Establishes a new high-cost special education fund to pool resources and generates income to support excess costs associated with providing services to special education students.
HB 7440 allows workers who are on strike or locked out during a labor dispute to receive unemployment benefits, which they were previously denied. It directly affects employees involved in strikes or employer lockouts, removing the prior bar to benefits unless specific exceptions apply. Key provisions state workers qualify if the lockout aims to resist collective bargaining or gain concessions, but not if it responds to a strike at another company in a multi-employer group or if the employer offered a 3-day extension of current terms that was refused. The bill takes effect upon passage and clarifies that benefits continue if unemployment lasts more than a week after the dispute ends.
Changes the teacher and state employees' retirement benefit calculations' cutoff date from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2012, for all retirement members eligible to and who retire on or after the new July 1, 2012, cutoff date.
Exempts from sales tax the trade-in values of motorcycles as well the proceeds received as a result of an unrecovered stolen or total loss of a motorcycle.
Require the director of any state agency with more than five million dollars ($5,000,000) in contracted services to conduct a review of said services and to provide a two percent (2%) reduction in said expenditures over five years.
Permits every municipality in the state to offer a homestead tax exemption of up to 20% of assessed value on residential properties, and also provides that municipalities that grant greater exemptions not be limited by this section.
Reduces the cigarette tax imposed by 75% for any modified risk tobacco product as defined in § 21 U.S.C. 387 k as a tobacco product sold/distributed to reduce the harm/risk of tobacco-related disease associated with commercially marketed tobacco products.
SB 2340 authorizes the state of Rhode Island to provide up to $18 million in financing support to assist the sale of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital to CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, Inc. The bill creates a debt service reserve fund or credit facility to bolster bond financing for this acquisition, ensuring the hospitals' financial viability. This support directly affects the two hospitals (which served over 110,000 annual emergency and outpatient visits) and CharterCARE as the buyer, while preserving approximately 2,700 jobs. The state’s contribution is capped at $18 million and requires annual legislative appropriations, with funds reverting to the state budget if unused.
SB 2026 amends Rhode Island's personal income tax code to allow residents to subtract contributions to the state's tuition savings program from their federal adjusted gross income. This deduction is capped at $500 per individual or $1,000 for joint filers, and only applies to contributions made directly by the account participant. The bill specifically excludes transfers, rollovers, or changes of beneficiary from counting toward this deduction. It directly affects Rhode Island residents who contribute to the state's tuition savings program (Section 16-57-6.1), providing a limited tax benefit for education savings. The policy change would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.
Expands the definition of “book or other writing” to sales up to one thousand five hundred (1,500) copies and deny the sales tax exemption for third-party sales.
