General Assembly Takes on Chafee’s Budget
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The House and Senate finance committees dived into Governor Lincoln Chafee’s budget this week with a series of hearings.
The Senate Finance Committee had its first hearing yesterday, focusing primarily on Article 4 of the budget, which relates to security-unemployment insurance. (Click here to read the budget bill.)
The hearings will continue today, when the committee will consider articles involving the budget reserve fund, management and disposal of property, leased state property, the retiree health care trust fund, and borrowing in anticipation of receipts from taxes.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe third round of hearings will take place on Thursday, where the Senate committee will hear budget articles dealing with governmental organization, retirement contribution rates, the division of sheriffs, and unclassified service.
Meanwhile, the House Finance Committee held separate hearings. Those are in Room 35 at the Statehouse and also will be broadcast live on Cox channel 15 and Verizon channel 34.
Schedule of House Finance Committee hearings:
Tuesday, March 22, at the rise of the House session (around 4:30 p.m.):
• Article 3 – Puts off until 2013 repayment of borrowed rainy day funds to the state’s Rhode Island Capital Plan fund scheduled for this year.
• Article 15 – Requires that any proceeds in excess of $1 million from the sale of state property be transferred to the Rhode Island Capital Plan Fund.
• Article 36 – Eliminates a requirement of General Assembly approval for state property leases for terms exceeding five years or a total amount of $500,000.
• Article 38 – Makes changes to the laws governing the board that administers the trust fund for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) for state retirees.
• Article 42 – Authorizes short-term borrowing in anticipation of tax revenue.
Wednesday, March 23, 1 p.m.:
• Article 11 – Increases an assessment on insurers that helps pay for children’s health services.
• Article 18 – Extends uncompensated care funds to hospitals for FY 2013.
• Article 19 – Extend the hospital licensing fee another year.
• Article 24, section 5 – Creates a net-revenue tax on compassion centers.
• Article 29 – Repeals the “Determination of Need for New Health Care Equipment and New Institutional Health Services” law.
• Article 30 – Institutes price-based Medicaid payments for services at nursing facilities.
• Article 33 – Limits Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals.
Wednesday, March 23, rise of the House session:
• Article 16 – Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to seek nine changes to services as allowed under the state’s federal Global Medicaid’s Waiver.
• Article 17 – Authorizes $420,000 for hardship assistance of up to $200 a month to individual Medicaid recipients.
• Article 27 – Replaces the Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly (RIPAE) program with a new program that supplements federal benefits provided.
• Article 28 – Increases fees for patients with net income at the state Veterans’ Home.
• Article 31 – Makes changes to the laws concerning health care providers’ duty to report suspected child abuse and the state’s responsibilities for abused children.
Thursday, March 24, 1 p.m.:
• Article 6 – Allows the state to keep a greater share of state beach parking fees which are proposed for increase in the Governor’s budget.
• Article 20 – Increases fees for financial advisors’ licenses, CCRI skills tests and inspections by the fire marshal’s office.
• Article 24, section 1 – Allows the state to collect debts owed to it from any prize or winnings over $600 a taxpayer may get.
• Article 24, section 2 – Ends the film and television production tax credit.
• Article 24, section 3 – Increases the fee for filing estates from $25 to $50.
• Article 24, section 4 – Increases the fee for a letter of good standing for taxpayers from $25 to $50.
• Article 24, section 6 – Allows the state to separate its annual list of the biggest delinquent taxpayers into one for businesses and one for other taxes.
• Article 24, section 7 – Allows the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to charge a fee of up to $50 in returned checks.
• Article 24, section 8 – Requires automobile insurance providers to obtain customers’ driving records at least once every three years.
• Article 24, section 9 – Allows the Division of Taxation to work with state agencies to recoup amounts owed to them.
• Article 35 – Allows DMV to charge slightly more for temporary plates provided to car dealers, and eliminate a requirement that new license plates be issued no less than every 10 years.
Thursday, March 24, at the rise of the House session:
• Article 21 – Incorporates the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority into the current indemnification plan with Amtrak to lower total insurance costs with the extension of the commuter rail south of Providence.
• Article 22 – Provides for the gradual conversion of fees, collected by the DMV and currently deposited as general revenues, to a fund restricted to transportation uses.
• Article 34 – Would enable the DOT to explore possible tolls along Routes 95 and 295 and on additional state bridges.
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