Official State of Rhode Island website

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State of Rhode Island, Office of Library & Information Services , An agency of the Department of Administration

Legislative Updates

2021

H 5054:

Requires Internet service providers to follow Internet service neutrality requirements.

Read the full text for H 5054 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Joseph J. Solomon, Jr.
  • Representative Katherine S. Kazarian
Actions:
  • 01-22-2021

    Introduced, referred to House Corporations

  • 02-02-2021

    Committee transferred to House Innovation, Internet, & Technology

  • 02-18-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/23/2021)

  • 02-23-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

H 5148:

Establishes the eleven (11) member broadband council to create a plan to increase the use of broadband service in the state. The council would include a library representative.

Read the full text for H 5148 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Deborah Ruggerio
  • Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski
  • Representative Katherine S. Kazarian
  • Representative Terri Cortvriend
  • Representative Lauren H. Carson
  • Representative Michelle E. McGaw
Actions:
  • 01-25-2021

    Introduced, referred to House Corporations

  • 02-02-2021

    Committee transferred to House Innovation, Internet, & Technology

  • 02-18-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/23/2021)

  • 02-23-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  • 05-26-2021

    Proposed Substitute (05/27/2021)

  • 05-27-2021

    Proposed Substitute

  • 05-27-2021

    Committee recommends passage of Sub A

  • 05-28-2021

    Placed on House Calendar (06/03/2021)

  • 06-03-2021

    House passed Sub A

  • 06-04-2021

    Referred to Senate Commerce

See Sub A
Read the full text for Sub A at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
H 5671:

Amends various sections relating to libraries to delete outdated provisions and update language to reflect current practices affecting library technology, and would increase from two (2) years to five (5) years the award of the statewide reference resource center contract.

Read the full text for H 5671 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Jacquelyn M. Baginski
  • Representative Brandon C. Potter
  • Representative Deborah Ruggerio
Actions:
  • 02-24-2021

    Introduced, referred to House Finance

  • 03-05-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2021)

  • 03-11-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  • 06-21-2021

    Scheduled for consideration (06/23/2021)

  • 06-23-2021

    Committee recommends passage

  • 06-23-2021

    Placed on House Calendar (06/25/2021)

  • 06-25-2021

    House read and passed

  • 06-28-2021

    Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (06/30/2021)

  • 06-30-2021

    Senate passed in concurrence

  • 07-07-2021

    Transmitted to Governor

  • 07-09-2021

    Signed by Governor

H 5752:

Requires the office of diversity, equity and opportunity (ODEO) to create and for all state and municipal employees to receive annual training in cultural competency.

Read the full text for H 5752 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Joshua J. Giraldo
  • Representative Evan P. Shanley
  • Representative Karen Alzate
  • Representative Anastasia Williams
Actions:
  • 02-24-2021

    Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

  • 03-05-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2021)

  • 03-11-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

H 5891:

Amends the "open meetings act" to allow virtual meetings and participation by electronic communication until July 2023.

Read the full text for H 5891 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Alex Marszalkowski
Actions:
  • 02-24-2021

    Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

  • 03-05-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/10/2021)

  • 03-10-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  • 06-11-2021

    Scheduled for hearing (06/14/2021)

  • 06-11-2021

    Proposed Substitute

  • 06-14-2021

    Committee recommended Substitute A be held for further study

  • 06-19-2021

    Scheduled for consideration (06/22/2021)

  • 06-19-2021

    Proposed Substitute

  • 06-22-2021

    Committee recommends passage of Sub A

  • 06-23-2021

    Placed on House Calendar (06/25/2021)

  • 06-25-2021

    House passed Sub A

See Sub A
Read the full text for Sub A at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
H 5894:

Requires live streaming, over the Internet, of any open meeting of every municipal and state public body, including the executive departments.

Read the full text for H 5894 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Blake A. Filippi
  • Representative Brian C. Newberry
  • Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
  • Representative June Speakman
  • Representative Robert D. Phillips
  • Representative Kathleen A. Fogarty
  • Representative Rebecca M. Kislak
  • Representative Jason Knight
  • Representative Mia A. Ackerman
  • Representative Evan P. Shanley
Actions:
  • 02-24-2021

    Introduced, referred to House State Government & Election

  • 03-19-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/24/2021)

  • 03-24-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

H 5938:

Provides increases in the minimum wage commencing July 1, 2021,to $13.00 per hour with a $1.00 increase to that amount on July 1, 2022,and on July 1, 2023.

Read the full text for H 5938 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell
  • Representative Edith H. Ajello
  • Representative Jean P. Barros
  • Representative Rebecca M. Kislak
  • Representative Kathleen A. Fogarty
  • Representative Liana Cassar
  • Representative Karen Alzate
  • Representative Brianna E. Henries
Actions:
  • 02-25-2021

    Introduced, referred to House Labor

  • 03-05-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/10/2021)

  • 03-10-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Companion Bill: S 0143
H 5939:

Increases the minimum wage by using an annual fixed amount, increasing it one dollar per hour in 2022, 2023 and 2024,until January 1, 2025, where it reaches to fifteen dollars per hour, then raised annually thereafter by using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Read the full text for H 5939 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Marcia Ranglin-Vassell
  • Representative Brianna E. Henries
  • Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi
  • Representative David A. Bennett
  • Representative Edith H. Ajello
  • Representative Kathleen A. Fogarty
  • Representative Liana Cassar
  • Representative Jean P. Barros
Actions:
  • 02-25-2021

    Introduced, referred to House Labor

  • 03-05-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/10/2021)

  • 03-10-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

H 6180:

Provides that public bodies not be required to hold open-forum sessions on any topic not on the meeting notice and limits comment on any topic not previously posted.

Read the full text for H 6180 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Joseph M. McNamara
Actions:
  • 03-26-2021

    Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

  • 04-08-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/12/2021)

  • 04-12-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  • 06-28-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (06/30/2021)

  • 06-30-2021

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

H 6206:

House Resolution commemorating April 4-10, 2021 as "National Library Week" in RI

Read the full text for H 6206 at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
  • Representative Jacquelyn M. Baginski
  • Representative Brandon C. Potter
  • Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski
  • Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi
  • Representative Katherine S. Kazarian
  • Representative Julie A. Casimiro
Actions:
  • 04-06-2021

    House read and passed

S 0001 as amended:

Increases the minimum wage from $11.50/hr to $15.00/hr over the next 4 years.

Read the full text for S 0001 as amended at the Rhode Island General Assembly website.
Sponsor(s):
  • Senator Ana B. Quezada
  • Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio
  • Senator Michael McCaffrey
  • Senator Maryellen Goodwin
  • Senator Sandra Cano
  • Senator Joshua Miller
  • Senator Hanna M. Gallo
  • Senator Gayle Goldin
  • Senator Bridget G. Valverde
  • Senator James Seveney
Actions:
  • 01-11-2021

    Introduced, referred to Senate Labor

  • 01-22-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

  • 01-22-2021

    Meeting postponed (01/27/2021)

  • 01-29-2021

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/03/2021)

  • 02-03-2021

    Committee recommends passage

  • 02-03-2021

    Placed on Senate Calendar (02/10/2021)

  • 02-10-2021

    Senate passed as amended (floor amendment)

  • 02-11-2021

    Referred to House Labor

  • 05-07-2021

    Scheduled for consideration (05/12/2021)

  • 05-12-2021

    Committee recommends passage as amended in concurrence

  • 05-14-2021

    Placed on House Calendar (05/18/2021)

  • 05-18-2021

    House passed as amended in concurrence

  • 05-18-2021

    Transmitted to Governor

  • 05-20-2021

    Signed by Governor