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5/27/2021
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House passes Fogarty bills to streamline functions of University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees
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 STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would streamline the functions of the University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees.
The first bill (2021-H 5887) would authorize members of the Board of Trustees to participate remotely in open public meetings if they are unable to be physically present.
“As we’ve all learned from the pandemic, remote meetings have not only become the norm, they’ve been shown to be an efficient way to bring decision-makers together without having to go through the formality of in-person meetings,” said Representative Fogarty, who chairs the House Committee on Special Legislation.
The second bill (2021-H 5888) would allow the board to make small procurements, up to $50,000 for construction and $10,000 for all other purchases. The purchasing thresholds may be increased annually by the board to reflect annual increases in the federal Consumer Price Index published by the United States Department of Labor.
“These bills will help the Board of Trustees to do their job more efficiently without having to go through a lot of red tape in carrying out the day-to-day business of URI,” said Representative Fogarty. “This will allow the members to focus more of their time and attention on the important matters that beset the university.”
The measures now move to the Senate, where similar legislation (2021-S 0715, 2021-S 0700) has been introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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