2017 -- S 0258

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LC001377

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- MUNICIPAL

INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM

     Introduced By: Senators Satchell, Conley, and Archambault

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 64.33

RHODE ISLAND MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM

     42-64.33-1. Grant program established.

     (a) There shall be in the Rhode Island commerce corporation a Rhode Island municipal

infrastructure grant program:

     (1) To issue public infrastructure grants to municipalities and other public

instrumentalities for design, construction, building, land acquisition, rehabilitation, repair and

other improvements to publicly-owned infrastructure including, but not limited to, sewers, utility

extensions, streets, roads, curb-cuts, parking, water treatment systems, telecommunications

systems, transit improvements;

     (2) To assist municipalities to advance projects that support job creation and expansion,

housing development and rehabilitation, community development projects in areas or districts

that communities have determined are best suited to efficiently accommodate future growth and

redevelopment, largely in previously developed areas with some level of existing or planned

infrastructure.

     (b) Eligible public infrastructure projects authorized in subsection (a) of this section shall

be located on public land or on public leasehold, right-of-way or easement. A project that uses

grants to municipalities for public infrastructure provided by this section shall be procured by a

municipality in accordance with chapter 55 of title 45.

     (c) There shall be at least one open solicitation period each year to accept and consider

new applications. Not less than twelve (12) weeks before the annual open solicitation period, the

Rhode Island commerce corporation shall release the criteria upon which the applications shall be

judged including, but not limited to, a minimum project readiness standard, overall spending

targets by project type, preferences for projects that align with the state's prevailing economic

development plan and other preferences applying to that funding round. Grants may be made

outside of the open solicitation period at the discretion of the secretary of commerce subject to

subsections (d) and (e) of this section. All grant awards shall be made only after consultation with

the Rhode Island statewide planning program and the Rhode Island infrastructure bank.

     (d) An eligible city or town, acting by and through its municipal officers or by and

through any agency designated by such municipal officers to act on their behalf, may apply to the

program for a grant in a specific amount to fund a specified project. Two (2) or more

municipalities may apply jointly, with one municipality acting as fiscal agent. The grants may be

made in addition to other forms of local, state, and federal assistance.

     (e) Receipt of a grant which is part of a joint application shall not preclude a city or town

from receiving additional funds under a separate application.

     (f) The secretary of commerce may establish guidelines rules and regulations to govern

the application and distribution of grants under the program. The guidelines may include

provisions for joint applications by two (2) or more eligible towns for a single project serving

those towns.

     (g) The secretary of commerce shall report annually to the clerks of the house of

representatives and the senate, who shall forward the report to the houses of representatives and

the senate, the permanent joint committee on economic development, senate committee on

commerce, senate committee on government oversight, senate committee on finance, senate

committee on housing and municipal government, house committee on oversight, house

committee on finance, and the house committee on municipal government. The report shall

include a list and description of all projects that received grant funds under the program, the

amount of the grant awarded to the project, other sources of public funds that supported the

project, a detailed analysis of the economic impact of each project including, where applicable,

the number of construction and full-time equivalent jobs to be created, number of housing units to

be created, the private investment in the project and the expected tax revenue generated from the

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project.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- MUNICIPAL

INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM

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     This act would establish the Rhode Island municipal infrastructure grant program to issue

public infrastructure grants to municipalities and other public instrumentalities for design,

construction, building, land acquisition, rehabilitation, repair and other improvements to publicly-

owned infrastructure.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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