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4/6/2026
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MEDIA ADVISORY: House Finance Committee meets twice this week to hear legislation
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Subcommittee on General Government meets on Tuesday for department budgets
STATE HOUSE – The House Finance Committee will be meeting twice this week to hear a variety of legislation.
On Wednesday, April 8 at 4 p.m. in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear a variety of legislation. Among the bill scheduled to be heard are the following pieces of legislation:
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2026-H 7078, sponsored by Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro (D-Dist. 37, Westerly), raises the amount of life insurance the state provides at no charge to Rhode Island National Guard members called up for federal duty to $500,000.
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2026-H 7251, sponsored by House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry), limits growth in state spending from exceeding the amount of growth in inflation or personal income growth, whichever is greater.
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2026-H 7502, sponsored by Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), requires that all maintenance of sidewalks along state highways, except for snow and ice removal, be the responsibility of the state.
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2026-H 7691, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer A. Stewart (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), requires that the state's share to public libraries be fixed at 25% of the amount appropriated by the city or town in their budgets for fiscal year 2027.
On Thursday, April 9 at the RISE of the House (approximately 4:45 p.m.) in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear testimony on several pieces of legislation. Among the legislation scheduled to be heard are the following bills:
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2026-H 7804, sponsored by Rep. Justine A. Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich), reduces the cigarette tax imposed by 75% for any modified risk tobacco product as defined as a tobacco product sold/distributed to reduce the harm/risk of tobacco-related disease associated with commercially marketed tobacco products.
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2026-H 8146, sponsored by Rep. Alex D. Marszalkowski (D-Dist. 52, Cumberland), provides additional oversight and reporting measures related to audits and capital projects.
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2026-H 8150, sponsored by Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), restates the UTGR Master Contract and the Twin River-Tiverton Master Contract and consolidates the marketing program of each into the Consolidated Marketing Program.
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2026-H 8188, sponsored by Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski (D-Dist. 17, Cranston), defines an alternative nicotine product as any noncombustible product without tobacco leaf but nicotine from another source and taxes alternative nicotine products at $2 per container up to 20 units.
On Tuesday, April 7 at the RISE of the House (approximately 5 p.m.) in Room 35 of the State House, the Subcommittee on General Government will hear the FY 26 revised and FY 27 budgets for the Department of Business Regulation, the Office of Health Insurance Commissioner and the Executive Office of Housing. The subcommittee is chaired by Representative Marszalkowski.
The meetings will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61 for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34. Livestreaming is available at https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv
For more information, contact:
Larry Berman, Communications Director for the Office of the Speaker
State House Room 322
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 447-2655
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