2020 -- H 7177 | |
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LC003565 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - THE RHODE ISLAND | |
MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Diaz, Canario, and Slater | |
Date Introduced: January 22, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 42-11-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11 entitled |
2 | "Department of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 42-11-10. Statewide planning program. |
4 | (a) Findings. The general assembly finds that the people of this state have a fundamental |
5 | interest in the orderly development of the state; the state has a positive interest and demonstrated |
6 | need for establishment of a comprehensive, strategic state planning process and the preparation, |
7 | maintenance, and implementation of plans for the physical, economic, and social development of |
8 | the state; the continued growth and development of the state presents problems that cannot be met |
9 | by the cities and towns individually and that require effective planning by the state; and state and |
10 | local plans and programs must be properly coordinated with the planning requirements and |
11 | programs of the federal government. |
12 | (b) Establishment of statewide planning program. |
13 | (1) A statewide planning program is hereby established to prepare, adopt, and amend |
14 | strategic plans for the physical, economic, and social development of the state and to recommend |
15 | these to the governor, the general assembly, and all others concerned. |
16 | (2) All strategic planning, as defined in subsection (c) of this section, undertaken by all |
17 | departments and agencies of the executive branch unless specifically exempted, shall be |
18 | conducted by or under the supervision of the statewide planning program. The statewide planning |
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1 | program shall consist of a state planning council, and the division of planning, which shall be a |
2 | division within the department of administration. |
3 | (c) Strategic planning. Strategic planning includes the following activities: |
4 | (1) Establishing or identifying general goals. |
5 | (2) Refining or detailing these goals and identifying relationships between them. |
6 | (3) Formulating, testing, and selecting policies and standards that will achieve desired |
7 | objectives. |
8 | (4) Preparing long-range or system plans or comprehensive programs that carry out the |
9 | policies and set time schedules, performance measures, and targets. |
10 | (5) Preparing functional, short-range plans or programs that are consistent with |
11 | established or desired goals, objectives, and policies, and with long-range or system plans or |
12 | comprehensive programs where applicable, and that establish measurable, intermediate steps |
13 | toward their accomplishment of the goals, objectives, policies, and/or long-range system plans. |
14 | (6) Monitoring the planning of specific projects and designing of specific programs of |
15 | short duration by the operating departments, other agencies of the executive branch, and political |
16 | subdivisions of the state to ensure that these are consistent with, and carry out the intent of, |
17 | applicable strategic plans. |
18 | (7) Reviewing the execution of strategic plans, and the results obtained, and making |
19 | revisions necessary to achieve established goals. |
20 | (d) State guide plan. Components of strategic plans prepared and adopted in accordance |
21 | with this section may be designated as elements of the state guide plan. The state guide plan shall |
22 | be comprised of functional elements or plans dealing with land use; physical development and |
23 | environmental concerns; economic development; housing production; energy supply, including |
24 | the development of renewable energy resources in Rhode Island, and energy access, use, and |
25 | conservation; human services; climate change and resiliency; and other factors necessary to |
26 | accomplish the objective of this section. The state guide plan shall be a means for centralizing, |
27 | integrating, and monitoring long-range goals, policies, plans, and implementation activities |
28 | related thereto. State agencies concerned with specific subject areas, local governments, and the |
29 | public shall participate in the state guide planning process, which shall be closely coordinated |
30 | with the budgeting process. |
31 | (e) Membership of state planning council. The state planning council shall consist of the |
32 | following members: |
33 | (1) The director of the department of administration as chairperson; |
34 | (2) The director, policy office, in the office of the governor, as vice-chairperson; |
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1 | (3) The governor, or his or her designee; |
2 | (4) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 4, § 13]; |
3 | (5) The chairperson of the housing resources commission; |
4 | (6) The highest-ranking administrative officer of the division of planning, as secretary; |
5 | (7) The president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns or his or her designee; |
6 | (8) The executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns; |
7 | (9) Three (3) chief elected officials of cities and towns appointed by the governor after |
8 | consultation with the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, one of whom shall be from a |
9 | community with a population greater than 40,000 persons; one of whom shall be from a |
10 | community with a population of between 20,000 and 40,000 persons; and one of whom shall be |
11 | from a community with a population less than 20,000 persons; |
12 | (10) One representative of a nonprofit community development or housing organization |
13 | appointed by the governor; |
14 | (11) Four (4) public members, appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be an |
15 | employer with fewer than fifty (50) employees; one of whom shall be an employer with greater |
16 | than fifty (50) employees; one of whom shall represent a professional planning or engineering |
17 | organization in Rhode Island; and one of whom shall represent a chamber of commerce or |
18 | economic development organization; |
19 | (12) Two (2) representatives of private, nonprofit, environmental or environmental justice |
20 | advocacy organizations, both to be appointed by the governor; |
21 | (13) The director of planning and development for the city of Providence; |
22 | (14) The director of the department of transportation; |
23 | (15) The director of the department of environmental management; |
24 | (16) The director of the department of health; |
25 | (17) The chief executive officer of the commerce corporation; |
26 | (18) The commissioner of the Rhode Island office of energy resources; |
27 | (19) The chief executive officer of the Rhode Island public transit authority; |
28 | (20) The executive director of Rhode Island housing; |
29 | (21) The executive director of the coastal resources management council; and |
30 | (22) The director of the Rhode Island emergency management agency. |
31 | (f) Powers and duties of state planning council. The state planning council shall have the |
32 | following powers and duties: |
33 | (1) To adopt strategic plans as defined in this section and the long-range state guide plan, |
34 | and to modify and amend any of these, following the procedures for notification and public |
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1 | hearing set forth in § 42-35-3, and to recommend and encourage implementation of these goals to |
2 | the general assembly, state and federal agencies, and other public and private bodies; approval of |
3 | strategic plans by the governor; and to ensure that strategic plans and the long-range state guide |
4 | plan are consistent with the findings, intent, and goals set forth in § 45-22.2-3, the "Rhode Island |
5 | comprehensive planning and land use regulation act"; |
6 | (2) To coordinate the planning and development activities of all state agencies, in |
7 | accordance with strategic plans prepared and adopted as provided for by this section; |
8 | (3) To review and comment on the proposed annual work program of the statewide |
9 | planning program; |
10 | (4) To adopt rules and standards and issue orders concerning any matters within its |
11 | jurisdiction as established by this section and amendments to it; |
12 | (5) To establish advisory committees and appoint members thereto representing diverse |
13 | interests and viewpoints as required in the state planning process and in the preparation or |
14 | implementation of strategic plans. At minimum, the state planning council shall appoint |
15 | permanent committees: |
16 | (i) A technical committee, comprised of public members from different geographic areas |
17 | of the state representing diverse interests along with officials of state, local, and federal |
18 | government, who shall review all proposed elements of the state guide plan, or amendment or |
19 | repeal of any element of the plan, and shall advise the state planning council thereon before the |
20 | council acts on any such proposal. This committee shall also advise the state planning council on |
21 | any other matter referred to it by the council; and |
22 | (ii) An executive committee consisting of major participants of a Rhode Island |
23 | geographic information system with oversight responsibility for its activities; and |
24 | (iii) A transportation advisory committee, made up of diverse representation, including, |
25 | but not limited to, municipal elected and appointed officials; representatives of various |
26 | transportation sectors, departments, and agencies; and other groups and agencies with an interest |
27 | in transportation operations, maintenance, construction, and policy, who shall review |
28 | transportation-related plans and amendments and recommend action to the state planning council. |
29 | (6) To adopt, amend, and maintain, as an element of the state guide plan or as an |
30 | amendment to an existing element of the state guide plan, standards and guidelines for the |
31 | location of eligible, renewable energy resources and renewable energy facilities in Rhode Island |
32 | with due consideration for the location of such resources and facilities in commercial and |
33 | industrial areas, agricultural areas, areas occupied by public and private institutions, and property |
34 | of the state and its agencies and corporations, provided these areas are of sufficient size, and in |
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1 | other areas of the state as appropriate. |
2 | (7) To act as the single, statewide metropolitan planning organization for transportation |
3 | planning, and to promulgate all rules and regulations that are necessary thereto. |
4 | (8) To establish review criteria, evaluate applications, approve and issue grants, and assist |
5 | municipalities pursuant to the provisions of chapter 11.4 of title 42, and any rules or regulations |
6 | promulgated thereunder. |
7 | (g) Division of statewide planning. |
8 | (1) The division of statewide planning shall be the principal staff agency of the state |
9 | planning council for preparing and/or coordinating strategic plans for the comprehensive |
10 | management of the state's human, economic, and physical resources. The division of statewide |
11 | planning shall recommend to the state planning council specific guidelines, standards, and |
12 | programs to be adopted to implement strategic planning and the state guide plan and shall |
13 | undertake any other duties established by this section and amendments thereto. |
14 | (2) The division of statewide planning shall maintain records (which shall consist of files |
15 | of complete copies) of all plans, recommendations, rules, and modifications or amendments |
16 | thereto adopted or issued by the state planning council under this section. The records shall be |
17 | open to the public. |
18 | (3) The division of statewide planning shall manage and administer the Rhode Island |
19 | geographic information system of land-related resources, and shall coordinate these efforts with |
20 | other state departments and agencies, including the university of Rhode Island, which shall |
21 | provide technical support and assistance in the development and maintenance of the system and |
22 | its associated data base. |
23 | (4) The division of statewide planning shall coordinate and oversee the provision of |
24 | technical assistance to political subdivisions of the state in preparing and implementing plans to |
25 | accomplish the purposes, goals, objectives, policies, and/or standards of applicable elements of |
26 | the state guide plan and shall make available to cities and towns data and guidelines that may be |
27 | used in preparing comprehensive plans and elements thereof and in evaluating comprehensive |
28 | plans and elements thereby. |
29 | (h) [Deleted by P.L. 2011, ch. 215, § 4, and by P.L. 2011, ch. 313, § 4]. |
30 | (i) The division of planning shall be the principal staff agency of the water resources |
31 | board established pursuant to chapter 15 of title 46 ("Water Resources Board") and the water |
32 | resources board corporate established pursuant to chapter 15.1 of title 46 ("Water Supply |
33 | Facilities"). |
34 | SECTION 2. Section 42-11.4-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11.4 entitled "The |
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1 | Rhode Island Municipal Infrastructure Grant Program" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
2 | 42-11.4-1. Establishment. |
3 | The Rhode Island municipal infrastructure grant program is hereby created within the |
4 | department of administration and is subject to grant funding. State funds or appropriations shall |
5 | not be utilized in connection with the implementation of this section. Upon the approval of the |
6 | state planning council, and subject to the appropriations provided to the program, the The |
7 | department of administration is authorized to: |
8 | (1) Issue public infrastructure grants to municipalities and other public instrumentalities |
9 | for design, construction, building, land acquisition, rehabilitation, repair, and other improvements |
10 | to publicly owned infrastructure including, but not limited to, sewers, utility extensions, streets, |
11 | roads, curb-cuts, parking, water-treatment systems, telecommunications systems, transit |
12 | improvements, and pedestrian ways; and |
13 | (2) Assist municipalities to advance projects that support job creation and expansion, |
14 | housing development and rehabilitation, community development projects in areas or districts |
15 | that communities have determined are best suited to efficiently accommodate future growth and |
16 | redevelopment, largely in previously developed areas with some level of existing or planned |
17 | infrastructure. |
18 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC003565 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - THE RHODE ISLAND | |
MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM | |
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1 | This act would remove the prohibition on state appropriations to the municipal |
2 | infrastructure grant program, and authorize the state planning council to evaluate, approve and |
3 | issue such grants, subject to the appropriations provided to the program. |
4 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC003565 | |
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