 |
|
4/27/2026
|
MEDIA ADVISORY: House Finance Committee meets three times this week to hear legislation
|
STATE HOUSE – The House Finance Committee will be meeting three times this week to hear a variety of legislation.
On Tuesday, April 28 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 relating to education. Among the legislation scheduled to be heard are the following bills:
-
2026-H 7245, sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth), amends state funding calculations for special education, revising extraordinary cost calculations for FY 2028-2029, and provides additional funds for excess costs when special education students move into a district after the budget is approved.
-
2026-H 7454, sponsored by Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls), provides that a student's enrollment in Medicaid would be included in calculating and determining the student success factor for use in the foundation education-aid formula.
-
2026-H 7455, sponsored by Rep. Jenni A. Furtado (D-Dist. 64, East Providence, Pawtucket), mandates additional state education funding for the mental and behavioral health of students equal to 2% of the district's total expenditures, and requires those funds be used to hire staff such as school social workers, and behavioral specialists.
-
2026-H 7582, sponsored by Rep. Megan L. Cotter (D-Dist. 39, Exeter, Richmond, Hopkinton), requires inspections and evaluations of the indoor air quality of each school building, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
-
2026-H 7793, sponsored by Rep. Justine Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich), establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for All” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
On Wednesday, April 29 at 4 p.m. in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear a variety of legislation. Among the bills scheduled to be heard are the following pieces of legislation:
-
2026-H 7157, sponsored by Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick), removes the definition of “totally and permanently disabled” from the General Law affording college tuition paid by the state to the spouse and children of active members of the police force who are killed or disabled during duty.
-
2026-H 7465, sponsored by Rep. Stephen M. Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket), establishes the Rhode Island Fire Services Training Fund.
-
2026-H 7590, sponsored by Rep. George Nardone (R-Dist. 28, Coventry), establishes the Office of Inspector General as an independent administrative agency charged with the responsibility to investigate, detect, and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.
-
2026-H 7803, sponsored by Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), establishes the state-funded rental subsidy program.
-
2026-H 8186, sponsored by Rep. Matthew S. Dawson (D-Dist. 65, East Providence), redefines sports wagering sections, specifically changing the percent the host facilities receive on sports wagering.
On Thursday, April 30 at the RISE of the House (approximately 4:45 p.m.) in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear testimony on a variety of legislation. Among the legislation scheduled to be heard are the following bills:
-
2026-H 7052, sponsored by Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro (D-Dist. 37, Westerly), makes students in workforce-ready certificate programs at the Community College of Rhode Island eligible to receive the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship.
-
2026-H 7503, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown), establishes the Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program to be administered by the commissioner of Postsecondary Education.
-
2026-H 8161, sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), establishes the Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Disabilities Act.
-
2026-H 8336, sponsored by Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston), converts the Rhode Island Hope Scholarship Pilot Program Act into a continuing scholarship program at Rhode Island College, similar to the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship at the Community College of Rhode Island.
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
|
|