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4/12/2022 MEDIA ADVISORY: House Judiciary Committee meets on Wednesday for several votes and to hear testimony
STATE HOUSE – The House Judiciary Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, April 13 at the RISE of the House in the House Lounge of the State House to vote on several bills and to hear testimony on a variety of legislation.

The committee will be voting on the following bills:
  • 2022-H 6663, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston), prohibits the production, sale, or importation into Rhode Island of any force-fed poultry product or food containing a force-fed poultry product and would impose a civil penalty of $500 for each violation.
  • 2022-H 6674, sponsored by Rep. Joseph J. Solomon, Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick), prohibits any development of land contiguous to the State House unless approved by the General Assembly.
  • 2022-H 7140, sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth), provides for immunity provisions for persons involved in donating feminine hygiene products to charitable or nonprofit organizations.
  • 2022-H 7310A, sponsored by Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), allows the Division of Vital Statistics to provide an original birth certificate of an adult adopted person to the adopted person's lineal descendants if the adopted person is deceased.
  • 2022-H 7361, sponsored by House Majority Whip Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), prohibits the sale, offer of sale, trade or distribution of fur products as defined and would make violations punishable by a civil fine.
  • 2022-H 7716, sponsored by Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), clarifies that the use of a wireless communication device for the purpose of navigation must be while the device is mounted or otherwise affixed to the vehicle and not held in the motorist's hand.
  • 2022-H 7898, sponsored by Representative Donovan, permits the Health Care Advocate to receive confidential health care information with individual patient information but would prohibit the disclosure of the information, except pursuant to judicial process.
Among the bills being heard are the following pieces of legislation:
  • 2022-H 7677, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert E. Craven (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown), increases the criminal penalties for wage theft and employee misclassification.
  • 2022-H 7715, sponsored by Representative Potter, decriminalizes psilocybin and permits practitioners to prescribe its use when acting in good faith.
  • 2022-H 7810, sponsored by Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence), extends the "lookback" period for third and subsequent offenses pursuant ”driving under influence of liquor or drugs" and “refusal to submit to chemical test" from five to 10 years.
  • 2022-H 7938, sponsored by Rep. José F. Batista (D-Dist. 12, Providence), specifies and restricts the use of excessive physical force by peace officers and creates a civil action for constitutional rights violations as well as impose a duty to intervene on the officers on the scene.
  • 2022-H 8009, sponsored by Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 0, Providence), changes possession of one ounce of a controlled substance to a misdemeanor.
The meetings will be televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox Channels 15, and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers, and live streamed at http://rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.

Individuals may testify in person before the committee at the State House. Sign-up sheets are available in/outside the hearing room.

Written testimony is strongly encouraged and may be submitted via HouseJudiciary@rilegislature.gov



For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124