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6/5/2017
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MEDIA ADVISORY: House Finance meets on Tuesday to hear Speaker’s car tax proposal; hearing several other bills on Wednesday and Thursday
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STATE HOUSE – The House Committee on Finance will be meeting this Tuesday, June 6 at the RISE of the House in Room 35 of the State House to hear testimony on Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello’s (D-Dist. 15, Cranston) proposed legislation (2017-H 6267) that provides for the reduction and elimination of the motor vehicle excise tax. The bill also provides that cities, towns, and fire districts would be reimbursed for the revenues lost by the reduction and elimination of the excise tax.
On Tuesday, the committee will also vote on several bills, including the following:
· 2017-H 6082, sponsored by Rep. Deborah L. Ruggiero (D-Dist. 74, Jamestown, Middletown), authorizes the RI Health Benefit Exchange to seek a waiver under the Affordable Care Act, allow qualified small business owners/sole proprietors to purchase qualified health benefit plans offered by the exchange & not be forced into the individual market.
· 2017-H 5923, sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), requires the general treasurer to maintain its transparent treasury initiative to assist the public in accessing information regarding how state pension investments are managed and performing.
On Wednesday, June 7 at the RISE of the House in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear testimony on several pieces of legislation, including the following bills:
· 2017-H 5085, sponsored by Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence), increases income eligibility limit for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to 200% of the federal poverty level from 180%.
· 2017-H 5173, sponsored by Rep. Moira J. Walsh (D-Dist. 3, Providence), reinstates free RIPTA bus fares for elderly and disabled riders who meet means test criteria.
· 2017-H 5562, sponsored by Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), raises the maximum reimbursement rate for licensed child care providers by 5%.
· 2017-H 5751, sponsored by Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence), amends the state aid funding formula for compensation of school districts for the additional costs of students learning English.
· 2017-H 5890, sponsored Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly), provides for a 2% regionalization bonus to all regionalized school districts commencing in Fiscal Year 2018.
· 2017-H 5976, sponsored by Rep. Carlos E. Tobon (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket), establishes district-charter compacts between charter schools and traditional public schools and would establish a compact fund to be supported by appropriations from the general assembly as well as grants, gifts and bequests.
On Thursday, June 8 at the RISE of the House in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear testimony on several pieces of legislation, including the following bills:
· 2017-H 5078, sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), changes the period of time required for occupancy for transient lodging accommodations from 30 days to 6 days.
· 2017-H 5803, sponsored by Rep. Robert E. Craven (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown), authorizes the Quonset Development Corporation to borrow up to $1,000,000 for operational purposes, the debt would not be a debt of the state and would be secured only by the Quonset development corporation's assets.
· 2017-H 5910, sponsored by Rep. Kenneth A. Marshall (D-Dist. 68, Bristol, Warren), provides that the aggregate value of approved historic tax credits shall not exceed the amount of $150,000,000 together with the amounts available in the historic preservation tax credit fund.
· 2017-H 6148, sponsored by Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), allows Rhode Island personal income taxpayers to deduct from their adjusted gross income all medical and dental expenses incurred and allowed by the Internal Revenue Service.
· 2017-H 5198, sponsored by Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D-Dist. 21, Warwick), permits the recipients of general or an "Undesirable - Class I or II Homosexual" discharges to qualify for state veterans' benefits when the discharge was based on the veteran's sexual orientation.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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