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Final 2024 Legislative Wrap-up
In this last 2024 edition of Advocacy in Action, we provide you with a list of bills that have become law in 2024, along with the effective dates of the new laws. Your Chamber was very engaged, tracking just over 400 pieces of legislation, and providing testimony on many of them verbally or in writing. This year is an election year. We encourage you to register and to vote in the September 10th Primary (early voting begins August 21st) and in the November 5th General Election (early voting begins October 16th). Thank you for reading this publication each week and for responding to “Calls to Action” when asked. We will see you at the next Chamber event! New Laws Passed During the 2024 Legislative Session Labor Issues: Employee Retirement Program - S.2045 as amended/H.7127 as amended – Public Law Chapters 351 and 350 create the RI Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program within the Treasurer’s office. The Treasurer may engage a third-party entity to administer the program. Any company with more than 5 employees that does not have an existing retirement program for employees must allow those employees to participate in the State program by establishing a payroll deduction and deposit arrangement on behalf of each employee that chooses to opt in to the program. The effective date is tiered. Once the program is created, the Treasurer’s office must provide all necessary information to businesses. Within 12 months of the creation of the program, all companies with 100+ eligible employees (that do not have another retirement program offered to employees) must offer this option to employees. Within 24 months, companies with 50+ eligible employees must participate. All companies with 5+ eligible employees are required to offer the program within 36 months of the implementation date of the program. The laws specifically states that this program is a State program; therefore the employer has no legal liability for the performance of the program sponsor nor for an employee’s decision to opt in or out. An employer that provides an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a defined benefit plan or a 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), simplified employee pension (SEP) plan, or savings incentive match plan for employees (SIMPLE) plan, or that offers an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA, is exempt from the requirements. The link to the Public Law is not yet available. The final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2045aa.pdf Temporary Caregiver Benefits - S.2121 SubA as amended/H.7171 Sub A as amended – Public Laws Chapters 333 and 332 make changes to the state’s temporary caregiver insurance (TCI) benefit law. The TCI dependent’s allowance benefit will increase from $10 to $20 per month beginning January 1, 2025. The law lengthens the benefit weeks available to employees from six weeks to seven weeks beginning January 1, 2025, and to eight weeks beginning January 1, 2026. No change was made to the definition of eligibility for benefits. The link to the public law is not yet available, however the final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2121Aaa.pdf Minimum Wage Study - S.2124 – Senate Resolution 235 creates an 11-member study commission to make a comprehensive study of Rhode Island’s minimum wage including a comparison and analysis of neighboring states practices and provide recommendations. The commission, once named, will meet at the call of the Senate President. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2124.pdf New Poster Requirement for Businesses - S.2128/H.7058 – Public Law Chapters 196 and 195 require 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. The new requirement takes effect January 1, 2025. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24196.htm General Business Operation Issues: Outdoor Dining - S.2028 SubA/H.7064 SubA – Public Law Chapters 4 and 3 require municipalities to allow outdoor dining. Communities may place limits on capacity, adopt barrier requirements, ban outdoor dining from 10:00pm to 7:00am, enforce noise ordinances and building codes. Otherwise, food service establishments may operate outside all year. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24003.htm Customer Paper Receipts and Invoices - S.2278 SubA/H.7940 SubA – Public Law Chapters 92 and 91 add a new action to the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Beginning January 1, 2025, it is illegal for businesses to charge any fee to a person 65 years of age or older for a hard-copy paper bill, statement, or invoice. Anyone doing so, is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $500. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24092.htm Data Privacy Requirements - S.2500 SubA as amended/H.7787 SubA as amended – Public Law Chapters 430 and 453 require any person or entity that processes personal data to (1) identify all categories of information the controller collects, (2) disclose such information in specific ways, (3) provide a customer with information relating to a process to exercise their customer rights, (4) disclose the purpose for processing the personal data, (5) publicly list the categories of personal data shared with a third party, and (6) provide a means to contact the controller. Entities that control or process personal data of not less than 35,000 customers or at least 10,000 customers and derive more than twenty percent (20%) of gross revenue from the sale of personal data are subject to additional disclosure requirements and must allow customers the right to opt out of the collection of personally identifiable information. There is an exemption for entities subject to the federal Gramm Leach Bliley Act. Language was also added to ensure businesses with rewards type programs can still collect the data needed to continue the programs. Any violation of this act would constitute a violation of the general regulatory provisions of commercial law and constitute a deceptive trade practice; however, no private right of action was included in the legislation. This law does not become effective until January 1, 2026, giving the business community time to digest the many changes in the bill and to recommend further amendments next year. The link to the public law is not yet available, however the final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2500Aaa.pdf Arbitration Clauses - S.2671/H.7952 – Public Law Chapters 446 and 445 create new notice provisions and rights of a party to an arbitration that is not related to a collective bargaining agreement. A party may serve notice of a demand for arbitration upon another party. If the served party fails to apply to stay the arbitration within 20 days of service, that party is barred from objecting that a valid agreement WAS NOT made or has not been complied with and loses the ability to assert a limitation of time claim in court. The law includes a right to representation by an attorney during an arbitration. If there are multiple parties seeking arbitration against a business, then the proceeding can be brought to court. In an employment or consumer arbitration, the drafting party of the clause (the business) must pay fees or costs to initiate an arbitration before the arbitration can proceed. Mutual agreements to divide the cost is permitted. The law also outlines penalties for a breach of agreement as well as court sanctions related to breaches. The law is now in effect. The link to the public law is not yet available, however the final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2671.pdf Business Filing Requirements - S.2739 SubA as amended/H.7424 as amended – Public Law Chapters 335 and 334 centralize the filing, administration, and regulation process of trade names (currently called an “assumed name”) to the secretary of state instead of the local city or town. This act would also require an annual renewal of the trade name for a fee of $20. Failure to complete this registration does not impair the validity of any contract and shall not prevent such person or from defending any suit in court. The law takes effect January 1, 2025. The link to the public law is not yet available, however the final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2739Aaa.pdf Uniform Commercial Code - S.2781/H.7210 SubA – Public Law Chapters 66 and 65 provide amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code for emerging technologies. This 112-page law took effect June 10, 2024. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24066.htm Taxation Issues: Delinquent Tax Filings - S.3056/H.8055 – Public Law Chapters 150 and 148 allow the Division of Taxation to share certain information with the Secretary of State’s office. If an entity fails to pay its business corporation taxes or fees, the Division can notify the Secretary of State and the Secretary can, after notice, revoke the corporate charter or authorization to conduct business. The law takes effect January 1, 2025. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24150.htm Taxation of S.3152 SubA/H.7927 SubA – Public Law Chapters 159 and 158 allow a financial institution to elect to be taxed under the combined reporting single sales factor test like many another multi-jurisdictional businesses in Rhode Island. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24159.htm Government Economic Development Issues: Economic Development Plan - S.2043 SubA/H.7246 SubA – Public Law Chapters 194 and 193 add climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal resiliency to the analysis of data of the strategic plan for economic development policy. This act would also change the number of members of the economic development planning council from 17 to 19 by adding the director of the department of environmental management and the executive director of the coastal resources management council. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24193.htm Abandoned Property Publication - S.2992 SubA/H.7986 SubA as amended – Public Law Chapters 246 and 245 require each municipality to create and publish a list of all abandoned properties within the city or town. The list must be placed on their websites starting April 2, 2025. The law also makes changes to the procedure for the sale of abandoned property. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24246.htm Industry Specific Issues: Home Inspectors - S.2120 SubA/H.7015 SubA – Public Law Chapters 210 and 209 ban anyone, other than a licensed electrician, from testing wires, conduits and apparatus which includes fixtures, lighting, etc. This new law means, a potential buyer’s home inspector is no longer able to inspect switches, lights, or look at a panel to alert the buyer to potential problems. However, there is conflicting law that states an electrical inspection may be undertaken by a home inspector. The Department of Labor and Training will have to decide whether to rescind a home inspector’s license for conducting such inspections. If the answer is yes, buyers, should they wish to have the dwelling’s electrical system included in an inspection, will need to hire a licensed electrician to perform the inspection – within the customary ten-day inspection period. The law takes effect January 30, 2025. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24210.htm Independent Contractor Filing - S.2472 SubA/H.7837 SubA – Public Law Chapters 198 and 197 clarify existing law. The law calls for independent contractors to file annually with the Department of Labor. A similar law passed last year and became effective January 1, 2024. The court reviewed the statute and determined the language required further revision to clarify the intent of the Act. This new law specifies that independent contractors must file annually for each client in order to be legally considered an individual contractor. The process is simple. To file DWC-11-IC form online, go to: https://dlt.ri.gov/workers-compensation/independent-contractors If you are a company that hires independent contractors, the Chamber encourages you to verify the form has been filed. The link to the public law is not yet available, however the final version of the bill can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2472A.pdf MBE Bonding Requirements - S.2902 as amended/H.7057 SubA – Public Law Chapters 229 and 228 allow the state chief purchasing officer to waive the bonding requirement for a certified minority business enterprise (MBE) or women owned business enterprise (WBE) prime contractor or subcontractor on a public works project for up to $250,000. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law24/law24229.htm Governor vetoes bills: The Governor vetoed two bills of particular interest to the business community. To override the veto, the legislature must come back into session (anytime prior to the beginning of the 2025 session) and garner a 3/5 affirmative vote in both the House and Senate. At this time, no session has been scheduled. S.2436 SubA/H.8059 SubA – Acts Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Rhode Island Noncompetition Agreement Act. These bills ban the use of most non-compete clauses. Rhode Island’s existing law that passed in 2019, places limitations on the use of noncompete agreements such as their duration, geographic scope or limiting their use with lower-wage workers. As drafted, H.8059 SubA and S.2436 SubA could result in the need to rewrite thousands of contracts in the state of Rhode Island impacting employers of all sizes. Both bills extend the prohibition of the use of noncompetes to all employees unless it is signed in connection with the purchase and sale of a business. The bills do allow an employer to enter into an agreement with an employee “not to share any information, including after the employee is no longer employed by the employer, regarding the employer or the employment that is a trade secret, customer lists, including the names, addresses, identities of customers, or future business plans.” https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2436A.pdf https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8059A.pdf Still In Limbo: Decarbonization of Buildings - H.7617 SubA was amended from its original form to a comprehensive study to be conducted by the EC4 committee. It was passed by the Senate in concurrence but has not been transmitted to the Governor yet. The committee is charged with collecting data on buildings – public and privately-owned – with 25,000 square feet or more. Information to be collected includes: 1. A summary of the State's building sector emissions using the best available data on what is known about the energy use intensity and emissions from large buildings; 2. An inventory of properties that would be subject to benchmarking and building performance standard requirements, including building type and size; 3. A summary of the best available data on current energy sources for large buildings, including delivered fuels such as oil, coal, and propane, natural gas, grid electricity, district energy systems, and on-site renewable energy; 4. The estimated costs pertaining to expected retrofits, alterations, and repairs that may be required to comply with the benchmarking program standards; 5. Identification of the State agency or agencies with relevant roles and responsibilities to develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; 6. An estimation of the staff and other resources, and associated annual budget, needed to develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; and 7. A recommended timeline for establishing and implementing benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings. The original bills banned building permits for new or renovated buildings unless those building are designed to be all-electric ready or all electric, depending upon the building. S.2952 SubA as amended does not match the final version of H.7617 SubA. It was not turned into a study, although many of the data collection points from the House bill are contained in the Senate version. S.2952 SubA retained the requirements to switch new large buildings and renovated buildings to electric-ready status. The final fate of H.7617 SubA is unclear.
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Legislative Interim Wrap-up
Each year, we provide a comprehensive list of new business-related legislation enacted during the year. That list is not yet complete as the flurry of bills that passed during the last week of session are still making their way to the Governor’s desk for his consideration. We expect the final report to be ready for publication in a few weeks. In the meantime, below is the status of major bills the Chamber was working on during the last few weeks. Temporary Caregiver Expansion – Both H.7171 and S.2121 passed the House and Senate following a major change in the House Labor Committee. The Committee amended the bills by eliminating the increase in the dependents’ allowance, eliminating the expansion of the benefit to new groups of employees and lengthening the benefit to seven weeks beginning January 1, 2025, and to eight weeks beginning January 1, 2026 (the original bill called for a six week increase in benefits). The House further amended the bills on the floor to restore the original bills’ language to increase the dependents’ allowance from $10 to $20. Both H.7171 and S.2121 were transmitted to the Governor June 20th. Data Transparency and Privacy – S.2500 SubA and H.7877 SubAaa were transmitted to the Governor’s office on June 20th and June 21st, respectively. These bills require any person or entity that processes personal data to identify all categories of information the controller collects, when the controller may disclose such information, how a customer may exercise their customer rights, the purpose for processing the personal data, categories of personal data shared with a third party, and means to contact the controller. Entities that control or process personal data of not less than 35,000 customers or at least 10,000 customers and derive more than twenty percent (20%) of gross revenue from the sale of personal data are subject to additional disclosure requirements and must allow customers the right to opt out of the collection of personally identifiable information. There is an exemption for entities subject the federal Gramm Leach Bliley Act. Language was also added to ensure businesses with rewards type programs can still collect the data needed to continue the programs. Any violation of this act would constitute a violation of the general regulatory provisions of commercial law and constitute a deceptive trade practice; however, no private right of action was included in the legislation. These bills do not become effective until January 1, 2026, giving the business community time to digest the many changes in the bill and to recommend further amendments next year. Citizens Bank Tax Proposal – H.7927 SubA and S.3152 SubA passed the House and Senate and were transmitted to the Governor on June 21st and June 20th, respectively. These bills allow a financial institution to elect to be taxed under the single sales factor test like many another multi-jurisdictional businesses in Rhode Island. Decarbonization of Buildings - H.7617 SubA was amended from its original form to a comprehensive study to be conducted by the EC4 committee. It was passed by the Senate in concurrence but has not been transmitted to the Governor yet. The committee is charged with collecting data on buildings – public and privately-owned – with 25,000 square feet or more. Information to be collected includes: 1. A summary of the State's building sector emissions using the best available data on what is known about the energy use intensity and emissions from large buildings; 2. An inventory of properties that would be subject to benchmarking and building performance standard requirements, including building type and size; 3. A summary of the best available data on current energy sources for large buildings, including delivered fuels such as oil, coal, and propane, natural gas, grid electricity, district energy systems, and on-site renewable energy; 4. The estimated costs pertaining to expected retrofits, alterations, and repairs that may be required to comply with the benchmarking program standards; 5. Identification of the State agency or agencies with relevant roles and responsibilities to develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; 6. An estimation of the staff and other resources, and associated annual budget, needed to develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; and 7. A recommended timeline for establishing and implementing benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings. The original bills banned building permits for new or renovated buildings unless those building were designed to be all-electric ready or all electric, depending upon the building. S.2952 SubA as amended does not match the final version of H.7617 SubA. It was not turned into a study, although many of the data collection points from the House bill are contained in the Senate version. S.2952 SubA retained the requirements to switch new large buildings and renovated buildings to electric-ready status. The final fate of H.7617 SubA is unclear. Noncompetition Agreements – Both H.8059 SubA and S.2436 SubA passed the House and Senate and were transmitted to the Governor June 20th. These bills, passed the House 70-2 and the Senate 37-0, ban the use of noncompetition agreements between employers and employees unless the agreement is entered into as part of the sale of a business entity or equity interest in a business. Employers are still permitted to enter into agreements with employees not to share trade secrets, customer lists, or future business plans. Businesses covered under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (financial institutions) are exempt. Family Leave Expansion - S.2467 and H.7793 both died in the House Labor Committee. These bills increased the number of unpaid family leave benefit weeks provided to employees from thirteen weeks every two years, to twenty-four weeks every two years. Minimum Wage Increase – All bills proposed to further increase the minimum wage died in committees. However, the current law calls for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour beginning January 1, 2025. Payment Stubs and Mini Employee Handbook - S.2123 SubA and a similar bill, H.7790, both died in the House Labor Committee. These bills proposed changes to an employer’s responsibilities as it relates to providing employees with statements of earnings. Today employers must include the hours worked, deductions from gross earnings and an explanation of those deductions. The amended version of S.2123 added items such as the last four digits of the social security number, deduction explanations, the employer’s address and name, and output information if pay is based on quantity. It also required employers to provide a type of “mini employee handbook” to employees. The information included items such as: wage information, benefits, holiday information, sick time, and travel and expense policies. Washington Bridge Statute of Repose – S.3145 and H.8318 both died in their respective Judiciary Committees. While the bills were directed at the Washington Bridge, they gave rise to concerns about retroactive changes to law. The bills would have retroactively changed the statute of repose for the Washington Bridge. What does that mean? Under current law, any person, firm, corporation or legal entity that is involved in the design, construction, repair, modification, etc. to real property can be sued for damages or injuries within ten years of the “substantial completion” of a construction project. This was litigated in 1985 and upheld by the Rhode Island Supreme Court and it is similar to laws in 46 other states. Both S.3145 and H.8318 proposed to change the law as it pertains to the Washington bridge by extending the statute of limitations to ten years from the “date of discovery” or by December 1, 2033, whichever is later, unless the case would be time barred as of the date this legislation becomes law. So, if the bills had passed into law July 1, 2024, any entity involved in the Washington bridge where “substantial completion” did not occur before July 1, 2014, would be reachable to sue for liability. In some instances, they extended the window of liability to close to 20 years. The reason for setting a time limit to sue in most cases relates to ability to find eye witnesses with memories that are accurate, loss of potential evidence, the influence of other factors that are hard to quantify or qualify over the years. Insurance companies rely on statutes of limitations and statutes of repose to assess risk in setting premiums or deciding to insure entities. Junk Fees - S.2503, attempted to address what is often referred to as “junk fees.” It died in the Senate Commerce Committee. The legislation created a new section to the unfair deceptive practices act, stating it is an unfair practice to offer goods or services to the public and to fail to include a notification disclosing any mandatory fees including the “nature and purpose” of those fees. S.2503 created significant ambiguity by using language that does not distinguish between fees that are fixed and determinable upfront versus fees that vary based on consumer choices during the ordering process. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is working on this very issue now. The Chamber advocated that it is prudent to allow that process to move forward before the State promulgates proposed regulations covering the same subject matter. Individual Liability Employment Liability - S.2203 died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill created individual liability for any person, employer, or employees who directly or indirectly commit any act declared to be an unlawful employment practice. It seemed to be aimed at overturning a 2017 Rhode Island Supreme Court decision - Mancini vs City of Providence. The case involved a Providence Police Sergeant who alleged he was illegally denied a promotion based on discriminatory factors; and he attempted to sue then Chief of Police, Hugh Clements, Jr. personally. The Rhode Island Supreme Court stated, “allowing for the possibility of individual liability would have a predictably chilling effect on the discretionary management decisions of supervisory employees.” Captive Audience Legislation - S.2785 and H.7106 died in the House Labor Committee. These bills proposed to protect the free speech rights of employees in the workplace, but also limited the first amendment rights of employers. Both pieces of legislation prohibited 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, these bills would have severely limited 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. Psychological Bullying Bill - S.2473 SubA and H.8044 both died in the House Labor Committee. These bills begin by stating that employees have a right to a physically safe work environment and to a psychologically safe workplace. Under the bills, employers have a “general duty” to provide a work environment free from all forms of psychological abuse and to ensure that all employees are treated respectfully and with dignity. “Psychological abuse” is defined as “mentally provocative harassment. Mistreatment that has the effect of hurting, weakening, confusing, or frightening a person mentally or emotionally.” The bills called upon employers to adopt policy procedures to comply with the law and train managers and supervisors to handle complaints. They included an annual reporting process. Employers would have been liable for failing to take appropriate measures to provide employees with a psychologically safe work environment. Penalties included economic, compensatory and punitive damages. Any person who aids, abets, incites, or coerces another person in an action not permitted under the legislation was also guilty. Last Week At the State House
The House passed the nearly $14 billion budget on a vote of 69-5 in almost record time. The funding plan had few amendments added during the debate. While balanced, the budget utilizes surplus funds for programs that are not one-time programs. The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hear and vote on the bill at the Rise on Tuesday, June 11th This Week At the State House Barring a breakdown between the House and Senate, for those that remember the “chicken cage” bill, the General Assembly should complete its work this week. Many bills are posting for hearings and SubAs are popping up on an hourly basis. Below are the bills and the SubAs of particular interest that are on the agenda at the time of writing this edition. Monday, June 10th Temporary Caregiver Expansion – Both H.7171 and S.2121 are posted for a vote in the House Labor Committee at 3:30. The bills have been amended by eliminating the increase in dependents allowance and expanding the benefit to any new groups of employees. The number of weeks is lengthened to seven weeks beginning January 1, 2025, and to eight weeks beginning January 1, 2026. Radon Inspection and Mitigation – H.8335 is scheduled for a hearing in House Corporations Monday at the Rise as well as Tuesday at 3:00. This bill requires sellers to provide buyers with the results of a radon test that was conducted no later than one year prior to the signing of a purchase and sale agreement. If the test uncovers a radon level greater than 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), then the seller must pay for and complete mitigation of the radon prior to the closing date. Data Transparency and Privacy – S.2500 SubA requires any person or entity that processes personal data to identify all categories of information the controller collects, when the controller may disclose such information, how a customer may exercise their customer rights, the purpose for processing the personal data, categories of personal data share with a third party, and means to contact the controller. Entities that control or process personal data of not less than 35,000 customers or at least 10,000 customers and derive more than twenty percent (20%) of gross revenue from the sale of personal data are subject to additional disclosure requirements and must allow customers the right to opt out of the collection of personally identifiable information. There is an exemption for entities subject the federal Gramm Leach Bliley Act. Any violation of this act would constitute a violation of the general regulatory provisions of commercial law and constitute a deceptive trade practice. If passed, the law would take effect on January 1, 2026. Citizens Bank Tax Proposal – H.7927 is scheduled for hearing and or consideration in House Finance at 3:30 Monday as well as Tuesday at 3:30. The bill allows a financial institution to elect to be taxed under the single sales factor test like many another multi-jurisdictional businesses in Rhode Island. Tuesday, June 11th Budget – The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on the budget at the Rise. Citizens Bank Tax Proposal – The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to take testimony on S.3152 at the Rise which is identical at this time to H.7927. Housing Package – if you are interested in the housing package and zoning, there are twenty bills scheduled for a vote in the Senate Housing Committee at the Rise. The entire hearing notice can be viewed at https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-20505.aspx Washington Bridge Statute of Repose – S.3145 is scheduled for hearing at the Rise. While the bill is directed at the Washington Bridge, it gives rise to concerns about retroactive changes to law. The bill retroactively changes the statute of repose for the Washington Bridge. What does that mean? Under current law, any person, firm, corporation or legal entity that is involved in the design, construction, repair, modification, etc. to real property can be sued for damages or injuries within ten years of the “substantial completion” of a construction project. This was litigated in 1985 and upheld by the Rhode Island Supreme Court and it is similar to laws in 46 other states. S.3145 changes the law as it pertains to the Washington bridge by extending the statute of limitations to ten years from the “date of discovery” or by December 1, 2033, whichever is later, unless the case would be time barred as of the date this legislation becomes law. So, if the bill were to pass into law July 1, 2024, any entity involved in the Washington bridge where “substantial completion” did not occur before July 1, 2014, would be reachable to sue for liability. In some instances, this extends the window of liability to close to 20 years. The reason for setting a time limit to sue in most cases relates to ability to find eye witnesses with memories that are accurate, loss of potential evidence, the influence of other factors that are hard to quantify or qualify over the years. Insurance companies rely on statutes of limitations and statutes of repose to assess risk in setting premiums or deciding to insure entities. The following new bill was filed last week: Senate Bill No. 3144 Valverde, McKenney, DiMario, Miller, Kallman, Euer, Sosnowski, Murray, Gu, Pearson, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT RECYCLING ACT (Establishes beverage container recycling to be regulated by DEM.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3144.pdf Senate Bill No. 3145 Lawson, Britto, Lauria, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- CAUSES OF ACTION (Clarifies the statute of limitations for all causes of action not otherwise time barred that seek damages arising out of or related to the design/construction/supervision/or inspection of the Washington Bridge No. 700, located in East Prov. RI.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3145.pdf Senate Bill No. 3152 DiPalma, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- TAXATION OF BANKS (Provides banks with an election to use the allocation and apportionment method of income for purposes of taxation.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3152.pdf House Resolution No. 8345 McEntee, Spears, Morales, Bennett, JOINT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE REPORTING AND EXPIRATION DATES AND AMENDING THE PURPOSE OF THE SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES FROM PLASTIC BOTTLE WASTE (Extends the reporting and expiration dates, and amend the commission’s purpose to include glass and aluminum products, and would report back by April 30, 2025, and expire on May 5, 2025.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8345.pdf This Week At the State House
As we approach the last few weeks of session, most of the bills mentioned in this publication will be scheduled for a vote by the committee, with a few hearings sprinkled throughout. The House Finance Committee has not posted the budget yet, but is expected to do so at any moment. Tuesday, May 28th H.7837, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Workers Compensation is scheduled for a vote in the House Labor Committee at 3:45. The Senate version (S.2472) has already passed the Senate. The bill calls for independent contractors to file annually with the Department of Labor. A similar bill passed last year and became effective January 1, 2024. The court reviewed the statute and determined the language required further revision to clarify the intent of the Act. H.7837 specifies that independent contractors must file annually for each client to be legally considered an individual contractor. The process is simple. To file DWC-11-IC form online, go to: https://dlt.ri.gov/workers-compensation/independent-contractors If you are a company that hires independent contractors, the Chamber encourages you to verify the form has been filed. The Senate Finance Committee will take testimony on S.2347, An Act Relating to Taxation – Tax on Gains From the Sale or Exchange of Real Property at the Rise (approximately 5:00). The bill creates a new tax on gains realized from the sale of real property held for six years or less. Gain as a percentage of basis (tax cost) Years property held by transferor 0-99% 100-199% 200% or more Less than 4 months 60% 70% 80% 4 – 8 months 35% 52.5% 70% 8 months - 1 year 30% 45% 60% 1 - 2 years 25% 37.5% 50% 2 - 3 years 20% 30% 40% 3 – 4 years 15% 22.5% 30% 4 – 5 years 10% 15% 20% 5 – 6 years 5% 7.5% 10% Failure to pay the proper tax or to attempt to evade the tax comes with a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of $10,000 or five times the amount of the tax that was owed. If you wish to submit testimony, send it to [email protected] The bill can be viewed in its entirety at https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2347.pdf A second bill scheduled for hearing at the Rise in Senate Finance is S.2366, An Act Relating to Public Utilities and Carries. This bill creates a tiered rate system for electricity and natural gas customers whose household income level is below 150% of the federal poverty level and who are eligible for LIHEAP assistance or Medicaid. For these households, the plan envisions capping electric rates to ensure that they pay no more than 3% of their income on electricity or 6% of their income if the house utilizes electricity as a sole source of heat. The program will be funded by increased rates assessed on all other customers. The most current US Census estimates 10.8% of population in Rhode Island meets the definition of living in poverty. The census does not say how many are living at 150% of the federal poverty level. The Rhode Island total population at the time of the census was 1,095,962. Testimony may be submitted at [email protected] The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on S.3056, An Act Relating to Corporations, Associations, and Partnerships – Rhode Island Business Corporations Act. The bill allows the Division of Taxation to share certain information with the Secretary of State’s office. If a business fails to pay taxes to the state as required under law of the period of a year, and no settlement agreement has been entered, a notice of intent to revoke the company’s charter will be sent to the business. If not corrected, the charter will be revoked. This bill would take effect January 1, 2025. Wednesday, May 29th If you are in the real estate business, are in the market to buy or sell a house, or if you are a house inspector, contact your legislator quickly. H.7015 SubA, An Act Relating to Businesses and Professions is scheduled for a vote in the House Corporations Committee at the Rise (approximately 5:00). The Senate version (S.2120) had a hearing in April and was held for further study, keeping it alive for possible consideration. H.7015 bans anyone, other than a licensed electrician, from testing wires, conduits and apparatus which includes fixtures, lighting, etc. What this means, is that a potential buyer’s house inspector would no longer be able to inspect switches, lights, or look at a panel to alert the buyer to potential problems. Buyers, should they wish to have the dwelling’s electrical system included in an inspection would need to hire a licensed electrician to perform the inspection – within the customary ten-day inspection period. Under current law, a house inspector is permitted to look at these items and recommend the buyer seek advice from a licensed electrician if something appears amiss. If passed into law, the bill would take effect January 30, 2025. Thursday, May 30th The Senate Finance Committee will be taking testimony on S.2355, An Act Relating to Taxation – Personal Income Tax. The bill imposes a Rhode Island personal income surtax of three percent (3%) on taxable income over $1,000,000, with the existing three-bracket personal income tax structure remaining in place. This surtax would be imposed on taxable income after all modifications, standard deductions, and exemptions have been applied; and would apply to tax years ending December 31, 2025 and beyond. The additional revenue would be placed in a restricted receipt account to be used for child care, public education, roads and bridges and public transportation. Testimony can be emailed to [email protected] Action Needed Now – Contact Your State Senator and Representative Even if you have spoken to you legislators months ago when the Chamber first issued a “Call for Action,” we ask you to contact your state representative and state senator again concerning H.7171/S.2121 – expansion of temporary care giver benefits. H.7171 and S.2121 Acts Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Temporary Disability Insurance
What should I say? Talk about the difficulties your business is having finding employees in the current market. Talk about what will happen to your business if one, two, three or ten employes take leave at the same time. If you have experienced yourself, tell the story. If you know of a business that is struggling in Massachusetts following the expansion of paid leave, share the story. It is not hard; and the message or phone call does not have to be lengthy. In a state like Rhode Island, standing up for your business can seem like a daunting task. But that is exactly why we need voices like yours to tell lawmakers the real-world impact of certain policy choices. If they do not hear your story, they cannot be expected to understand the impacts legislation can have on your business. Name E-mail Address Representative Edith H. Ajello [email protected] Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski [email protected] Representative Nathan W. Biah [email protected] Representative Rebecca M. Kislak [email protected] Representative Anthony J. DeSimone [email protected] Representative Raymond A. Hull [email protected] Representative David Morales [email protected] Representative John J. Lombardi [email protected] Representative Enrique George Sanchez [email protected] Representative Scott A. Slater [email protected] Representative Grace Diaz [email protected] Representative Jose F. Batista [email protected] Representative Ramon A. Perez [email protected] Representative Charlene M. Lima [email protected] Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung [email protected] Representative Brandon C. Potter [email protected] Representative Jacquelyn M. Baginski [email protected] Representative Arthur Handy [email protected] Representative Joseph M. McNamara [email protected] Representative David A. Bennett [email protected] Representative Camille F.J Vella-Wilkinson [email protected] Representative Joseph J. Solomon, Jr. [email protected] Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi [email protected] Representative Evan P. Shanley [email protected] Representative Thomas E. Noret [email protected] Representative Patricia L. Morgan [email protected] Representative Patricia A. Serpa [email protected] Representative George A Nardone [email protected] Representative Sherry Roberts [email protected] Representative Justine A. Caldwell [email protected] Representative Julie A. Casimiro [email protected] Representative Robert E. Craven, Sr. [email protected] Representative Carol Hagan McEntee [email protected] Representative Teresa Ann Tanzi [email protected] Representative Kathleen A. Fogarty [email protected] Representative Tina L. Spears [email protected] Representative Samuel A. Azzinaro [email protected] Representative Brian Patrick Kennedy [email protected] Representative Megan L. Cotter [email protected] Representative Michael W. Chippendale [email protected] Representative Robert J. Quattrocchi [email protected] Representative Edward T. Cardillo, Jr. [email protected] Representative Deborah A. Fellela [email protected] Representative Gregory J. Costantino [email protected] Representative Mia A. Ackerman [email protected] Representative Mary Ann Shallcross Smith [email protected] Representative David J. Place [email protected] Representative Brian C. Newberry [email protected] Representative Jon D. Brien [email protected] Representative Stephen M. Casey [email protected] Representative Robert D. Phillips [email protected] Representative Alex Marszalkowski [email protected] Representative Brian Rea [email protected] Representative William W.O'Brien [email protected] Representative Arthur J. Corvese [email protected] Representative Joshua J. Giraldo [email protected] Representative Brandon T. Voas [email protected] Representative Cherie L. Cruz [email protected] Representative Jennifer A. Stewart [email protected] Representative Karen Alzate [email protected] Representative Leonela Felix [email protected] Representative Mary Duffy Messier [email protected] Representative Katherine S. Kazarian [email protected] Representative Brianna E. Henries [email protected] Representative Matt S. Dawson [email protected] Representative Jennifer Smith Boylan [email protected] Representative Jason Knight [email protected] Representative June Speakman [email protected] Representative Susan R. Donovan [email protected] Representative John G. Edwards [email protected] Representative Michelle E. McGaw [email protected] Representative Terri Cortvriend [email protected] Representative Marvin L. Abney [email protected] Representative Alex Finkelman [email protected] Representative Lauren H. Carson [email protected] The following new bill was filed last week: House Bill No. 8312 McEntee, Spears, Bennett, Fogarty, McGaw, Cortvriend, McNamara, Boylan, Kislak, Carson, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT RECYCLING ACT (Establishes beverage container recycling to be regulated by DEM.) Last Week At the State House
Revenue Estimating Conference – The Numbers Are In The conferees completed their estimates during a seven-hour meeting Friday. The bottom line – in FY2024, total taxes are up $26.8 million with general revenues up $47.7 million. For FY2025, taxes are estimated to be $10.2 million more than originally thought, with general revenues up only $9.7 million more than anticipated. The debate over FY2024 personal income taxes was the longest debate as the tax filing deadline was extended to July 15th this year. By declaring a state of disaster during the flooding of many Rhode Island cities and towns, the State was required under federal law to extend the tax filing date. This extension left the conferees asking themselves if final tax collections will track similarly to 2023 because taxpayers have not filed yet, taking advantage of the delayed deadline, or have taxpayers filed as usual and tax payments are lower than anticipated. In the end, the FY2024 personal income tax collection was set at $1,785,200,000 (down $68.7 million). The FY2025 estimate is $1,856,600,000 (down $53.6 million from November’s estimate). Business Corporate taxes are $67.6 million higher than anticipated in FY2024 ($372.5 million), and $30.7 million higher in FY2025 ($345 million). Sales and use tax collections are also up. FY2024 collections are estimated at $1.64 billion, an increase of $11.4 million; FY2025 collections are estimated at $1.7 billion, an increase of $19.5 million. Lottery revenues are estimated to be lower. The category “lottery” includes revenue from the casinos, lottery games and igaming. FY2024 saw a slight decrease of $8 million ($428.8 million). The FY2025 estimate is $449.4 million which is $9.4 million less than anticipated during the November, 2023 estimating conference. With caseload estimates also down slightly, the General Assembly will have small amounts of money to work with as they craft the final budget over the following four to six weeks. The Washington bridge remains in the forefront of all discussions related to spending. This Week At the State House Tuesday, May 14th The House Finance Committee is meeting Tuesday at the Rise (approximately 4:45) in Room 35. H.7486, An Act Relating to Taxation – Personal Income Tax – Capital Gains, changes the holding period requirement from five years to one year and lowers the tax rate - unless the asset is a “non-owner occupied asset.” Non-owner occupied assets valued at $1 million or more would be subject to a capital gains tax rate of $5.00 for each one thousand dollars ($1,000) or fractional part of the assessed value on properties worth at least one million dollars $ 2,000,000; and at the rate of $6.00 for each $1,000 or fractional part of the assessed value on properties worth at least $2,000,000. Businesses involved in investment management services would be subject to a 19% “carried interest fairness fee” if Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey pass the same fee. Wednesday, May 15th The Senate Labor Committee is scheduled to take testimony on S.2470, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Minimum Wages. The meeting will be held at 4:30 pm in room 313. This bill would dramatically change the operations of many companies and many sole proprietors in the state. S.2470 changes the definition of “employee” for the purposes of workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and TDI qualification. It proposes to adopt what is sometimes referred to as the “ABC” test. A person would be deemed an “employee” unless the person can meet all three tests: (1) the person is free from control and direction of the hiring entity (2) the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; AND (3) the person is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed. Use of the ABC test would make it very difficult for some professions to work as an independent contractor. For example, an independent computer technology person could not work as an independent contractor for any business that has an IT person already on staff (even if that person is out on family leave), since it would not qualify as outside the usual course of business. Any business with a government affairs staff person, would likely not be able to hire an independent lobbyist. It is difficult to imagine all of the possible contractors that may get swept up and reclassified as an employee of multiple businesses, meaning multiple businesses would pay workers compensation, unemployment compensation and TDI for the same person. The third prong of the test allows independent contractors to be hired if that trade is an established trade or occupation customarily known for having independent contractors. The third part of the test gives no assistance to emerging technology and innovation. S.2237 is also scheduled for hearing in the Senate Labor Committee. The bill proposes to increase the tipped wage (also referred to as cash wage) from the current $3.89 per hour to $6.75 per hour January 1, 2025. It is important to understand that “tipped wage” does not equate to the hourly wage paid to the employee. Both federal and state law require an employee to be paid minimum wage. If the employee does not make minimum wage when the tipped wage and customer tips are added together, the employer must make up the difference. If they fail to do so, the employee can file a complaint with the Department of Labor and back wages will be paid and the employer will be penalized. Another consequence of raising the minimum wage and the tipped wage is an increase in premium pay. Rhode Island remains the only state in the country that requires employers to pay premium pay to employees who work Sunday and holidays as part of their normal forty (40) hour work week. Testimony on both bills may be emailed to [email protected] The following new bill was filed last week: House Bill No. 8262 Corvese, Azzinaro, Cardillo, McNamara, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WORKERS' COMPENSATION -- BENEFITS (Amends 4 sections relating to the workers' compensation benefits dealing with increasing the amount of dependent benefits payable to a totally disabled employee comprising this year's annual omnibus bill.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8262.pdf Senate Bill No. 3068 Ciccone, F. Lombardi, Bissaillon, Britto, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WORKERS' COMPENSATION -- BENEFITS (Amends 4 sections relating to the workers' compensation benefits dealing with increasing the amount of dependent benefits payable to a totally disabled employee comprising this year's annual omnibus bill.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3068.pdf Last Week At the State House
Revenue Estimating Conference – Economic Forecast Last week S&P Global Market Intelligence (the State’s Economic Consulting Firm) provided their fiscal predictions for the upcoming years. From a United States perspective, the consultants expect growth to slow in 2024, GDP to slow to 1.8% per quarter and the unemployment rate to gradually increase over the next couple years. They expect real corporate borrowing costs to remain up and mortgage rates to decline slowly. Following the US overview, the consultants then take a closer look at Rhode Island. The State’s employment market has remained strong, with growth in the first quarter of 1.9 % compared to the US average of 1.4%. Maine and New Hampshire are starting to experience an employment slow down and Rhode Island is expected to see the same. Our growth came from administrative support services, health services and “professional, scientific and technical” services. Rhode Island has regained all jobs lost during the pandemic, earlier than expected. In the housing market, it came as no surprise that the state has experienced incredible price increases in housing. Rhode Island home prices increased 61% from 2019-2023, 11th in the country. While other states saw increases, the consultant stated those states experienced the change in prices due to domestic migration, but Rhode Island did not see that significant increase in migration. Our price increase likely comes from housing inventory issues. So what are the predictions? Employment growth will decelerate, but remain positive through FY2025 then slip into a modest contraction in retail, profession, scientific and technical, and construction employment. The unemployment rate will increase from 3.6% this fiscal year (FY2024) to 4.1%, then 4.3% and to 4.5% by FY2027. The increase in unemployment will change the current increasing annual wage percentage growth from 7.2% in FY2024 to 3.7% in FY2025, 3.6% in FY2026 and 3.6% in FY2027; which will also cause consumer spending to flatten out. The economists also expect the median cost of existing single-family homes to decrease in 2025, 2026 and 2027, then go back up slightly in 2028 and 2029. This Week At the State House Tuesday, May 7th The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to vote on S.2273, An Act Relating to Commercial Law – Unfair Sales Practices. The bill requires businesses that offer automatic subscription renewals or continuous offers to provide notice to the consumer prior to the automatic renewal of such subscription, provide clear and conspicuous cancellation information with such notice, and provide notice in the manner in which the consumer entered into the contract for automatic subscription renewal in the first instance. Businesses that offer automatic subscription renewals or continuous service offers must provide contract terms to the consumer in a clear and conspicuous manner, prior to the consumer’s engagement in the contract for automatic subscription renewals. If passed, the law would take effect on January 1, 2025. Senate Judiciary has a vote scheduled for S.3041, An Act Relating to Courts and Civil Procedure – Decisions, Special Findings and Assessment of Damages. S.3041 declares that an individual’s “assumption of the risk” when entering a location is not a bar to recovery for injuries or damages to property. As an example, if a person goes to a baseball game and gets injured by a ball that was hit by a batter, the person is considered to assumed the risk of this type of injury when entering the ballfield. If a golfer is standing on the green and gets hit by a stray golf ball, the person is usually considered to assume the risk by stepping on to the golf course. S.3041 changes the legal landscape. Wednesday, May 8th The Governor has asked the House and Senate to consider an amendment to his proposed budget. Amendments are forwarded to the Finance Committees each year as revenues and expenditures change over the months following the submission of the Governor’s Budget. On Wednesday, the House Finance Committee will take testimony on Governor’s Amendment #12. This amendment includes $24.0 million in State Fiscal Recovery Funds allocated to the Unemployment Trust Fund administered by the Department of Labor and Training. The goal is to restore the Unemployment Trust Fund to the pre-pandemic levels, leaving the business community held harmless for the depletion of the fund as a result of the closure of businesses and the fraudulent claims submitted during the pandemic. Thursday, May 9th You may have seen advertisements in the paper or heard commercials on the radio concerning an effort to pass legislation affecting the salaries of health care providers in Rhode Island. South County Hospital has launched a campaign to pass H.8072, An Act Relating to State Affairs and Government – The Rhode Island Health Care Reform Act 2004 – Health Insurance Oversight. The bill changes the 2004 Act by requiring health insurance contracts with hospitals and physicians (beginning in 2028) to pay at rates not less than the regional average rate for services which would include Connecticut and Massachusetts. The rate would be recalculated every two years. Prior to 2028, the bill requires the rates to be set at a rate at least 33.3% of the Rhode Island payment shortfall plus the rate of healthcare inflation They believe this legislation is necessary to ensure adequate access for all Rhode Islanders to primary care and specialty doctors, and advanced practice providers; and to improve the sustainability and quality of Rhode Island’s hospitals. The proponents acknowledge this bill will result in increased costs and premiums; but they also believe that without these adjustments, Rhode Island health care insurance will be insurance that cannot be used, because there will not be enough providers to handle patients. Providers get paid more in Rhode Island’s neighboring states, so it is harder to hire employees. They predict the additional cost to insurance premiums will be $25 per month per employee. The Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget completed a fiscal note on H.8072 and its companion senate bill S.2722. The Office of Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) estimates it will need $750,000 to conduct the data study required under the bill. That study must be completed every two years, so this expense must be budgeted in the appropriate years going forward. OHIC also needs one FTE at an estimated total annual cost of $160,964. The fiscal note focuses on state employees as attempting to determine state-wide impact is outside the scope. The following information is taken verbatim from the RIOMB fiscal note: “OHIC notes that the provider categories impacted by the bill are hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and professional physician. The estimated costs of these claims in 2024 are $36.7 million for hospital inpatient, $49.5 million for hospital outpatient and $37.3 million professional physicians. Currently, rate increases are adjusted by inflation which is assumed at 4 percent year over year. The bill requires rates to be adjusted by 33.33 percent of the Rhode Island payment shortfall plus the rate of healthcare inflation. Therefore, OHIC estimates the bill to increase hospital inpatient and professional physician claims by 11.6 percent and hospital outpatient by 12.9 percent year over year.” FY2025: Current law (baseline increase of 4%): Hospital Inpatient $38.2 million Hospital Outpatient: $51.5 million Professional Physician $38.8 million H.8072/S.2722 Costs: Hospital Inpatient $41.0 million Hospital Outpatient: $55.9 million Professional Physician $40.4 million Assuming 30,000 members on state insurance, incremental impact to the state’s plan equates to approximately $27.92 per month per employee or $335.07 per year. FY2026: Current law (baseline increase of 4%): Hospital Inpatient $39.7 million Hospital Outpatient: $53.6 million Professional Physician $46.5 million H.8072/S.2722 Costs: Hospital Inpatient $45.8 million Hospital Outpatient: $63.2 million Professional Physician $46.5 million In FY2026, the bill results in total increase of $21.7 million compared to current law. Assuming 30,000 members on state insurance, incremental impact to the state’s plan equates to approximately $60.36 per month per employee or $7244.36 per year In FY2027, the bill results in a total increase of $35.3 million compared to current law. Assuming 30,000 members on state insurance, incremental impact to the state’s plan equates to approximately $97.92 per month per employee or $1,175.04 per year. Though an analysis of these expenditure and corresponding impact on market wide insurance premiums is beyond the scope of this fiscal note, the Budget Office consulted with OHIC to gather additional information and context. OHIC’s analysis finds that the annual cost to a family of four is project to be $3,768 to $4,057. Over three years, a family of four is estimated to contribute $7,165 to $7,598 of future compensation toward achieving regional rate parity by 2028. This does not include other factors, such as prescription drug trend, that will increase Rhode Islanders’ premiums and out of pocket health care costs in the future. The following new bill was filed last week: Senate Bill No. 3027 Ruggerio, McKenney, Felag, Sosnowski, LaMountain, Lawson, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Reduces the sales tax from seven percent (7%) to six and one-half percent (6 ½%).) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3027.pdf Senate Bill No. 3032 Picard, Pearson, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Authorizes a retroactive tax credit for tax yr 2022/thereafter/allowing investment tax credits to be passed through to the personal income tax returns of eligible Sub-S corporation shareholders/limited liability company members who meet certain conditions) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3032.pdf Senate Bill No. 3041 F. Lombardi, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- DECISIONS, SPECIAL FINDINGS AND ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES (Adds the doctrine of assumption of risk to the current comparative negligence statute.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S3041.pdf Last Week At the State House
The Senate Labor Committee passed two bills of particular note, sending them to the Senate floor for a vote Tuesday, April 30th. S.2123 SubA, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Payment of Wages, was amended by the committee. Today employers must include with wage payments, an account of the hours worked, deductions from gross earnings and an explanation of those deductions. This legislation adds: the number of piece-rate units earned and any applicable piece rate if the employee is paid on a piece-rate basis; the amount and purpose of each itemized deduction in understandable language; net wages earned; the inclusive dates of the period for which the employee is paid; the name of the employee and the last four digits of the employee's social security number or an employee identification number, other than a social security number; the name and address of the legal entity that is the employer; and all applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding number of hours worked, at each hourly rate by the employee. The amended bill (S.2123 SubA) still includes the requirement to provide employees a type of “mini employee handbook” in English. The reference to the employee’s primary language was removed by the committee. The information includes items such as: wage information, benefits, holiday information, sick time, and travel and expense policies, hourly employee status or exempt status. The bill, as written, would become effective upon passage. S.2473 SubA, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Workplace Psychological Safety Act was also amended slightly. The bill begins by stating that employees have a right to a physically safe work environment and to a psychologically safe workplace. Employers have a “general duty” to provide a work environment free from all forms of psychological abuse and to ensure that all employees are treated respectfully and with dignity. “Psychological abuse” is defined as “mentally provocative harassment. Mistreatment that has the effect of hurting, weakening, confusing, or frightening a person mentally or emotionally.” The bill was amended by changing the definition of “Bullying” to include only employer-to employee” abuse. However, the SubA still includes language prohibiting employees to engage in psychological abuse with other employees, and then holding the employer liable for allowing psychological abuse to occur in the workplace. Within six months of enactment, the bill currently states all employers must adopt policy procedures to comply with the law and to train managers and supervisors to handle complaints. The SubA changes the complaint process for employees. Employees of public entities file with the Department of Labor and Training. Employees of private employers file in Superior Court. Penalties still include economic, compensatory and punitive damages. A person who experiences psychological abuse may present a case using direct and circumstantial evidence, and if successful may request public notification of the case outcome without disclosing the plaintiff’s name. The SubA can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText24/SenateText24/S2473A.pdf This Week At the State House Tuesday, April 30th Both the Senate Rules Committee and the House Committee on State Government & Elections are scheduled to vote on bills (S.2727 and H.7759) that require the department of transportation to prepare a monthly "Washington Bridge snapshot report." This report would contain information on the progress of repairs and other actions (including travel times) pertaining to the Washington Bridge. This information would be public via posting on the legislative website. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/Proposed24/S2727A.pdf https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/Proposed24/H7759A.pdf Wednesday, May 1st S.2535 is scheduled for a committee vote on Wednesday. The bill requires businesses located within an Environmental Justice Zone to complete a Cumulative Impact Analysis (CIA) and submit it with an application for a new permit or a permit renewal. The CIA requires the applicant to consider past, present and future impacts that derive directly from the applicant’s activities as well as the activities of those entities around them. It is meant to help the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) make emission decisions. It is a complex program and detail intense. However, because DEM is the only agency with all the information needed to complete the analysis (data related to other entities in the area), an applicant may be unable to meet the requirement and all permits, and permit renewals would presumably be rejected if the data cannot be obtained. There are businesses that operate in what may now be considered an Environmental Justice Zone that provide extremely important products and services to Rhode Islanders and to the economy. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2535.pdf Thursday, May 2nd Taxes are the topic of the day in the House Finance Committee on Thursday. This is a hearing with acceptance of public testimony. H.7338, An Act Relating to Taxation – Personal Income Tax, imposes a Rhode Island personal income surtax of three percent (3%) on taxable income over $1,000,000, with the existing three-bracket personal income tax structure remaining in place. This surtax would be imposed on taxable income after all modifications, standard deductions, and exemptions have been applied; and would apply to tax years ending December 31, 2025 and beyond. The additional revenue would be placed in a restricted receipt account to be used for child care, public education, roads and bridges and public transportation. The language in the bill calls this program a “Surtax on millionaires.” https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7338.pdf H.7489, An Act Relating to Taxation – Business Corporations Tax, reduces the corporate minimum tax from $400 to $350 starting in tax year 2025. This proposal is identical to the Governor’s proposal in his budget. According to the House Fiscal Staff, the proposed change is expected to impact nearly 77,000 entities. The FY 2025 recommendation lowers revenues by $2.3 million to account for a half year impact; annualized the loss would be $4.7 million. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7489.pdf H.7928, An Act Relating to Taxation - Business Corporations Tax, repeals the minimum corporate tax in its entirety immediately upon passage. Using the estimated tax impact of a $50 decrease in the Corporate Minimum Tax of $4.7 million, the impact of a repeal of the tax would be about $37.6 million annualized. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7928.pdf Federal Department of Labor Announces Change in the Overtime Rule (Below is the DOL’s press release announcing the change in rule) Rule ensures salaried workers making less than $58,656 receive fair pay for long hours WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris administration today announced a final rule that expands overtime protections for millions of the nation’s lower-paid salaried workers by increasing the salary thresholds required to exempt a salaried bona fide executive, administrative or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary threshold will increase to the equivalent of an annual salary of $43,888 and increase to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. The July 1 increase updates the present annual salary threshold of $35,568 based on the methodology used by the prior administration in the 2019 overtime rule update. On Jan. 1, 2025, the rule’s new methodology takes effect, resulting in the additional increase. In addition, the rule will adjust the threshold for highly compensated employees. Starting July 1, 2027, salary thresholds will update every three years, by applying up-to-date wage data to determine new salary levels. “This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid more for that time,” said Acting Secretary Julie Su. “Too often, lower-paid salaried workers are doing the same job as their hourly counterparts but are spending more time away from their families for no additional pay. That is unacceptable. The Biden-Harris administration is following through on our promise to raise the bar for workers who help lay the foundation for our economic prosperity.” The department conducted extensive engagement with employers, workers, unions and other stakeholders before issuing its proposed rule in September 2023, and considered more than 33,000 comments in developing its final rule. The updated rule defines and delimits who is a bona fide executive, administrative and professional employee exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime protections. “The Department of Labor is ensuring that lower-paid salaried workers receive their hard-earned pay or get much-deserved time back with their families,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “This rule establishes clear, predictable guidance for employers on how to pay employees for overtime hours and provides more economic security to the millions of people working long hours without overtime pay.” Key provisions of the final rule include the following: · Expanding overtime protections to lower-paid salaried workers. · Giving more workers pay or valuable time back with their family: By better identifying which employees are executive, administrative or professional employees who should be overtime exempt, the final rule ensures that those employees who are not exempt receive time-and-a-half pay when working more than 40 hours in a week or gain more time with their families. · Providing for regular updates to ensure predictability. The rule establishes regular updates to the salary thresholds every three years to reflect changes in earnings. This protects future erosion of overtime protections so that they do not become less effective over time. The rule’s effective date is July 1, 2024. Learn more about the department’s efforts to restore and extend overtime protections. Agency Wage and Hour Division Date April 23, 2024 Release Number 24-717-NAT The following new bill was filed last week: House Bill No. 8208 Slater, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ORDINANCES (Allows town and city councils to impose penalties for the violation of ordinances and regulations not exceeding the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000).) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8208.pdf The General Assembly begins the last phase of the legislative session this week. The Revenue Estimating Conference gets underway April 26th and finishes May 10th, preparing the way for the creation of the final FY2025 budget. Voting on bills intensifies. Both the House and Senate are working toward a goal of finishing the 2024 session in June. Following the summary of activities scheduled for this week is a brief update of the Public Utilities Commission’s Future of Natural Gas Activities.
This Week At the State House Wednesday, April 24th The Senate Labor Committee will be voting on six bills at 4:30 pm in Room 211. The Chamber expects amendments – known as SubAs – to be offered prior to passage; however, the Committee has not posted the changes yet. SubAs are usually posted up to 24 hours prior to the meeting. S.2122, An Act Relating to Corporations – Workers’ Cooperatives, provides exclusive benefits to cooperatives. Established in 2017, the General Assembly passed a law allowing the creation of an entity where individuals could complete a probationary period as a part-time or full-time employee and become a voting member of the company. The entity is taxed as a corporation. The law also states, “To the extent that a workers’ cooperative has shareholders (owners) who are employees (members), the workers’ cooperative shall be subject to the provisions of title 28 related to employees including, but not limited to: department of labor and training payroll taxes, temporary disability insurance, state unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.” S.2122 adds a new operational model for cooperatives. It allows co-ops to adopt, in its bylaws, the ability to furnish skilled labor from its members to other entities and to treat those members as independent contractors for that purpose – not as an employee of the co-op. This would allow a co-op to compete with similar businesses at a fiscal advantage. S.2123, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Payment of Wages, changes an employer’s responsibilities as it relates to providing employees with statements of earnings. Today employers must include the hours worked, deductions from gross earnings and an explanation of those deductions. The legislation adds items such as the last four digits of the social security number, deduction explanations, the employer’s address and name, and output information if pay is based on quantity. S.2123 requires employers to provide a type of “mini employee handbook” to employees in English or in each employee’s primary language. The information includes items such as: wage information, benefits, holiday information, sick time, and travel and expense policies. DataUSA reports that 22.4% of Rhode Island households report speaking a primary language other than English. While the most common non-English language spoken in Rhode Island is Spanish followed by Portuguese, there are reportedly forty-one languages spoken as a primary language in the State. Some families are fluent in both their primary language and English, others are not. S.2124, Senate Resolution Creating a Special Legislative Commission to Study and Review Rhode Island’s Minimum Wage – calls for an eleven-member commission to be appointed to conduct an in-depth study of the state’s minimum wage and to report its findings by May 24, 2025. S.2472, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Workers Compensation seems like a movie re-run in that it calls for independent contractors to file annually with the Department of Labor. A similar bill passed last year and became effective January 1, 2024. The court reviewed the statute and determined the language required further revision to clarify the intent of the Act. S.2472 specifies that independent contractors must file annually for each client to be legally considered an individual contractor. The process is simple. To file DWC-11-IC form online, go to: https://dlt.ri.gov/workers-compensation/independent-contractors If you are a company that hires independent contractors, the Chamber encourages you to verify the form has been filed. S.2473, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Workplace Psychological Safety Act. The bill begins by stating that employees have a right to a physically safe work environment and to a psychologically safe workplace. Employers have a “general duty” to provide a work environment free from all forms of psychological abuse and to ensure that all employees are treated respectfully and with dignity. “Psychological abuse” is defined as “mentally provocative harassment. Mistreatment that has the effect of hurting, weakening, confusing, or frightening a person mentally or emotionally.” Within six months of enactment, the bill currently states all employers must adopt policy procedures to comply with the law and train managers and supervisors to handle complaints. S.2473 includes an annual reporting process. Employers are liable for failing to take appropriate measures to provide employees with a psychologically safe work environment. Penalties include economic, compensatory and punitive damages. Any person who aids, abets, incites, or coerces another person in an action not permitted under the legislation is also guilty. A person who experiences psychological abuse may present a case using direct and circumstantial evidence, and if successful may request public notification of the case outcome without disclosing the plaintiff’s name. S.2785, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Labor Relations Act, proposes to protect the free speech rights of employees in the workplace, but it also limits the first amendment rights of employers. S.2785 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. Public Utilities Docket No. 22-01-NG – Investigation Into the Future of the Regulated Gas Distribution Business in Rhode Island in Light of the Act on Climate Since March, 2023, the PUC Stakeholder Committee has been gathering data on various users of natural gas, alternative options that might be available for use, and costs of decommissioning the current natural gas system. The Act on Climate, passed into law in 2021, requires Rhode Island to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2030, 80% below 1990 levels by 2040 and Net-zero emissions by 2050. The PUC hired Energy and Environmental Economics (known as E3) an analytically driven consulting firm focused on the transition to clean energy resources to assist in the analysis. The Firm released is 122-page report this month. The Stakeholder group will take this report, along with additional information, and develop policy recommendations. They will look to create a list of near-term actionable items, recognizing areas of common agreement and diversion of opinions. The group will discuss concrete policies and determine which policies are within the jurisdiction of the PUC and which actions are non-jurisdictional. E3 designed six economy-wide decarbonization scenarios that each present distinct pathways to achieving the Act’s climate targets:
gas infrastructure;
alternative to gas investments;
and renewable fuels. A few key findings:
The full report will be available on the PUC website soon. The Stakeholder Committee meets again this week April 25th from 10am to 3pm at the PUC office in Warwick. The following new bills have been filed: Senate Bill No. 2988 F. Lombardi, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RHODE ISLAND COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND LAND USE ACT (Provides amendments relative to the compliance and implementation of the comprehensive planning and use act including the conditions upon which limitations may be placed on land use applications by municipalities.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2988.pdf Senate Bill No. 2992 Kallman, McKenney, Burke, AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- ABANDONED PROPERTY (Requires towns and cities to publish a list of abandoned properties and makes various other amendments relative to the sale of abandoned property by a receiver.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2992.pdf Senate Bill No. 2994 McKenney, Burke, LaMountain, Kallman, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES (Amends provisions relative to the application of zoning ordinances pertaining to wetland buffers to projects for development, redevelopment, construction or rehabilitation.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2994.pdf Legislative Break April 15 – 20
The General Assembly is on vacation break this week. They will return April 23rd for the third phase of the session. This last phase is marked with the development and passage of the final budget which should take place in June. The House and Senate Finance Committees have almost completed hearings on the Governor’s proposed budget. They will now wait for the completion of the May Revenue Estimating Conference. The Governor’s Budget Staff meets with the House Fiscal Staff and the Senate Fiscal Staff to debate and adopt revenue and caseload estimates for the upcoming two fiscal years. These numbers will be used by the General Assembly as the guardrails for the budget. May Revenue Estimating Conference Agenda Friday April 26, 2024 – Caseload Testimony 9:00 A.M Cash Assistance Caseload Department of Human Services Private Community Developmental Disabilities Services Caseload Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals 1:00 P.M. Medical Caseload Executive Office of Health and Human Services Monday April 29, 2024 - Economic Overview and Testimony 9:00 A.M. US and RI Economic Forecasts – S&P Global Market Intelligence Michael Lynch and Juan Turcios, Economists RI Labor Market Conditions - Department of Labor and Training Donna Murray, Assistance Director, Labor Market Information Unit Consensus Economic Forecast 10:30 A.M. Lottery Receipts - Department of Revenue, Division of Lottery Mark Furcolo, Director, Division of Lottery Commerce Corporation Tax Credits - Commerce Corporation Jeff Miller, Executive Vice President of Investments, RI Commerce Corporation Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - Caseload Follow up Testimony (if necessary)* 1:00 P.M. Cash Assistance Caseload Department of Human Services Private Community Developmental Disabilities Services Caseload Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals Medical Caseload Executive Office of Health and Human Services Monday, May 6, 2024 – Caseload Estimating Conference 9:30 A.M. Caseload Estimating Conference Monday, May 6, 2024 - Revenue Testimony 2:00 P.M. Tax Collections - Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation Neena Savage, State Tax Administrator Accruals - Department of Administration, Office of Accounts and Control Dorothy Pascale, State Controller Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – Follow up Testimony (if necessary)* 1:00 P.M. Tax Collections - Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation Neena Savage, State Tax Administrator Friday, May 10, 2024 - Revenue Estimating Conference 9:00 A.M. Revenue Estimating Conference *in the event that testimony is submitted in writing and no hearing is necessary, all documents will be posted online. Meeting materials will be made available on the General Assembly website at https://www.rilegislature.gov/Special/rcc/Pages/rcec.aspx or http://omb.ri.gov/REC . The following new bill was filed last week: House Bill No. 8170 Shallcross Smith, Craven, Ackerman, Kislak, Noret, DeSimone, Nardone, Fellela, Baginski, J. Lombardi, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- CONTRACTORS' REGISTRATION AND LICENSING BOARD (Requires all applicants who seek to register as a contractor to produce a legible copy of a valid government issued identification.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8170.pdf Call to Action – Now is the Time! The Chamber Needs Your Help!
The Chamber is asking you to contact your State Representative and State Senator and let them know how H.7171 and S.2121 will affect your business. H.7171, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Temporary Disability Insurance, (S.2121 is the identical bill) increases the weekly dependance allowance provided under TDI/TCI from $10 to $20 or 7% of the benefit rate, whichever is greater. The bill also expands the TCI benefit to cover employees who wish to take time to care for a sibling (including half-siblings and foster siblings), a grandchild or a “care recipient.” A “care recipient” is defined as “a person for whom the employee is responsible for providing or arranging health or safety related care, including, but not limited to, helping the person obtain diagnostic, preventive, routine, or therapeutic health treatment.” Lastly, the TCI benefit increases to 12 weeks in a benefit year beginning January 1, 2025. This benefit was first extended to employees in 2014 at 4 weeks. It increased to 5 weeks in 2022 and to 6 weeks in 2023. The employer is required to hold the job for the employee that is on leave. It is imperative that you contact your legislators by phone, or email. Both bills are being pushed heavily by the advocates and are under consideration. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7171.pdf Legislative Break Week Begins April 15th The General Assembly will be on legislative break April 15th – April 19th and will return to hearing calendars and floor session April 23rd. This will begin the third phase of the legislative process as bills begin to pass at an accelerated rate. The May Revenue Estimating Conference starts April 26th and will wrap up May 10th, providing the data needed to begin the final negotiations for the FY2025 budget. This Week At the State House Wednesday, April 10th The House Labor Committee’s 4:00 meeting schedule includes H.7793, An Act Relating to Labor Relations – Rhode Island Parental and Family Medical Leave Act which increases the number of benefit weeks provided to employees from thirteen weeks every two years, to twenty-four weeks every two years (S.2467 is the Senate companion bill). While the Chamber understands that this is unpaid leave, the employer must still keep the employee’s job waiting for the person’s return. Employers are having an extremely difficult time attracting employees. Finding temporary workers can be even more challenging. Should H.7793 pass, employers will be looking for replacements for almost six months, at a time when they cannot find employees for a full year. This is a very high burden at a time when businesses are least able to adapt. Additionally, should the proponents of the expansion of the state’s Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program be successful, the expansion of Family Leave, together with the expansion of TCI would leave employers trying to find replacement employees for up to nine months. The Chamber strongly encourages you to contact your legislators about this proposal as well as the proposal to expand the TCI program (H.7171 and S.2121). The Senate has already passed both S.2467 and S.2121. Both Senate bills are in the House Labor Committee. H.7793 can be viewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7793.pdf Testimony can be emailed to [email protected] by 1:00 Wednesday. At 4:30, the Senate Labor Committee will take testimony on S.2477, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Payment of Wages – Frequency of Payment. This bill requires all employers to pay employees on a weekly basis unless an employee’s wages are fixed at a biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly or annual rate. S.2477 provides an exemption for state and municipalities as well as any nonprofit organization with less than 25 employees. In 2013, the business community fought hard to pass biweekly pay for all employees. The compromise reached allowed the Department of Labor and Training to authorize biweekly pay for businesses with an average payroll equal to 200% of the state’s minimum wage, a surety bond equal to the highest two weeks payroll exposure, and no history of labor violations. S.2477 removes the 2013 compromise language. Today, Rhode Island has one of the strictest “frequency of payment” laws in the country. (CA requires weekly pay for agricultural workers; NY requires weekly pay for manual workers although large employers may apply for an exemption; VT requires weekly pay although permits biweekly pay if employers provide written notice of the policy change). If this is of interest to your business, testimony can be submitted to: [email protected] To read the actual language of the bill go to: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2477.pdf The Washington Bridge continues to be a major focus at the State House. The Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight has scheduled S.2727, An Act Relating to State Affairs and Government – Department of Transportation for hearing and a possible vote. S.2727 requires the Department of Transportation to submit a monthly progress report to the General Assembly. The report must include (1) An updated timeline regarding actions to be undertaken on the Washington Bridge, including, repairs, alterations, or replacement of all or a portion of the structures. (2) A list of consulting firms retained or utilized by the department. (3) Data on traffic patterns over the bridge for the time period covered by the report. (4) Data on traffic delays. (5) An overview of costs related to actions on the bridge, and (6) Any updates pertaining to pending investigations and audits related to the bridge. The hearing will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61 for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34. Livestreaming is available at https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv The following new bills have been filed: House Bill No. 8127 Alzate, Batista, Carson, Spears, Cotter, McGaw, Donovan, DeSimone, Speakman, Morales, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACT (Establishes requirements which would have to be met by an applicant prior to the issuing of permits for an activity that would have an environmental impact on or would increase the cumulative impacts on an environmental justice area.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8127.pdf House Bill No. 8143 Kislak, Cotter, Fogarty, Potter, Cruz, Boylan, McGaw, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- PHARMACIES (Restricts audits of pharmacists conducted by insurers and their intermediaries, limiting audits to 1 per year unless fraud or misrepresentation is reasonably suspected. The Rhode Island attorney would have the authority to impose sanctions for violations.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8143.pdf House Bill No. 8148 (Attorney General) Cortvriend, Tanzi, Knight, Finkelman, Handy, Edwards, Fogarty, Azzinaro, McNamara, Speakman, AN ACT RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL (Replaces the coastal resources management council with a state department of coastal resources and transfers all of the powers and duties between the two (2) authorities.) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H8148.pdf Senate Bill No. 2946 Cano, Mack, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES (Mandates all insurance plans provide insurance coverage for diagnosing and treating infertility for women between the ages of 25 and 42 years including preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF).) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2946.pdf |
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