2018 -- S 2659

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LC005191

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- STATE AID -- TOWN OF EXETER

     

     Introduced By: Senators Morgan, Raptakis, and Paolino

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 45-13-5.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-13 entitled "State

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Aid" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     45-13-5.1. General assembly appropriations in lieu of property tax from certain

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exempt private and state properties.

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     (a) In lieu of the amount of local real property tax on real property owned by any private

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nonprofit institution of higher education, or any nonprofit hospital facility, or any state owned

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and operated hospital, veterans' residential facility, or correctional facility occupied by more than

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one hundred (100) residents which may have been or will be exempted from taxation by

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applicable state law, exclusive of any facility operated by the federal government, the state of

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Rhode Island, or any of its subdivisions, the general assembly shall annually appropriate for

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payment to the several cities and towns in which the property lies a sum equal to twenty-seven

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percent (27%) of all tax that would have been collected had the real property been taxable;

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provided, however, said percentage shall be subject to adjustment pursuant to subsection (e) of

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this section, and provided, further, that such annual payment shall also apply to any and all real

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estate owned by the state within the town of Exeter, notwithstanding the restrictions stated above.

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     (b) In no event shall any city or town record in a fiscal year both: (1) Taxes and/or

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payments under a stabilization agreement with a for-profit hospital facility; and (2) Distributions

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of appropriations under this section attributable to the prior nonprofit status of said for-profit

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hospital facility.

 

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     (c) As used in this section, "private nonprofit institution of higher education" means any

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institution engaged primarily in education beyond the high school level, the property of which is

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exempt from property tax under any of the subdivisions, and "nonprofit hospital facility" means

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any nonprofit hospital licensed by the state and which is used for the purpose of general medical,

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surgical, or psychiatric care and treatment.

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     (d) The grant payable to any municipality under the provision of this section shall be

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equal to twenty-seven percent (27%) of the property taxes that, except for any exemption to any

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institution of higher education or general hospital facility, would have been paid with respect to

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that exempt real property on the assessment list in the municipality for the assessment date of

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December 31, 1986 and with respect to such exempt real property appearing on an assessment list

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in the municipality on succeeding assessment dates. Provided, however, that the grant paid for the

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fiscal year ending June 30, 2008 shall be based upon the assessment list in the municipality as of

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December 31, 2004.

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     (e) The state budget offices shall include the amount of the annual appropriation in the

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state budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 1988, and each fiscal year thereafter. The

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amount of the annual distribution of appropriation payable to each eligible municipality in any

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year in accordance with this section shall be reduced proportionately in the event that the total of

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the annual appropriation in the state budget is insufficient to pay the eligible municipalities the

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amounts otherwise payable to said communities pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

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     (f) Distribution of appropriations shall be made by the state on or before July 31 of 1988

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and each July 31 thereafter or following verified receipt of a municipality's assessment data for

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the following fiscal year's payment, whichever is later, and the payments may be counted as a

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receivable by any city or town for a fiscal year ending the preceding June 30.

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     (g) Any act or omission by the state with respect to this chapter shall in no way diminish

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the duty of any town or municipality to provide public safety or other ordinary services to the

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properties or facilities of the type listed in subsection (a). Such duty shall not pertain to the town

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of Exeter unless, and until such time as, it establishes a municipal police department.

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     (h) Provided, that payments authorized pursuant to this section shall be initially applied to

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create a municipal police force in any community that does not have such a service on the date of

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passage, and thereafter such payments shall be reduced pro rata, for that period of time that the

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municipality or local districts located therein suspends or reduces such essential services to

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eligible facilities. For the purposes of this section "essential services" include, but are not to be

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limited to, police, fire and rescue.

 

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     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 TOWNS AND CITIES -- STATE AID -- TOWN OF EXETER

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     This act would clarify the status of pilot payments to the town of Exeter in view of its not

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presently having a police department. This act would also provide that the pilot payments would

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apply to certain state-owned land in the town of Exeter, which was previously exempt from pilot

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payments.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC005191

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