Coming up in Committee: Thirteen Sets of Bills Scheduled to be Heard by the RI General Assembly, May 29 - May 31

Getting up to speed after the long weekend...

Local Impact: Barrington Bristol, Burrilliville, Cranston, Exeter, for all intents and purposes, Middletown 2, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, South Kingstown, Warren 2, Warwick 2, West Greenwich.

13. H8188: Prohibits RI Resource Recovery Corporation facilities from accepting "any construction and demolition debris" (H Environment and Natural Resources; Tue, May 29). This bill involves the oft-seen pattern of Johnston's State Reps acting like a board of directors for the Resource Recovery Corp.

12. H8207/H8208/H8209/H8210/H8211: $8.55M of bonds for the town of Coventry (H Finance; Tue, May 29). So far, no rumors that any Coventry reps will be offering tearful motions to recommit the bills, if they make it to the House floor.

11. S2792: "Beginning on or before January 1, 2013 each electric distribution company shall, to the extent eligible projects are available and conforming applications are submitted, fund investments in at least twenty megawatts of combined heat and power installations at commercial, institutional or industrial facilities" (S Environment and Agriculture; Wed, May 30).

10. S2962: Ceremonial resolution, asking the Federal government to lift the ban on legalizing sports betting and other forms of wagering in states where it is not currently allowed (like Rhode Island, for instance) (S Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs; Wed, May 30).

9. S2036: From the official description: "This act would allow for shared service administration of OPEB [other post-employment benefit] trusts between municipalities. It would also allow city and town councils and regional school districts to jointly establish a corporation to manage and operate OPEB trust" (S Finance; Tue, May 29).

8. H7950/S2659: Gives city and town solicitors the power to investigate false claims against the state and municipalities, and bring civil actions against the perpetrators (H Judiciary; Wed, May 30).

7. S2553: Government funded "family planning" through "eligibility pursuant to section 1902(a)(10)(A)(ii)(XXI) of the social security act" (Medicaid?) for individuals "whose income is no greater than two-hundred fifty percent (250%) of the federal poverty level" (S Finance; Tue, May 29).

6B. S2887: Various measures to establish "health insurance standards in addition to, but not inconsistent with" Obamacare, including a prohibition on limiting or excluding healthcare coverage based on pre-existing conditions (S Health and Human Services; Tue, May 29).

6A. S2287: Instructs the state health insurance commissioner to phase out the use of fee-for-service medicine in Rhode Island (S Health and Human Services; Tue, May 29).

5. S2361: Detailed procedures for dealing with and possibly altering a patient's "medical order for life sustaining treatment" (MOLST), defined as a "request regarding resuscitative measures that directs a health care provider regarding resuscitative and life sustaining measures" (H Health, Education and Welfare; Wed, May 30).

4. H7859: An attempt to bring independent electioneering expenditures under a campaign-finance regime. Anyone -- including individuals, not just corporations -- who wants to independently spend more than $250 in a calendar year supporting/opposing a candidate for office or a position in a referendum would have to register with the Board of Elections (H Judiciary; Tue, May 29). Also, S2336 extends parts of campaign finance regulation to local financial town meetings & referendums (S Judiciary; Tue, May 29).

3. S2870: Authorization of the East Bay Energy Consortium as a subsidiary of the RI Economic Development Corporation, basically putting the EDC into the wind-farm business (S Environment and Agriculture; Wed, May 30).

2. S3001/H8213: Regulation of casino tables games (assuming the passage of a constitutional amendment allowing them (Joint H & S Finance; Tue, May 29). You can follow Justin's liveblog of the fast-tracked hearing for this bill, at the Ocean State Current.

1. H7323: The budget bill (H Finance; Thu, May 31).