Under The Dome: 3/24/2025

This Week At the State House

Wednesday, March 26

Unemployment Benefits

The Senate Committee on Labor & Gaming (4:30 p.m. in Room 212) will be considering the removal of a sunset provision in the unemployment benefit arena. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Assembly and Governor increased the total amount of earnings a partial-unemployment insurance claimant could receive before being entirely disqualified for unemployment insurance benefits and increased the amount of earnings disregarded when calculating a weekly benefit rate. At the time, it was deemed necessary because jobs were hard to find as many places were forcibly closed by the state. The law is about to sunset June 30, 2025. S.622, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Employment Security removes the sunset, making the benefit calculation permit. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0622.pdf

Wastewater Discharge Fee

S.642, An Act Relating to Waters and Navigation – Uniform Septage Disposal Fee, will be heard in the Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture at 4:00 p.m. in the Senate Lounge. S.642 establishes a uniform wastewater disposal fee in the amount of fifteen cents per every 10,000 gallons of wastewater effluent which shall be imposed on the disposal of wastewater effluent at all wastewater treatment facilities in the state. Waste water may be a combination of the liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water, and storm water that may be present. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0642.pdf

Testimony both bills can be emailed to: SLegislation@rilegislature.gov

Last Week At the State House

Employees’ Right to Buy a Business, Leave for Organ Donation

H.5940, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – The Rhode Island Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act, received a great deal of attention at last week’s hearing. This bill

requires a majority of businesses in Rhode Island to give all full-time and part-time employees seven-days-notice of an intent to sell all or at least 51% of the business. This requirement applies to every business employing between three and five hundred employees that is privately held and not a publicly traded company. Once the notice is given, the employees have thirty days to respond with an intent buy notice, not an offer to purchase. If the employees form a group and give the owner an intent to buy notice, they then have 180 days to determine what they believe the value of the business to be before making an actual offer. In the event the business is sold to the employee group, the seller is exempt from paying capital gains on the first $1 million in gains.

Many members of the Labor Committee expressed concerns about the proposed mandate and how that mandate might harm a business owner’s opportunity to sell a business or to take on a majority partner. The Chamber, together with other business organizations also pointed out the ramifications of releasing sensitive financial information to employees who may not have the ability to purchase the business. We thank Chairman Corvese, Rep. Carol McEntee, Rep. Jon Brien, Rep. Richard Fascia, Rep. Stephen Casey and the members of the committee who asked questions seeking to flush out potential challenges that would face the business community if H.5940 was to become law.

H.6065, An Act Relating to Labor and Labor Relations – Rhode Island Bone Marrow and Organ Donor Leave Act was heard last week as well. Representative Giraldo clarified that his intent for the bill is to allow employees who qualify for FMLA to use that FMLA time and TDI to cover time needed to undergo tests, surgery and recovery time in order to donate bone marrow or organs. The maximum duration of leave is thirty days for organ donation and five days for bone marrow donation. The employer must keep a similar job open for the employee’s return and continue to pay for any health insurance provided to the employee. If the employee has a co-share premium, that amount must be paid to the employer prior to taking leave. The intent is not to require businesses to increase the FMLA time, but to add these situations as eligible for FMLA and TDI benefits.

New bills filed:

Senate Bill No. 857 Thompson, Raptakis, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- HOLIDAY BUSINESS (Provides all employees of retail establishments with 15 or more employees engaged in work during Sundays or holidays shall receive from their employer no less than time and a half and shall be guaranteed at least a minimum of four (4) hours employment.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0857.pdf

Senate Bill No. 858 Thompson, Raptakis, AN ACT RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE -- WORK ON HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAYS (Defines employees as individuals employed by a municipality or state covered by a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract, and would redefine an "employer" to those who employ fifteen (15) or more employees.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0858.pdf

House Bill No. 6112 Sanchez, Morales, Cruz, Speakman, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- EMINENT DOMAIN (Requires all entities delegated eminent domain powers under this section to adopt a plan and approval prior to exercising such power for a public purpose.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/HouseText25/H6112.pdf

House Bill No. 6123 Voas, Giraldo, Alzate, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Defines Class 5 property to include the commercial portion of mixed use properties and fix the tax rate for Class 3 property at thirty-eight dollars and 33 cents ($38.33) per one thousand dollars ($1,000).) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/HouseText25/H6123.pdf