PROVIDENCE – The General Assembly met on Tuesday for a special session and passed several bills that will now head to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s desk to be signed, vetoed or become law without her signature. Here is a listing of the bills passed by both chambers of the legislature Tuesday:
Paid sick time:
The Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act guarantees earned paid sick time to more than 100,000 employees in the state. Starting July 2018, workers will be able to take up to three earned sick days, phasing up to four in 2019 and five starting Jan 1, 2020. Sick days also cover “safe time” for those experiencing domestic violence.
Companies with 17 or fewer employees will also have to offer sick time without adverse consequence for employees, but are not required to provide paid sick time.
Employers who violate the new law will be subject to fines ranging from $100-$500 for every day they have been in violation.
Workers’ cooperatives:
The general assembly passed a bill that would create a statutory vehicle for the creation and functioning of workers’ cooperatives that are democratically controlled and operated by their own workers.
The act also allows any corporation to elect to become a workers’ cooperative by so stating in its incorporation or in amendments to its certificate of incorporation.
Car tax:
The General Assembly passed legislation that requires the R.I. Department of Revenue to file annual reports and recommendations on the feasibility of the car tax phase-out. The bill calls for the annual reports beginning Jan. 1, 2021, until the phase-out is complete.
Child proof e-cig liquid:
The General Assembly passed a bill that requires child proof packaging for e-liquid for electronic nicotine-delivery systems. The bill also banned e-cigarette use on school grounds.
Probation and Parole:
The General Assembly passed several bills that would overhaul Rhode Island’s probation and parole system.
- S 0010B and H 5064 allow the presiding justice of Superior Court to create a diversion program that allows defendants to receive substance abuse screening and counseling, as well as perform community service.
- S 0011B and H 5115A clarify what constitutes a felony, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor in the definition section of the general laws. The act also amends penalties for certain criminal offenses involving assault and larceny.
- S 0008B and H5117A alter the sentencing and execution guidelines and add new conditions of criminal probation.
- S 0009A and H 5128A amend provisions of the general laws pertaining to parole, medical parole and community confinement, and replace prison impact settlements with correctional impact statements.
- S0007B and H 5063A expand the type of direct expenses that crime victims can be reimbursed for pursuant to the criminal injuries compensation act; the act also increases the maximum emergency compensation award for burial and relocation and related costs; and the three-year statute of limitations for claims is removed, while eligible victims have five additional days to report the relevant crime.
- S 0006A and H 5065A adopts an evidence-based probation and parole supervision system, while creating a batterer’s intervention program fund.
- S 0005 asks all branches of state government to continue to collaborate on policy actions and investments to implement the findings and recommendations by the Rhode Island Justice Reinvestment Project, which is facilitated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center.
Other assorted bills:
- The General Assembly passed legislation that would prohibit the sale of furniture, bedding and children’s products that contain certain cancer-causing chemicals.
- A bill passed that would require parents to be notified of sex offenders living near school bus stops.
- A bill passed both chambers that would require public places that are capable of holding more than 300 people to have an automated defibrillator and qualified person to administer it.
- The General Assembly approved a bill that would prohibit gun possession by domestic abusers committed of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes subject to court-issued final protective orders. The bill also would ensure that all those subject to prohibitions actually turn in their guns when they become prohibited from possessing them.
- The General Assembly also passed a bill that would require a post-election audit program. The legislation would require the Board of Elections to establish a post-election audit program to make sure that equipment and procedures to count votes during an election are working properly.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
