An Update from the State House

An Update from the State House
The pace at the General Assembly began to pick up as the end of the week approached.  Last week 126 House bills were filed as were 143 Senate bills.  Not all of the new business-related bills are included in this report, but you will see them in upcoming editions of UTD.  We have received requests to include the sponsors’ names on the bills that have been filed. We are adding that information for your use.
 
What’s in the Governor’s FY2019 Budget
 
Article 5 – Relating to Capital Development Program
Article 5 lays out the various bond referendum questions for the upcoming election.  The $368.5 million proposal is divided into three separate questions:
 
1.  Rhode Island School Buildings - $250 million
If approved, the state could issue up to $250 million in general obligation bonds over a five year period for the purpose of renovating schools or building new schools as determined by the School Building Authority (powers and duties of the Authority are amended in Article 9 of the proposed Budget).  No more than $100 million in bonds could be issued in any single year.
 
2.  Higher Education Facilities - $70 million
This bond calls for $45 million to repair and construct new facilities on the URI Narragansett Bay Campus as well as $25 million to renovate the Horace Mann Hall at RI College.  The Horace Mann Hall houses the School of Education and Human Development.
 
3.  Green Economy and Clean Water - $48.5 million
If approved, this bond would address ten different initiatives:
            a.  $5 million to match grants given to public and non-profit entities for restoring or improving coastal habitats, and restoring rivers and stream floodplains. 
            b.  $6.1 million for clean water and drinking water infrastructure improvements.  The budget states that projects include “wastewater treatment upgrades and storm water quality improvements to combine sewage overflow abatement projects.”
            c.  $5 million for wastewater treatment facility improvements.  The money is expected to match a 50% grant for the projects.
            d.  $4.4 million for the repairing and/or removing state-owned dams
            e.  $10 million for improvements to state recreational facilities, including Fort Adams State Park.
            f.  $5 million for the design, repair and construction of bide paths including the East Bay bike path.
            g.  $4 million for brownfield remediation.  This money would be used to obtain grants and could be given to public, private or non-profit entities.
            h.  $5 million to be combined with matching grant money to purchase, develop or rehabilitate recreational facilities.
            i.  $2 million for a State Farmland Access Program to purchase rights to agricultural lands for preservation purposes.
            j.  $2 million to be used to match grant money to municipalities, local land trust and non-profit organizations to purchase open space.
 
Article 6 – Relating to Licensing
Article 6 addresses the governance of business licensing and fees.  First, it seeks to reorganize the licensing of a number of professions.  The Article creates a Division of Commercial Licensing under the auspices of the Department of Business Regulation (DBR), and moves the following professions from the Department of Health to DBR:  Hairdressers, Barbers, Cosmeticians, Manicurists, Estheticians, Electrologists, Funeral Directors/Embalmers, Opticians, Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters, Music Therapists and Interpreters for the Deaf.
 
Second, Article 6 eliminates the requirement for most business license applications and renewal forms to be notarized, and allows for electronic signatures in some instances. 
 
Third, it eliminates the statutory fees for licensing of Barber/hairdressers, Manicurists, Electrolysis, Funeral directors/embalmers, Speech pathologists, Hearing aid dealers/fitters, Athletic Trainers, and Deaf Interpreters; but it also leaves open the ability of the new Division of Commercial Licensing to assess a fee in some instances.
 
Liquor manufactures would no longer be required to get a bond with two sureties in order to get a license.  Class G liquor licensees would no longer pay $1 for duplicate licenses.  The Article eliminates the need for the state to ensure that a hairdresser/barber location is zoned commercial before the individual can obtain a license; and it eliminates the need to obtain 25 years of experience in the field of hairdressing or barbering if the individual does not have a high school diploma or a GED.
 
On a light note, Electrologists, under Article 6, could retain their licenses if found to be habitually intoxicated or addicted to drugs as long as is doesn’t “impair the licensee’s ability to engage in the practice of his or her profession.”  Current law calls upon the state to rescind the license if the individual is found to be habitually intoxicated or addicted to drugs.
 
Lastly, the Article alters who can hear complaints brought against Embalmers and Funeral Directors.  Current law allows the Administrator of the Division or any person authorized by the Administrator to hear complaints.  The proposed Article adds a “member of the public” to the list.  It’s unclear whether the Administrator would appoint this person or if someone else chooses.
 
Article 7 – Relating to Fees
This Article makes changes to various fees.  Beginning August 1, 2018, the annual registration and renewal of the license to sell mutual funds in Rhode Island increases from $1000 to $1500.  On January 1, 2019, the fee for Claims adjusters would increase from $150 to $250.  The Article allows the municipal police training school to hold a statewide physical training test for police applicants.  The school can charge a fee for the test, as well as to charge tuition to candidates attending the school.  Current law bans the school from charging tuition or charging any municipality for the training of candidates – the state pays for it.  This new Article calls for the state to pay ONLY if the tuition and fees are not sufficient to run the municipal police training school.
 
The following bills were filed last week:
 
House Bill No. 7339
BY  O'Brien, McEntee, McNamara, Johnston, Amore
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES (Allows social gaming in private residences and in public taverns or private clubs so long as the gambling is incidental to a bona fide social relationship between the participants and only participants receive anything of value.)
 
House Bill No. 7344
BY  Solomon, O'Brien, Serpa, Lima, Phillips
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- LEAN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE ACT (Implements provisions of the Lean government initiative to eliminate waste and inefficiency in the operation of state government.)
 
House Bill No. 7361
BY  Filippi, Mendonca, Costantino, Giarrusso, Price
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Declares null/void contract between credit card issuers/vendors/businesses prohibiting reduced price for customers paying in cash.)
 
House Bill No. 7369
BY  Handy, McEntee, Ajello, Amore, Ackerman
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PROHIBITION OF CONTAINERS USING BISPHENOL A (Prohibits the use of containers, or food packaged in containers, that contain bisphenol A.)
 
House Bill No. 7387
BY  Filippi, Edwards, Solomon, Marshall, Giarrusso
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - BREACH OF PERSONAL INFORMATION NOTIFICATION ACT (Establishes procedures to notify individuals of any breaches of their unencrypted personal information and penalties for any violation.)
 
House Bill No. 7397
BY  Walsh, Lombardi, Ranglin-Vassell, Hull, Maldonado
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - MINIMUM WAGE--GRATUITIES (Raises the minimum wage for tipped workers by fifty cents ($.50) per year commencing on January 1, 2019 until the tipped minimum wage is not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the regular minimum wage.)
 
House Bill No. 7398
BY  Walsh, Morin, Lombardi, Ajello, Vella-Wilkinson
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- TIP PROTECTION (Prohibits employers from receiving any portion of the tips given by customers to their tipped employees, with limited exceptions for credit card service charges.)
 
House Bill No. 7400
BY  Regunberg, Handy, Keable, Carson, Tobon
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ENERGIZE RHODE ISLAND: CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENT AND CARBON PRICING ACT OF 2018 (Establishes a fee on companies that sell fossil fuels in Rhode Island and also establishes a receipt account to disburse the funds from.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2188
BY  Calkin, Miller, Sosnowski, Coyne, Seveney
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ENERGIZE RHODE ISLAND: CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENT AND CARBON PRICING ACT OF 2018 (Establishes a fee on companies that sell fossil fuels in Rhode Island and also establishes a receipt account to disburse the funds from.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2196
BY  Nesselbush, Crowley, Paolino, Jabour, Miller
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION - SUGARY DRINKS (Creates a tax on sugary drinks for the purpose of reducing the demand for those beverages, and discouraging the excessive consumption of, sugary drinks.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2237
BY  Calkin, Seveney, Euer, Goldin, Miller
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (Establishes a universal, comprehensive, affordable single-payer health care insurance program.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2244
BY  Calkin, Felag, Quezada, Goldin, Goodwin
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WAGES (Gradually increases the hourly minimum wage from $9.60 to $15.00 on January 1, 2022, as well as gradually increasing the hourly minimum wage for employees receiving gratuities from $3.89 an hour to $15.00 an hour on January 1, 2026.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2246
BY  Raptakis, Morgan, Ciccone, Cote, Lombardo
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES (Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the four (4) previous fiscal years, effective January 1, 2020.)
 
Senate Bill No. 2247
BY  Lynch Prata, Quezada, Crowley, Metts, Goodwin
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - MINIMUM WAGE (Increases the minimum wages to eleven dollars ($11.00) per hour, commencing January 1, 2019, and to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour, commencing January 1, 2020.)