The bill is a comprehensive appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2024 for the state of Rhode Island. It details the allocation of funds across various departments and initiatives, including state funds, government reform, taxes, energy and the environment, housing, economic development, education, and human services. The bill includes insertions and deletions of legal language to update the current law, though specific changes are not provided in the text excerpt.

Key points include appropriations for administration, public health response, municipal public safety infrastructure, legal services, pandemic recovery office, and capital projects. It also addresses debt service payments, energy resources, health benefits exchange, diversity and inclusion, capital asset management, business regulation, and commerce. Funding is allocated for airports, economic development initiatives like the Innovation Initiative, Rebuild RI Tax Credit Fund, Small Business Assistance, commerce programs, housing development, workforce training, revenue department functions, and various government departments.

The bill also outlines appropriations for the Office of Health and Human Services, Children, Youth and Families, Health, and Human Services, including medical assistance, bi-monthly reports on the progress of implementing the accreditation plan, funds for Children's Behavioral Health Services, Youth Development Services, Child Welfare, and Higher Education Incentive Grants. For the Health department, funding is provided for Central Management, Community Health and Equity, Environmental Health, Health Laboratories and Medical Examiner, Customer Services, Policy, Information and Communications, and Preparedness, Response, Infectious Disease & Emergency Services. Human Services includes Central Management, Child Support Enforcement, Individual and Family Support, and the Office of Veterans Services, with funds for various services and reporting requirements on staff recruitment and retention.

The bill also includes appropriations for the Office of Veterans Services, Office of Healthy Aging, Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals, with specific provisions for community-based service worker raises and associated payroll costs, the Providence Center, Oasis Wellness and Recovery Center, Crisis Intervention Trainings, the 9-8-8 Hotline, and Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Task Forces. It also covers appropriations for the Office of the Child Advocate, the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, the Office of the Mental Health Advocate, and various educational institutions and programs, with a focus on prioritizing early childhood funds for prekindergarten seats for low-income families in communities with low-performing schools.

The bill details the allocation of funds to elementary and secondary education, public higher education, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission, the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, the Attorney General's office, and the Department of Corrections. It specifies allocations to the Office of Postsecondary Commissioner, including funds for the Rhode Island College Crusade, Best Buddies Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program, and other educational initiatives. The bill includes provisions for the reappropriation of unexpended or unencumbered balances to the following fiscal year. Additionally, the bill provides funding for the Attorney General's office, broken down into criminal, civil, and general categories, and for the Department of Corrections, detailing allocations for central management, parole board, custody and security, institutional support, institutional-based rehabilitation/population management, healthcare services, and community corrections. The bill also mandates regular reporting on the correctional industries program.

The bill outlines appropriations for the Judiciary, Military Staff, Public Safety, Office of Public Defender, Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Management, Coastal Resources Management Council, and Transportation. It includes notable allocations for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc., judicial complex restoration and HVAC upgrades, Statewide Body-worn Camera Program, statewide communications infrastructure, natural resources and environmental protection, Municipal Roadway Database, and infrastructure engineering and maintenance. The bill also includes general revenue totals for the state and specifies that each line in Section 1 constitutes an appropriation. It grants the Governor authority to transfer or reallocate appropriations and full-time equivalent limits when functions of a department or agency are transferred to another, subject to legal restrictions. It also allows for contingency funds to be used at the Governor's discretion for unforeseen or emergency expenditures, and it authorizes the state controller to establish internal service accounts to manage services provided to other agencies on a cost-reimbursed basis, with specific expenditure limits for each account.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions for appropriations from various funds, such as the Temporary Disability Insurance Fund, Employment Security Fund, Lottery Division Funds, and CollegeBoundSaver program. It sets full-time equivalent (FTE) position authorizations for numerous departments and agencies, with detailed numbers for each, and allows for adjustments to these limitations by the Governor, Speaker of the House, or President of the Senate upon detailed recommendation by the State Budget Officer. The bill also specifies that state employees funded by time-limited non-state general revenue funds will receive appointments limited to the availability of the funding source.

The bill outlines appropriations for various Rhode Island state departments and projects for the fiscal year 2024 and beyond, with specific funding allocations for each year up to 2028. It includes detailed appropriations for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, RI Atomic Energy Commission, Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, Office of the Attorney General, Corrections, Judicial, Military Staff, Emergency Management Agency, Public Safety, Office of the Public Defender, Environmental Management, Coastal Resources Management Council, Transportation, and other departments and projects. The bill specifies that no agency or department may employ contracted employee services under state employee supervisors without a determination of need by the Director of Administration, the State Budget Officer, and the Personnel Administrator, and requires a public hearing 15 or 30 days prior for contracting services replacing work done by state employees.

The bill also includes appropriations for the Rhode Island Capital Plan Fund for fiscal years ending in 2025 to 2028, superseding previous appropriations. It lists funding for various projects, including facility renovations, infrastructure improvements, and educational institution upgrades. Additionally, the bill allows for the reappropriation of unexpended and unencumbered funds from Rhode Island Capital Plan Fund projects, subject to General Assembly approval. It mandates the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation to support the Neighborhood Opportunities Program and report on its outcomes. The bill appropriates all State Economic Activity Taxes for fiscal year 2024 for debt service on bonds and infrastructure improvements in specific districts. Lastly, it clarifies that appropriations from federal funds do not include funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, except where specifically designated, and outlines appropriations for the State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Capital Projects Fund, including a grant program for high-efficiency electric heat pumps.

This bill appropriates funds for various purposes related to COVID-19 response and recovery in Rhode Island. The funds will be allocated to different departments and programs to address public health impacts, support job partnerships, enhance minority business enterprises, develop affordable housing, and provide financial and technical assistance to small businesses and COVID-impacted industries. The bill also includes funds for destination tourism marketing, the development of a marine terminal, and investments in the biosciences industry.

Specifically, the bill allocates funds to the Department of Administration for ongoing COVID-19 mitigation activities, the Pandemic Recovery Office, public health response warehouse support, and an auto-enrollment program for qualified individuals transitioned off Medicaid coverage. The Department of Labor and Training will receive funds to support the Real Jobs Rhode Island program. The Executive Office of Commerce will receive funds for destination marketing, minority business acceleration, the South Quay Marine Terminal, and bioscience investments. The Department of Housing will receive funds for the development of affordable housing, targeted housing development, site acquisition, down payment assistance, workforce housing, affordable housing predevelopment, and home repair and community revitalization.

The bill outlines appropriations for various programs and initiatives in support of the fiscal year 2024. It includes funding for affordable housing development, targeting households earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income, with commercial and community spaces serving low-and moderate-income persons. A sum of $4,500,000 is allocated for critical home repairs in these communities. The bill also provides for the preservation of affordable housing units at risk of foreclosure or blight, predevelopment and capacity building for affordable housing projects, and a municipal planning program that includes a fellows program and grants for zoning changes to enable housing development near transit. Additionally, it supports homelessness assistance and infrastructure programs, including services for those transitioning from homelessness and grants to municipalities for public safety expenses related to homelessness. The bill also establishes a proactive development subsidiary of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation and allocates funds to the Rhode Island infrastructure bank for housing-related physical infrastructure.

The bill further details appropriations for the Quonset Development Corporation to develop port infrastructure, the Department of Children, Youth and Families for workforce stabilization and foster home improvements, and the Department of Health for COVID-19 operational support. The Department of Human Services receives funds for child care support, including retention bonuses and grants for child care providers, as well as financial assistance for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals is allocated funds for crisis intervention trainings and a 9-8-8 hotline. The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education receives funds for adult education and out-of-school time education providers. The Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is supported for programs to improve postsecondary degree attainment and establish a cybersecurity center. Lastly, the University of Rhode Island is provided funds for a water treatment plant to address PFAS contamination.

The bill outlines appropriations for various departments and initiatives in support of the fiscal year 2024. It includes funding for the Department of Public Safety to enhance support for survivors of domestic violence, providing additional housing, clinical, and mental health services. The Department of Transportation is allocated funds for a Municipal Roads Grant Program, which requires a local match for infrastructure projects, and for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to pilot a free fare bus route service along the "R-Line" for 12 months. Additionally, funds are designated for a study by the Turnpike and Bridge Authority to evaluate options for suicide prevention on bridges.

The bill also addresses the allocation of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, including the administration of the Capital Projects Fund by the Department of Administration and investments in broadband projects to provide high-speed internet access. It mandates the reappropriation of unexpended federal funds from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Capital Projects Fund, subject to General Assembly approval. The bill requires the pandemic recovery office to monitor program progress and report on programs at risk of underspending or noncompliance. Furthermore, it includes transfers to the Supplemental State Budget Reserve Account and the Large Systems Initiatives Fund for various technology projects, such as enterprise resource planning and modernization of legacy systems. The bill exempts certain projects from general laws and is set to take effect on July 1, 2023.

The bill proposes amendments to the General Laws concerning state funds, specifically relating to fees for copies and searches of vital records, the establishment of a supplemental state budget reserve account, and the handling of indirect cost recoveries on restricted receipt accounts.

Section 1 amends Section 23-3-25 of the General Laws, adjusting the fees charged by the state and local registrars for searches and copies of vital records. It also introduces a surcharge for electronic statewide registration system (ESRS) requests, with the surcharge funds being deposited into the newly designated "information technology restricted receipt account (ITRR account)" instead of the previously named "information technology investment fund (ITIF)." Section 2 adds a new section, 35-3-20.2, to create a supplemental state budget reserve account within the general fund, which is to be used to address any unanticipated general revenue deficits. Section 3 amends Section 35-4-27, specifying that indirect cost recoveries of 10% of cash receipts from all restricted-receipt accounts are to be transferred to the general fund, with certain exceptions. The bill also lists various restricted receipt accounts that are exempt from these provisions and updates the name of the "Information Technology Investment Fund" to the "Information Technology restricted receipt account."

The bill outlines various amendments and insertions to the existing state laws, particularly focusing on the management of state funds and the responsibilities of the state controller. One significant insertion is the creation of the "RGGI-Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council Projects" under the Executive Office of Commerce, which suggests a focus on climate change initiatives. Additionally, the bill amends Section 35-6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-6 entitled "Accounts and Control," detailing the duties of the state controller. The amendments include a new subsection (e), which mandates that upon the issuance of the audited financial statement, the controller shall transfer 50% of all general revenues received in the completed fiscal year, net of transfer to the state budget reserve and cash stabilization account, in excess of the estimates adopted for that year as contained in the final enacted budget to the employees' retirement system and 50% to the Supplemental State Budget Reserve Account.

Furthermore, the bill amends Section 37-2-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 37-2 entitled “State Purchases Act,” centralizing procurement authority and transferring all related rights, powers, duties, and authority to the chief purchasing officer. It also allows the chief purchasing officer to establish, charge, and collect a statewide contract administrative fee not to exceed 1% of the total value of the annual spend against a contract awarded to a state contractor. The bill includes various other accounts and funds related to different departments and initiatives, such as the DMV Modernization Project, Jobs Tax Credit Redemption Fund, and the RI Military Family Relief Fund, indicating a broad scope of financial management and allocation across different sectors of the state government.

The bill amends existing laws to adjust the management of funds related to state procurement and the sale of state-owned property. It establishes that the administrative fees collected for state procurement purposes will be deposited into the "division of purchases administrative-fee account" within the general fund. These funds are to be used for implementing technology for bid submission and processing, online vendor registration, and bid notification. The bill requires an annual report detailing the funds collected, account balance, expenditures, and an evaluation of the contract administrative fee. Additionally, the bill authorizes the state controller, subject to the approval of the director of the department of administration, to offset outstanding liabilities of developmental disability organizations (DDOs) against the proceeds from the sale of group homes before depositing the proceeds into the information technology restricted receipt account, which replaces the previous "information technology investment fund."

The bill also addresses the sale of state-owned land and buildings, directing that proceeds be transferred to the information technology restricted receipt account (ITRR account), unless prohibited by federal law. However, this excludes proceeds from the sale of land created by the relocation of interstate route 195. Furthermore, the bill amends the "Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011" to create the Rhode Island highway maintenance account within the intermodal surface transportation fund. This account will consist of funds directed by the state, including surcharges on vehicle registrations and licenses to operate motor vehicles. The surcharges will be phased in over time and will vary by vehicle type. The bill also specifies that certain fees, with some exceptions, will be deposited into the Rhode Island highway maintenance account, with a percentage of these fees being deposited annually over the fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The bill amends the allocation of funds collected pursuant to a specific section, stating that effective July 1, 2019, ninety-five percent (95%) of all funds collected will be deposited in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account and used only for the purposes set forth in the chapter. The remaining funds will be retained as general revenues to partially offset the cost of collections. Additionally, unexpended balances and earnings will not revert to the general fund but will remain in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account without the requirement to be expended within the same calendar or fiscal year. The account will be administered by the director, who is responsible for allocating and spending monies from the fund in accordance with the chapter's purposes and procedures.

The bill also revises the "911 Emergency Telephone Number Act" by imposing a monthly E-911 surcharge of fifty cents ($.50) on various telephone lines, devices, and services, including a first response surcharge of fifty cents ($.50) for wireline services and seventy-five cents ($.75) for wireless services. The surcharges will be billed by telecommunication service providers and are not subject to certain taxes. Providers must deposit collected surcharges into a special account and transfer the funds to the division of taxation within 60 days,