2022 -- H 7332 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE

     Introduced By: Representative Joseph M. McNamara

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2022

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-108.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State

Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-27.3-108.2. State building commissioner's duties.

     (a) This code shall be enforced by the state building commissioner as to any structures or

buildings or parts thereof that are owned or are temporarily or permanently under the jurisdiction

of the state or any of its departments, commissions, agencies, or authorities established by an act

of the general assembly, and as to any structures or buildings or parts thereof that are built upon

any land owned by or under the jurisdiction of the state.

     (b) Permit fees for the projects shall be established by the committee. The fees shall be

deposited as general revenues.

     (c)(1) The local cities and towns shall charge each permit applicant an additional .1 (.001)

percent levy of the total construction cost for each permit issued. The levy shall be limited to a

maximum of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each of the permits issued for one-and two-family (2)

dwellings. This additional levy shall be transmitted monthly to the state building office at the

department of business regulation, and shall be used to staff and support the purchase or lease and

operation of a web-accessible service and/or system to be utilized by the state and municipalities

for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection system and other

programs described in this chapter. The fee levy shall be deposited as general revenues.

     (2) On or before July 1, 2013, the building commissioner shall develop a standard statewide

process for electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection. The process shall include,

but not be limited to: applications; submission of building plans and plans for developments and

plots; plan review; permitting; inspections; inspection scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation

and collections; and workflow and report management.

     (3) On or before December 1, 2013, the building commissioner, with the assistance of the

office of regulatory reform, shall implement the standard statewide process for electronic plan

review, permit management, and inspection. In addition, the building commissioner shall develop

a technology and implementation plan for a standard web-accessible service or system to be utilized

by the state and municipalities for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management,

and inspection. The plan shall include, but not be limited to: applications; submission of building

plans and plans for developments and plots; plan review; permitting; inspections; inspection

scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation and collections; and workflow and report management.

     (d) The building commissioner shall, upon request by any state contractor described in §

37-2-38.1, review, and when all conditions for certification have been met, certify to the state

controller that the payment conditions contained in § 37-2-38.1 have been met.

     (e) The building commissioner shall coordinate the development and implementation of

this section with the state fire marshal to assist with the implementation of § 23-28.2-6. On or before

January 1, 2022, the building commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement

the provisions of this section and § 23-27.3-115.6.

     (f) The building commissioner shall submit, in coordination with the state fire marshal, a

report to the governor and general assembly on or before April 1, 2013, and each April 1st

thereafter, providing the status of the web-accessible service and/or system implementation and

any recommendations for process or system improvement. In every report submitted on or after

April, 2024, the building commissioner shall provide the following information:

     (1) The identity of every municipality in full compliance with the provisions § 23-27.3-

115.6 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this section;

     (2) The identity of every municipality failing to fully implement and comply with the

provisions of § 23-27.3-115.6 and/or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the

provisions of this section, and the nature, extent, and basis or reason for the failure or

noncompliance; and

     (3) Recommendations to achieve compliance by all municipalities with the provisions of §

23-27.3-115.6 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

     (g) The building commissioner shall assist with facilitating the goals and objectives set

forth in § 28-42-84(a)(9).

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     SECTION 2. Section 28-42-84 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-42 entitled

"Employment Security - General Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     28-42-84. Job development fund -- Disbursements -- Unexpended balance.

     (a) The moneys in the job development fund shall be used for the following purposes:

     (1) To reimburse the department of labor and training for the loss of any federal funds

resulting from the collection and maintenance of the fund by the department;

     (2) To make refunds of contributions erroneously collected and deposited in the fund;

     (3) To pay any administrative expenses incurred by the department of labor and training

associated with the collection of the contributions for employers paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5, and

any other administrative expenses associated with the maintenance of the fund, including the

payment of all premiums upon bonds required pursuant to § 28-42-85;

     (4) To provide for job training, counseling and assessment services, and other related

activities and services. Services will include, but are not limited to, research, development,

coordination, and training activities to promote workforce development and business development

as established by the governor's workforce board Rhode Island (workforce board);

     (5) To support the state's job training for economic development;

     (6) Beginning January 1, 2001, two hundredths of one percent (0.02%) out of the job

development assessment paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 shall be used to support necessary core

services in the unemployment insurance and employment services programs operated by the

department of labor and training;

     (7) Beginning January 1, 2011, and ending in tax year 2014, three tenths of one percent

(0.3%) out of the fifty-one hundredths of one percent (0.51%) job development assessment paid

pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 shall be deposited into a restricted receipt account to be used solely to pay

the principal and/or interest due on Title XII advances received from the federal government in

accordance with the provisions of Section 1201 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. § 1321];

provided, however, that if the federal Title XII loans are repaid through a state revenue bond or

other financing mechanism, then these funds may also be used to pay the principal and/or interest

that accrues on that debt. Any remaining funds in the restricted receipt account, after the

outstanding principal and interest due has been paid, shall be transferred to the employment security

fund for the payment of benefits; and

     (8) Beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2019, the amount of the job

development assessment paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 above nineteen hundredths of one percent

(0.19%) shall be used to support necessary core services in the unemployment insurance and

employment services programs operated by the department of labor and training; and

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     (9) Beginning January 1, 2023, and through the end of the subsequent biennial employment

and training plan required by § 42-102-6(a)(2), at least four percent (4%) of prior fiscal year job

development assessment revenues shall be utilized to provide contractor training program grants

that shall prioritize minority business enterprises, and state and local building officials. As an

addendum to that plan required by § 42-102-6(a)(2), there shall be a report that assesses the impact

of the funding required by this subsection on these prioritized groups, including any impact on §

37-14.1-1, and prospectively assesses the need to continue this support, and provides

recommendations to incorporate funding in the furtherance of developing these aforementioned

workforce sectors.

     (b) The general treasurer shall pay all vouchers duly drawn by the workforce board upon

the fund, in any amounts and in any manner that the workforce board may prescribe. Vouchers so

drawn upon the fund shall be referred to the controller within the department of administration.

Upon receipt of those vouchers, the controller shall immediately record and sign them and shall

promptly transfer those signed vouchers to the general treasurer. Those expenditures shall be used

solely for the purposes specified in this section and its balance shall not lapse at any time but shall

remain continuously available for expenditures consistent with this section. The general assembly

shall annually appropriate the funds contained in the fund for the use of the workforce board and,

in addition, for the use of the department of labor and training effective July 1, 2000, and for the

payment of the principal and interest due on federal Title XII loans beginning July 1, 2011;

provided, however, that if the federal Title XII loans are repaid through a state revenue bond or

other financing mechanism, then the funds may also be used to pay the principal and/or interest

that accrues on that debt.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE

***

     This act would dedicate job development assessment revenues to provide contractor

training grants that prioritize minority business enterprises and building officials. This act would

also include within the duties of the state building commissioner, the facilitation of this grant

program.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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