The 2016 Rhode Island General Assembly kicked off the new year and the new session on Tuesday, January 15th. Aquidneck Island’s seven State Representatives have been quite busy introducing dozens of bills that range form topics such as charter schools, cell phone use, animals and more.

Here’s what our State Representatives have done in the first two weeks of the 2016 General Assembly, followed by 20 bills to watch.

  • Representative Lauren Carson (District 75, Newport) sponsored 9 bills, 3 of them she was the prime sponsor.
  • Representative Deborah Ruggiero (District 74, Jamestown and Middletown) sponsored 10 bills, 5 of them she was the prime sponsor.
  • Representative Marvin Abney (District 73, Newport and Middletown) sponsored 15 bills, 1 of  them he was the prime sponsor.
  • Representative Daniel Reilly (District 72,  Middletown and Portsmouth) sponsored 13 bills, 3 of them he was the primary sponsor.
  • Representative Dennis Canario (District 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton and Tiverton) sponsored 15 bills, 2 of them he was the primary sponsor.
  • Representative John Edwards (District 70, Portsmouth and Tiverton) sponsored 21 bills, 14 of them he was the primary sponsor.
  • Representative Raymond Gallison (District 69, Portsmouth and Bristol) sponsored 8 bills, 2 of them he was the primary sponsor.

20 BILLS TO WATCH

  1. House Bill No. 7119
    BY  Lancia, Malik, Azzinaro, Reilly, Costa
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS (Creates a veteran’s preference in the issuance of state contracts.)
    {LC3512/1}
    01/13/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  2. House Bill No. 7144
    BY  Costa, Nardolillo, Trillo, Giarrusso, Reilly
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES – ESTABLISHING MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE FOR ILLEGAL REENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES (Prohibits any alien from entering or attempting to enter the state of Rhode Island after unlawfully reentering the United States after prior removal.)
    {LC3079/1}
    01/13/2016 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
  3. House Bill No. 7192
    BY  Morgan, Roberts, Price, Reilly, Filippi
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCE — BRIDGE REPAIRS (Establishes a bridge works restricted receipt account to fund the maintenance and repair of bridges located within the state with various source of funding.)
    {LC3599/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  4. House Bill No. 7010
    BY  Ruggiero, Shekarchi, Kennedy, Blazejewski, Abney
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – SALES AND — USE TAXES – LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Provides a sales/use tax holiday on August 6, 2016, only subject to renewal/continuation by the general assembly for future years thereafter.)
    {LC3340/1}
    01/06/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  5. House Bill No. 7106
    BY  Hearn, Ruggiero, Marcello, Malik, Fogarty
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT (Imposes a yearly earnings limitation on retired teachers serving as substitute teachers.)
    {LC3397/1}
    01/08/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  6. House Bill No. 7115
    BY  Blazejewski, Ruggiero, Barros, Morin, Diaz
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES-CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE (Increases the income eligibility limit for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to 200% of the federal poverty level (from 180%).)
    {LC3750/1}
    01/13/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  7. House Bill No. 7008
    BY  Blazejewski, Johnston, Solomon, Coughlin, Abney
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS – SIDEWALKS (Requires the director of the department of transportation to complete snow removal on state sidewalks and walkways within twenty-four (24) hours after the end of a snowstorm.)
    {LC3349/1}
    01/06/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  8. House Bill No. 7067
    BY  Barros, Coughlin, Blazejewski, Johnston, Abney
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION — MUNICIPAL FUNDING OF CHARTER SCHOOLS (Eliminates a city or town’s financial obligations to pay for their students enrollment in charter schools..)
    {LC3426/1}
    01/07/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  9. House Bill No. 7114
    BY  Barros, Abney, Tobon, Coughlin, Solomon
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION — PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Increases the Rhode Island earned income credit from twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) to fifteen and one-half percent (15.5%).)
    {LC3430/1}
    01/13/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  10. House Bill No. 7194
    BY  Casey, Abney, Azzinaro, Lancia, Malik
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION-VETERANS’ EXEMPTIONS (Gives cities and towns the option of entirely exempting the homestead of a disabled veteran or their surviving spouse from taxation.)
    {LC3595/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government
  11. House Bill No. 7155
    BY  Nardolillo, Diaz, Jacquard, Canario, Shekarchi
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES — EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES GENERALLY (Requires that all new school buses purchased or leased for use in the state be equipped with seat belt assemblies for each passenger and operator seat.)
    {LC3564/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House H.E.W.
  12. House Bill No. 7161
    BY  Filippi, Canario, Gallison
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE (Requires insurance policies to provide coverage for the use of telecommunication services rendered to subscribers who reside on islands located within the state that are not connected to the mainland by any bridge or other structure.)
    {LC3417/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Corporations
  13. House Bill No. 7184
    BY  Edwards, Costa, Canario, Solomon
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – SALES AND — USE TAXES – LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Repeals the sales tax on pet care services.)
    {LC3696/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  14. House Bill No. 7061
    BY  Solomon, Edwards, Palangio, Williams, Serpa
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY – DOGS (Requires that the sheltering and nourishment of dogs conform to the industry standards established by the Tufts Animal Care and Conditions Scale regarding outside sheltering, proper nourishment, sanitary conditions, and physical condition.)
    {LC3447/1}
  15. House Resolution No. 7170
    BY  McLaughlin, Azzinaro, Costantino, Edwards, Hull
    ENTITLED, HO– USE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE FETUS AS A HUMAN LIFE UPON THE EXISTENCE OF A HEARTBEAT
    {LC3043/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
  16. House Bill No. 7206
    BY  Edwards, Azzinaro, Corvese, McLaughlin, Lancia
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES — FETAL PROTECTION ACT (Establishes the Fetal Protection Act, establishing certain actions to unborn children as crimes.)
    {LC3689/1}
    01/15/2016 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
  17. House Bill No. 7108
    BY  Morin, Casey, Maldonado, Phillips, Carson
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION – LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING (Increases education aid to a community based on community’s meeting and surpassing minimum low and moderate income housing requirements.)
    {LC3572/1}
    01/08/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance
  18. House Bill No. 7168
    BY  Fogarty, Tanzi, Carson, Hull, Johnston
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — MOBILE TELEPHONE — USE (Prohibits the use of a non-hands-free personal wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle with certain public or safety personnel and emergency situations.)
    {LC3737/1}
    01/14/2016 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
  19. House Bill No. 7199
    BY  Regunberg, Carson, Ajello, Handy, Almeida
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES — WEAPONS (Criminalizes the manufacture, import, possession, purchase, sale or transfer of any ammunition feeding device capable of accepting more than ten (10) rounds.)
    {LC3670/1}
    01/15/2016 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
  20. House Bill No. 7210
    BY  Carson, O’Brien, Shekarchi, Winfield, McEntee
    ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION – PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Exempts military pension income from personal income tax.)
    {LC3663/1}
    01/15/2016 Introduced, referred to House Finance

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