Advocacy in Action

This Week At the State House
Tuesday, April 1
Price Transparency
On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will conduct a hearing at 4:30pm in Room 212 on S17, which provides that advertising goods that don't include a price referencing all mandatory fees and charges shall be a deceptive trade practice. While governmental taxes and fees as well as shipping charges are exempt, all other related charges must be disclosed or the provider/retailer is subject to a civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation, or a private or class action suit. Testimony on this bill can be emailed to slegislation@rilegislature.gov. 

Commerce Corporation Supermajority Votes
Also before the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday at 4:30pm in Room 212 is S316, which would require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by the board of directors to approve any action taken by the commerce corporation. Project awards and approvals would need a supermajority vote, rather than a simple majority, to be valid. Testimony on this bill can be emailed to slegislation@rilegislature.gov.

Energy & Utilities
On Tuesday, the House Corporations Committee will conduct hearings at 4:30pm in Room 101 regarding various bills impacting energy and utilities operations in the state:
H5573 would require applications for energy facilities to take into consideration the 2021 Act on Climate and how the facility may advance or delay the greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
H5575 would allow for the procurement of nuclear power.
H5579 would require the PUC to produce an annual report regarding the electric grid’s ability to cover needs to power cars, buildings, and heat homes within the state. 
H5820 would expand the schedule to achieve 100% electricity demand from renewable energy by ten years to 2043.
H5578 would prohibit public utilities from raising the cost for access to the internet for senior citizens. 
Testimony on these bills can be sent to: HouseCorporations@rilegislature.gov. 



Hospitality Industry Workforce Training
On Wednesday, the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee is scheduled at 4pm in Room 212 and the House Labor Committee is scheduled at 4pm in Room 135 to conduct hearings on legislation, S584 and H5942 supported by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association to establish a restricted receipt account at the department of labor and training for issuance of hospitality industry workforce training grants, funded by a $50 annual surcharge on food service establishment licenses. With federal resources exhausted and the state budget projecting structural deficits, critical workforce training programs like Real Jobs RI are in need of supplemental resources. With approximately 6,000 food service licenses in the state, the proposed $50 fee could generate $300,000 a year to support hospitality workforce training programs. It follows from the approach the residential construction industry advanced by imposing a supplemental fee on building permits for one- and two-family dwellings that began collection in January and supports residential contractor workforce training programs.  Testimony on these bills can be sent to: SLegislation@rilegislature.gov and HouseLabor@rilegislature.gov.

Employment Protocols
Also on Wednesday, the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee will conduct hearings at 4pm in Room 212 regarding various bills impacting employer:
S70 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 in “understandable language and form,” the employer’s address and name, and output information if pay is based on quantity.  The bill was altered compared to last year’s bill to clarify that employers must only keep records for three years which is consistent with current law.  It also requires employers to provide a type of “mini employee handbook” to employees.  The sponsor did change the bill to include English as the language for the handbook.    
S587 provides unemployment benefits for workers who are on strike or are locked out of their workplaces by their employer due to a labor dispute.
S829 mandates paid leave by allowing qualified employees to take medical leave to undergo donation procedures, medical tests, and recovery related to being a living organ donor, or bone marrow transplant donor.
Testimony on these bills can be sent to: SLegislation@rilegislature.gov

Work on Holidays and Sundays
On Wednesday, the House Labor Committee will conduct a hearing on H5944, which would exempt individuals covered by a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract and individuals employed by municipalities or the state from the definition of employees that are entitled to time and a half pay on Sundays and holidays, as well as exempt employers of less than 15 employees from having to pay the same. Testimony on this bill can be sent to: HouseLabor@rilegislature.gov.

Thursday, April 3
Possession and Disposition of Real Estate
On Thursday, the Senate Housing & Municipal Government will meet at 4:30pm in Room 212 regarding bills impacting the possession and disposition of real estate: 
S489 would preclude any legal entity from possessing, controlling or otherwise claiming legal title to real property exceeding an aggregate value of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) in single-family dwellings or multi-family dwellings.
S202 would grant a right of first offer to qualified nonprofits for the purchase of certain multi-family residential properties at market prices. 
Testimony on these bills can be sent to: SLegislation@rilegislature.gov. 

Rebuild Rhode Island Sales Tax Exemption
On Thursday, the House Finance Committee will conduct a hearing at 4:30pm in Room 35 regarding H5741 which would expand the maximum project credit allowed under the Rebuild Rhode Island tax credit program to include sales and use tax exemptions for qualified development projects related to affordable and workforce housing.  Testimony on this bill can be sent to: HouseFinance@rilegislature.gov. 

New Bills Filed:
Senate Bill No. 921 BY  DiPalma
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND COMMERCE CORPORATION -- QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS LOCATION INCENTIVE (Creates qualified data centers and tax exemptions.)