The current total number of bills in our tracker is now greater than 140, but no new bills were added this week. However, there are eight committee hearings scheduled that will impact legislation related to the food system:
Tuesday, April 18
- The House Finance Committee will hear HB5809 (provides tax credits to an entity that relocates part of its United States supply chain to Rhode Island)
- The House Small Business Committee will hear testimony on HB5328 (requires food service establishments to add an additional warning to their menus relative to food allergens)
Wednesday, April 19
- The Senate Environment & Agriculture Committee will hear 4 bills – SB194 (requires that a supermajority of the Coastal Resources Management Council is required to override a recommendation for staff); SB197 (requires that the appointment of public members to the Coastal Resources Management Council includes an active licensed fisher, a representative from Save the Bay, and a developing representative); SB703 (provides amendments to multiple sections of law related to the marine fisheries council); SB772 (replaces the coastal resources management council with a state department of coastal resources and transfers all powers and duties)
- The Senate Special Legislation & Veterans Affairs Committee will hear and consider SB440 (requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to develop a form for registration of and a license plate for commercial fishing motor vehicles)
- The Senate Education Committee will hear SB483 (provides that schools policies which provide excused absences for participation in a sport or other extracurricular activity be amended and deemed to include attending agricultural fairs as an excused absence)
Thursday, April 20
- The Senate Judiciary will hear SB418 (requires conservation and preservation restrictions to be liberally interpreted in favor of the grants awarded)
- The Senate Health & Human Services will hear SB791 (authorizes the secretary of the executive office of health and human services to develop a sliding scale decrease in benefits as a beneficiary’s income increases up to 250%) of the federal poverty line)
- The Senate Housing & Municipal Government Committee will hear and consider SB31 (authorizes and empowers the department of transportation to plant pollinator-friendly species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and plants)
The RIFPC Bill Tracker is a reference, covering all legislation affecting the Rhode Island food system and all topics of interest to Council Members. The Tracker is updated daily during the legislative session (January-June), and organized by major impact areas.