A New Session Begins

A New Session Begins
 
Welcome to the first Under the Dome of 2022.  Please watch your email as the Chamber will now be sending weekly updates on Mondays. We expect the legislative session to begin slowly as both the House and Senate attempt to deal with the latest surge of Covid in Rhode Island.  For now, meetings will be held remotely or in a hybrid fashion, allowing the public to participate from home.  Next week, the House and Senate will meet on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. for bill introductions and announcements.
 
Key dates for 2022 include the following:
 
Last day for House & Senate public bill introduction – February 10, 2022
Winter Recess – February 21-25, 2022
Spring Recess – April 18-22, 2022
 
The House adopted a new rule last year, which now takes effect.  Each Representative has the ability to designate three of his/her 2021 bills to remain alive in 2022.  Those bills will be assigned new 2022 numbers, reference the old 2021 number, and will pick up where the bill left off in 2021.  For example, if 2021 H.1234 had a hearing in 2021 but was never voted on by the committee, that bill may now become 2022 H.3456 and can be brought up by the committee for a vote in 2022 with 48 hour posting notice.  No additional hearing would be required in 2022.  The maximum number of bills that could be in this new category is 225 (75 state representative times 3).  If you have an interest in a carryover bill, it is important to contact the Chamber quickly.  The Senate has NOT adopted the same rule.  All Senate bills will be scheduled for a hearing in 2022 prior to committee passage.  However, the Senate has passed bills the same day as a hearing; particularly bills that were passed by a committee in the previous year.
 
 
2021 Supplemental Budget Passed
 
Before formally closing out the 2021 session on January 4^th, the legislature passed a supplemental budget allocating a portion of the federal funds that were given to the State.  H.6494 Sub A http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText21/HouseText21/H6494A.pdf was quickly signed into law by the Governor.  The following is a list of approved authorizations contained in the legislation.  Keep in mind that agencies will have to promulgate rules regarding the new programs prior to distributing funds for their purposes listed:
 

•  $32 million in financial and technical assistance to small business.  Small business is defined as a business with less than $1 million in annual gross revenues that can demonstrate a negative impact from the Covid pandemic. Grants cannot exceed $10,000 per eligible business through any single program and cannot exceed $20,000 in the aggregate to any single business.  Twenty-percent of the funds are reserved for minority businesses.  RI Commerce Corporation is responsible for establishing the rules in relation to this program.  The $32 million is divided as follows:  $12.5 million for direct payments to businesses for lost revenue; $10.5 million for technical assistance for long-term business capacity building; $7.5 million for capital improvements for public health upgrades and outdoor programming; and $1.5 million for the administration of these programs.
• $13 million for hospitality and tourism assistance of which $8 million shall be allocated for direct payments for lost revenue; $3 million for public space and outdoor capital improvements; and $2 million for tourism marketing
• $15 million for affordable housing units
• $12 million for the acquisition of properties for redevelopment as affordable housing
• $1.5 million to expand housing navigation and mental health services
• $500,000 for the administration of affordable housing programs
• $500,000 for broadband services
• $7.5 million for pediatric providers in response to decline in visitations and to increase developmental and psychosocial behavioral screenings
• $5.5 million for early intervention providers, family home visitations and screenings
• $12.5 million for DCYF to provide work stabilization supplemental wage payments of up to $700 per month and retention bonuses
• $19 million for the Department of Human Services to pay semi-annual retention bonuses of up to $1500 for direct care staff at childcare centers and licensed family providers