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"The Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce Coalition a lobbying partnership representing nine Chambers of Commerce and more than 7,500 member businesses throughout Rhode Island.  We actively work on, and advocate for issues at the Rhode Island State House that are important to our members.  During the Rhode Island General Assembly session your Chamber will provide Chamber members with legislative and administration items of interest including legislation that has been introduced, administrative and regulatory updates, legislative committee hearings, budget reports and more in a weekly communication – Under The Dome."

An Update from the State House
1-25-2021
 
Last Week at the State House
 
Governor Raimondo Update
On Tuesday, the Commerce Committee in Washington DC is expected to take testimony from Governor Raimondo concerning her nomination for Commerce Secretary by President Biden. The process could occur more quickly than originally reported, even potentially turning over the state’s reins to Lt Governor Dan McKee the first week of February. McKee’s transition team is already interviewing individuals for cabinet positions.  Elizabeth Tanner (Director, Department of Business Regulation) is the one current executive branch official on the transition team.

Still Awaiting House Committee Assignments
The House hopes to formally announce committee assignments this week. The House Committee on Rules meets Tuesday following session to vote on a number of rule changes:
·        Splitting the Health, Education and Welfare committee into an Education Committee and a separate Health and Human Services Committee
·        Creating a new committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology
·        Assigning Housing issues to the Committee on Municipal Government
·        Allowing each House member to pick three bills to carry over to 2022 (the second year of the two-year term) without the need to reintroduce the bills or hold hearings on them again in 2022 if not passed in 2021. The member would be required to notify the Speaker’s office, in writing, by December, 31, 2021, of the bills he or she wishes to keep alive in 2022.
·        Granting the Speaker permission to allow committees to meet remotely during a health crisis or other emergency
·        Granting the Speaker permission to accept proxy votes during an emergency

Once the rules are adopted, Committee assignments can be announced.

Senate Finance Committee to Hear from Department of Revenue
On Thursday, at 4:00 pm, the Senate Finance Committee will receive a briefing from the Department of Revenue. The following issues are on the agenda: Current Revenues as of December 2020; A Comparison of Rhode Island Revenues to Other States; Revenue Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic; Federal Tax Law Changes Included in the Coronavirus Relief Packages; and Revenue Trends and Projections. The briefing will be live streamed here.

The following new bills have been filed:
House Bill No. 5038 Corvese, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE - PROCEDURE GENERALLY - LEVY AND SALE ON EXECUTION (Exempts from attachment five hundred dollars ($500) in savings or deposits in financial or banking institutions.)

House Bill No. 5052 McNamara, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- COVID-19 INSURANCE RELIEF ACT (Requires an insurer to provide business interruption coverage due to the global pandemic COVID-19.)

House Bill No. 5054 Solomon, Kazarian, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS -- NET NEUTRALITY (Requires Internet service providers to follow Internet service neutrality requirements.)

House Bill No. 5057 Place, Azzinaro, Roberts, Quattrocchi, Vella-Wilkinson, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- MILITARY SPOUSE LICENSURE (Provides issuance of occupational licenses for military members and spouses stationed in Rhode Island.)

House Bill No. 5064 McNamara, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Exempts self-employed sole practicing investigators operating independently from any partnership, corporation, limited liability company or association from the sales tax imposed on services.)

House Bill No. 5072 McNamara, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCESSIBLE RESIDENCE MODIFICATIONS (Allows health insurance plans to provide coverage for accessible residence modifications determined to be medically necessary.)

House Bill No. 5080 (by request) Solomon, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LIFE-SAVING ALLERGY MEDICATION--STOCK SYRINGE EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTORS--EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION (Requires owners or operators of enclosed public space holding 300 or more people to have available epinephrine auto injectors and personnel trained to administer them.)

Senate Bill No. 21 Cano, Kallman, Acosta, Valverde, DiPalma, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- RHODE ISLAND FOOD, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS ACT (Limits the amount of fees charged by a third-party food delivery service to fifteen percent (15%).)

Senate Bill No. 27  DiPalma, Rogers, Coyne, Paolino, Archambault, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PERSONAL DELIVERY DEVICES (Establishes rules and regulations concerning the use and registration of personal delivery devices and mobile carrying devices.)

Senate Bill No. 28 Euer, Lawson, Murray, Miller, DiMario, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY SERVICES--WHEELCHAIR LIFT EQUIPMENT VEHICLES (Requires ride sharing services to provide wheelchair lift equipment vehicles as part of their fleet; establishes accessibility program for persons with disabilities in unserved or underserved geographic areas of the state.)

Senate Bill No. 36 Miller, Sosnowski, Quezada, Euer, Valverde, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE CONTAINERS (Prohibits a covered establishment from preparing, selling, processing or providing food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam.)

Senate Bill No. 37 Ruggerio, Sosnowski, Euer, Coyne, Kallman, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - PLASTIC WASTE REDUCTION ACT (Creates the "Plastic Waste Reduction Act" designed to reduce the use of plastic bags by retail establishments by offering recyclable bag options and providing penalties for violations.)

Senate Bill No. 46  Bell, Mack, Anderson, Calkin, Mendes
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION (Creates an agreement to limit corporate incentives.)

Senate Bill No. 61 Picard, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- INSURERS' REHABILITATION AND LIQUIDATION ACT -- INSURANCE RECEIVERSHIP MODEL ACT (Adopts a portion of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) model act with respect to receiverships, specifically with regards to how derivative contracts are treated in cases of insurance receiverships.)

Senate Bill No. 62 Goldin, Valverde, DiMario, Mendes, Miller, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- CONFIDENTIALITY OF HEALTH CARE COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ACT (Requires health insurers to accommodate the request for communication in the form and format requested by the insured.)

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Under The Dome 1-25-2021
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Under The Dome 12-11-2020
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