on pushback that has been received from certain municipalities. Because the current law barring municipalities from taking action against outdoor dining expires February 15, 2024, the legislature will have to act soon. Thursday, February 1, 2024 The House Labor Committee has a busy agenda Thursday at the Rise (approximately 4:30 pm) in room 135 at the State House. H.7058, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Posting of Veterans’ Benefits and Services, requires employers with 50 employees or more to display a poster containing information on veterans’ benefits available. The Department of Labor and Training is charged with creating the poster and providing it to employers. If passed, the new requirement would take effect January 1, 2025. H.7106, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Labor Relations Act, purposes to protect the free speech rights of employees in the workplace, but it also limits the first amendment rights of employers. H.7106 would prohibit employers from requiring non-managerial employees to attend a meeting to learn about legislative proposals or regulatory matters as well as meetings to provide information concerning labor organization efforts. If enacted this legislation would severely limit an employer’s ability to educate employees about legislation, including legislation that would materially impact the business’ operations or the employee’s day-to-day job responsibilities. If you have an interest in this bill, please submit written testimony to [email protected] by noon Thursday. The bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7106.pdf What’s in the Governor’s Budget? Article 2 – Relating to State Funds This 13-page Article:
Article 7 – Relating to Economic Development Article 7 proposes to expand “The Innovate Rhode Island Small Business Program.” The program was created to assist small businesses apply for the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program. These highly competitive federal programs encourage small businesses to engage in federal research and development with the potential for commercialization. The Rhode Island program is open to businesses with fifty or fewer employees where at least 51% of those employees reside in the State. Current state law provides for two phases of funding. The Governor proposes to increase the second phase funding from $150,000 to $300,000 and to add a third phase grant up to $500,000 per applicant. If an applicant is successful, the business would receive 25% of the grant award at the time the award documents are signed, 65% upon request for reimbursement of eligible expenses and 10% five years following the award – only if the business stays in Rhode Island for five years following the grant award. Article 7 also includes an increase in reimbursements to companies participating in the bioscience and engineering internship program. The program was established to promote workforce development and education in the bioscience and engineering fields. Current law provides for a reimbursement rate of $12 per hour up to $3000 per intern. The Governor proposes to increase the rate to minimum wage ($14 per hour) with an aggregate reimbursement of up to $6,500 per intern. Under the Governor’s proposal, Article 7 would allow small businesses that are employee-owned businesses and worker-cooperatives to participate in the State’s Innovation Initiative Program. It also expands the purpose of the program to including assisting small businesses and individuals in the filing of a patent application. The amount of the innovation grant is capped at $5,000 per awardee. Lastly, Article 7 extends the sunset provision of a number of economic development programs to December 31, 2025:
The following new bills have been filed: House Bill No. 7266 Casimiro, Noret, Solomon, Kazarian, Alzate, Potter, Morales, AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS -- CURRENCY TRANSMISSIONS -- VIRTUAL CURRENCY KIOSKS (Establishes guidelines for the operation of virtual currency (crypto) kiosks.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7266.pdf House Bill No. 7280 (Dept. of Revenue) Finkelman, Casey, Dawson, Cardillo, AN ACT RELATING TO CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS -- RHODE ISLAND BUSINESS CORPORATION ACT (Makes numerous technical amendments to the statutes on taxes and corporations, associations and partnerships.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7280.pdf House Bill No. 7284 (by request) Shekarchi, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Provide that advertising goods that don't include a price referencing all mandatory fees and charges shall be a deceptive trade practice.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7284.pdf House Bill No. 7285 Cortvriend, McGaw, Carson, Handy, Kislak, Boylan, Spears, Fogarty, Edwards, Knight, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- UTILITY THERMAL ENERGY NETWORK AND JOBS ACT (Establishes thermal energy networks network infrastructure by any public utility company that provides electric/natural gas distribution to maximize cost-effective investments deemed in the public interest by the public utilities commission (PUC).) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7285.pdf House Bill No. 7286 Slater, Morales, DeSimone, Stewart, Diaz, Alzate, Potter, Cruz, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (Creates an income-sensitive tiered subsidy program to ensure that home energy utility costs are affordable for eligible low-income households.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7286.pdf House Bill No. 7319 Alzate, Cruz, Giraldo, Voas, Casimiro, Potter, Stewart, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- HEALTHY AND SAFE FAMILIES AND WORKPLACES ACT (Mandates that the work week be reduced to thirty-two hours and rate of pay for a thirty-two (32) hour workweek would remain the same as the rate of pay for forty hours.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7319.pdf House Bill No. 7320 Shanley, Craven, O'Brien, Dawson, Vella-Wilkinson, Bennett, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WAREHOUSE WORKER PROTECTION ACT (Requires employers to provide each employee of a warehouse distribution center, upon hire, with written description of quotas applicable to the employee within defined time periods and adverse employment action for failure to meet the quota.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7320.pdf House Bill No. 7324 Baginski, Finkelman, Edwards, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES (Removes the floor area ratio requirement from the zoning ordinances.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7324.pdf House Bill No. 7325 Carson, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS IN FOOD-SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS (Requires food service establishments to add an additional warning to their menus relative to food allergens and impose a civil penalty on those establishments that fail to include the required warnings on its menus.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7325.pdf Senate Bill No. 2140 Quezada, Kallman, DiMario, Euer, Britto, Cano, Valverde, Acosta, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- CONSUMER CREDIT HISTORY EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Prohibits employers from seeking/using credit reports in making hiring decisions concerning prospective employees, asking questions about the applicant's financial past during interviews or including credit history questions in their job applications.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2140.pdf Senate Bill No. 2169 Kallman, Cano, DiMario, Acosta, Gu, Sosnowski, Miller, Ujifusa, Zurier, Lauria, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- RIDESHARE OR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY VEHICLE SURCHARGE (Imposes a seventy-five cent (0.75) surcharge on fares charged by rideshare companies as well as an account to benefit RIPTA from the payment of sales taxes collected from rideshares.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2169.pdf Senate Bill No. 2170 Zurier, DiPalma, Ciccone, Sosnowski, Cano, Acosta, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT (Limits investment tax credit to manufacturers. Requires determination of goals, objectives and effectiveness of the credit. Repeals the specialized investment tax credit.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2170.pdf Senate Bill No. 2203 F. Lombardi, LaMountain, Britto, Ciccone, Felag, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES (Prohibits an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or employee from directly or indirectly committing any act declared to be an unlawful employment practice.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2203.pdf Senate Bill No. 2236 Quezada, Kallman, DiMario, Euer, Cano, Valverde, Acosta, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES (Creates new definition for the term "employee", for purposes of wages, workers' compensation, temporary disability and unemployment insurance benefits, which deems a worker to be an employee, as opposed to an independent contractor.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2236.pdf Senate Bill No. 2237 Mack, Valverde, Bell, Murray, Kallman, Acosta, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES (Commencing January 1, 2025, this act would increase the minimum wage for employees receiving gratuities from the current $3.89 to $6.75 per hour.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2237.pdf
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