March 3, 2011

Rhode Island House

Bills Introduced to the Rhode Island House by Committee, February 15-16

Carroll Andrew Morse
Corporations Committee
Environment and Natural Resources Committee
Finance Committee
Health, Education, and Welfare
Municipal Government Committee
Labor

Corporations:

Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact

H5386Licensing of underground utility contractors
H5422Prohibits certain contract provisions between health plans and institutional providers
H5423Regulates propane gas sales.
H5424"A contract for the retail sale of propane gas that offers a guaranteed price plan, including a ceiling price cap plan contract and any other similar plan, must be disclosed in a way to clearly define the terms and conditions of the price plan".

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5320Requires auto dealerships to maintain records on vehicle maintenance for a period of five years.
H5381"the health insurance commissioner shall conduct a review of the impact of each proposed state benefit mandate proposed by the general assembly after January 1, 2012".
H5384An auto-body repair shop can lose its license for soliciting on behalf of any tow, auto body, or auto repair business at the site of an accident.
H5385From the official description: "This act would prohibit insurers from requiring optometrists to participate in a subsidiary’s or third-party vision care plan as a condition for participation in the insurer’s participating provider panel".
H5425Requires "every entity providing a nonprofit dental service plan" to notify participating dentists of coverage changes no later the 30 days after the changes come into effect.
H5426Requires insurance policies to contain the language explaining their cancellation rules.
H5427Health care utilization review procedures must follow standards "adopted by one or more national medical specialty practice association"

Environment and Natural Resources:

Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact

H5388Restructures the Coastal Resources Management council in a way consistent with separation of powers.
H5390Establishes a commission on clean-energy biofuels.
H5428 The bottle bill.

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5321Permits with expirations dates issued by the Department of Environmental Management will be "tolled" until July 1, 2013. Basically, this means that a new expiration date for a permit is calculated, by taking the number of days currently remaining on a permit, and adding them to July 1, 2013.
H5387Mandates specific areas for the Department of Agriculture within the Department of Environmental Management to get involved in.
H5389Permits with expirations dates issued by the Department of Environmental Management will be "tolled" until July 1, 2013. Basically, this means that a new expiration date for a permit is calculated, by taking the number of days currently remaining on a permit, and adding them to July 1, 2013.
H5391Repeals the requirement that "Water suppliers shall formulate and carry out a program for installation of radio frequency reading systems...initiated not later than December 31, 2012".
H5429From the official description: "This act would eliminate the requirement of the department of environmental management approval of an individual sewage disposal system, if the system is designed by a designer".

Finance:

Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact

H5325Establishes zero-based budgeting procedures for the state budget.
H5330From the official description: "This act would authorize the disability business enterprise committee to determine the fair market price of commodities and services which are contained on the procurement list and which are offered for sale to the government by any certified rehabilitation facility or small disadvantaged businesses owned and controlled by persons with disabilities [and] require the department of administration to issue regulations for awarding contracts to small disadvantaged businesses owned and controlled by persons with disabilities..."
H5393From the official description: "This act would establish the emergency communication and public telecommunication access fund to create an emergency communication program for the deaf and hard-of-hearing".
H5397Repeal of the Caruolo Act.
H5399Creates a separate education aid "funding formula" component for regional school districts (on top of what they get from the new "funding formula").
H5431Establishes an office of Inspector General for Rhode Island
H5437Creates a "mandatory utility bill payment assistance program for low-income residential customers of regulated utilities".
H5438From the official description: "limit[s] any future Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation guarantee to any one entity to ten million dollars ($10,000,000)".

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5322Ends the automatic annual 7.5% increase in "tipping fees" that the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation charges to municipalities for recycling.
H5323Would exempt "horses used in commercial farming operations" and "feed for animals used in commercial farming" from the state sales tax.
H5324Establishes a fund to be "utilized to create emergency communication and public telecommunication access accommodations for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. (But other than saying that it may take donations and grants, doesn't provide a source of funding for the fund.)
H5326From the official description: "This act would provide that if a recipient under the Rhode Island works program works a minimum of twenty-five (25) hours per week, then they would be eligible to receive a subsidy for educational or job training programs".
H5327"Debt service that is no longer carried on the books of any regional school district shall not be included in any annual regional school district budget" and "nor shall non-reoccurring debt service" of regional districts shall not be included in maintenance-effort-calculations. I'm assuming there's a specific case motivating this bill. Anyone know what it is?
H5328The General Assembly's health co-pay would be equal to the highest co-pay specified in a contract or collective bargaining agreement.
H5329Raises from $1,600 to $3,500 the amount received in donations to pay for a funeral, that will not count towards eligibility for receiving public assistance for funeral expenses.
H5331From the official description: "This act would subject the recording of attachments, executions and mechanics' liens to a $4.00 surcharge for the benefit of the Rhode Island Historical Records Trust".
H5392Allows communities which did not take the option 95% maintenance of effort in FY2010 or FY2011 the opportunity to do so in FY2012.
H5394The RI Airport Corporation will give the City of Warwick each year an amount of $5,000,000 plus a 3% annual increase.
H5395Imposes a fee of $5 for each EBT card issued for receiving public assistance.
H5396Allows the Board of Regents for Education to increase the number of school days required in a district, if the district does not demonstrate progress.
H5398Orders divestiture of state agencies from Hess Corporation, because of its participation in the Weaver's Cove LNG project.
H5432Adds a one-cent per ounce tax to bottled soft drinks.
H5433From the official description: "This act would provide that bonds for school housing projects could be issued by or from communities with a stand alone investment grade rating of at least 'A'".
H5434Excludes mammography services from the state's 2.0% imaging charges surcharge.
H5435Extends the increased video lottery terminal income received by the Lincoln and Newport by one year.
H5436Increases the share of video lottery terminal income given to Lincoln.

Health, Education, and Welfare:

Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact

H5332Total prohibition on "alcohol energy drinks" in Rhode Island. Companion to S0256
H5334Requires calorie-labeling of public school food-service offerings (of course, it's not going to do much until, until the state fixes its system-wide problem with mathematics education).
H5335Total prohibition on "alcohol energy drinks" in Rhode Island (Except for some funky font-spacing, I can't find any difference between this bill and H5332. Why is there a duplicate submission?)
H5401Changes to the medical marijuana law.
H5440Relates to school sports and concussions. Athletes must be "baseline tested" before the season, trainers no longer required to attend a concussion training course, and a "healthcare professional" instead of a physician can clear a player after a concussion.

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5333Requires flashing lights on snow-removal vehicles (but only while removing snow, and not including snow blowers)
H5400Prohibits the commissioner of education from adopting any rules and regulations from other state agencies.
H5403Adds methylenedioxymethcathinone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, methylmethcathinone, and methoxymethcathinone and fluoromethcathinone to the schedule of controlled substances.
H5439Adds the wording "WARNING: SMOKING CIGARETTES CONTRIBUTES TO LUNG DISEASE, HEART DISEASE, STROKE AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND DURING PREGNANCY MAY RESULT IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND PREMATURE BIRTH. WANT TO QUIT? CALL 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP or visit www.quitworksrhodeisland.org" to required signage associated with cigarette sales.
H5441Seeking a nursing license would require a criminal background check.

Municipal Government:

Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact

H5380Changes long-term land use planning requirements imposed by the state.

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5373Cities, towns, and state departments that own land within designated Coastal Resource Management Council rights-of-way shall designated a portion of the land that they deem necessary for public parking.
H5374From the official description: "This act would provide that if during any fiscal year the state reimbursement to cities and towns and school districts is insufficient to cover the costs of state mandates as reported by the department of revenue, those affected cities, towns and school districts may cease implementation of state mandates at their discretion up to fifty percent (50%) of the value of the reimbursement shortfall".
H5375Changes to regulations on historical cemeteries. Companion to S0028.
H5376Would allow ordinances to be electronically disseminated.
H5377From the official description: "This act would eliminate the requirement that any community water system serving a population of ten thousand (10,000) or more has to directly deliver a full copy of the consumer confidence report to each household...that receives water from that system".
H5378Authorizes special license plates for the Bristol Fourth of July Committee.
H5379Repeals the requirement that school bus routes be inspected for safety hazards by the Chief of Police prior to the school year.
H5416Officials elected for the first time in 2012 or after are not legible for the state retirement system, as a benefit of their elected office.
H5460Increases to 99 from 75 the numbers of days that a retiree can work for a municipality without forfeiting retirement benefits.
H5461Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any municipal recreation department may request a background check from their local police department for any employee or volunteer serving their community.

Labor:

Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact

H5415Exempts state construction projects under $1 million in cases of new construction, and under $500 thousand in cases of alterations or repairs from prevailing wage laws.
H5459The George Nee Economic Development Act.
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H5384 An auto-body repair shop can lose its license for soliciting on behalf of any tow, auto body, or auto repair business at the site of an accident.

If only everyone knew who listens to the police radio. I have seen fist fights between tow operators over who got there first.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 3, 2011 10:17 PM

H5384 An auto-body repair shop can lose its license for soliciting on behalf of any tow, auto body, or auto repair business at the site of an accident.

If only everyone knew who listens to the police radio. I have seen fist fights between tow operators over who got there first.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 3, 2011 10:18 PM

"I have seen fist fights between tow operators over who got there first."

Really? Then how come I've had to wait two hours to get a truck out?

Posted by: Patrick at March 4, 2011 12:05 AM

Posted by Patrick
"I have seen fist fights between tow operators over who got there first."

Really? Then how come I've had to wait two hours to get a truck out?"

I don't know how cut throat it is here, but I did notice the huge amounts tow operators gave to Cianci.

Around most larger cities "gypsy" tow operators cruise while tuned to police reports of accidents. They hope to get there before the police contact the operator favored by the police. When they arrive simultaneously, it can be nasty.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at March 4, 2011 6:07 PM

As long as we're on this topic, does anyone here know if the Providence Auto Body vs. the insurance companies battle that's been the subject of a radio commercial battle for most of the last decade involves something specific to RI, of if something similar is happening in other places?

Posted by: Andrew at March 4, 2011 8:17 PM
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