| Chapter 428 |
| 2021 -- H 6494 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 01/04/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MAKING REVISED APPROPRIATIONS IN SUPPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2022 |
Introduced By: Representative Marvin L. Abney |
| Date Introduced: October 20, 2021 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16 of Article 1 of Chapter 162 of the Public Laws of 2021 is hereby |
| amended to read as follows: The appropriations from federal funds contained in Section 1 shall not |
| be construed to mean any federal funds or assistance appropriated, authorized, allocated or |
| apportioned to the State of Rhode Island from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund, and the Coronavirus |
| Capital Projects Fund enacted pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2. For |
| fiscal year 2022, State Fiscal Recovery Fund monies apportioned to the State of Rhode Island |
| pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, are hereby appropriated in the |
| following amounts for the stated departments and purposes set forth below. The state controller is |
| hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment |
| of such sums or such portions thereof as may be required from time to time upon receipt by him or |
| her of properly authenticated vouchers. |
| (a) Executive Office office of Commerce commerce $74,500,000 |
| (1) Of this amount, thirty-two million dollars ($32,000,000) shall be allocated to a program |
| of financial and technical assistance to small businesses and COVID-impacted industries as |
| follows: twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) shall be provided as direct |
| payments to businesses for lost revenue,; ten million five hundred thousand dollars ($10,500,000) |
| shall support technical assistance for long-term business capacity building,; seven million five |
| hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) shall support capital improvements for public health |
| upgrades and outdoor programming,; and one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) |
| shall be allocated to support administration of these programs. To be eligible to receive funds or |
| support under this program a business must have less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) in |
| annual gross revenues and demonstrate a negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic as |
| determined by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation commerce corporation. Under this |
| program, total support in the form of direct payments, technical assistance, or capital improvement |
| grants shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per eligible business through any single |
| program and shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in the aggregate. Provided further |
| that at least twenty percent (20%) of all funds must be reserved for awards to assist minority |
| business enterprises as defined in chapter 14.1 of title 37. |
| (2) Of this amount, fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) shall be allocated under the |
| administration of the Rhode Island Housing housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation mortgage |
| finance corporation to the development of affordable housing units by allocating these funds to |
| projects in conjunction with general obligation bond funds and other sources of available financing |
| provided that the Coordinating Committee coordinating committee of the Housing Resources |
| Commission housing resources commission has established guidelines for the use of Housing |
| Production Fund resources authorized pursuant to § 42-128-2.1. |
| (3) Of this amount thirteen million dollars ($13,000,000) shall be allocated to a program |
| of assistance to the tourism, hospitality, and events industries as follows: eight million dollars |
| ($8,000,000) shall be provided as direct payments to businesses for lost revenue,; three million |
| dollars ($3,000,000) shall support outdoor and public space capital improvements and event |
| programming,; and two million dollars ($2,000,000) shall support tourism marketing in |
| coordination with state tourism regions and the Airport Corporation airport corporation. A |
| business is eligible to receive funds or support under this program if it can demonstrate a negative |
| impact from the COVID-19 pandemic as determined by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation |
| commerce corporation. |
| (4) Of this amount, twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) shall be allocated to the Rhode |
| Island Housing housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation mortgage finance corporation |
| toward the acquisition of properties for redevelopment as affordable housing and supportive |
| housing to finance projects that include requirements for deed restrictions not less than thirty (30) |
| years, and a non-recourse structure. |
| (5) Of this amount, one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) shall be |
| allocated to the Office office of Housing housing and Community Development community |
| development in conjunction with the Rhode Island Housing housing and Mortgage Finance |
| Corporation mortgage finance corporation for grants to providers to expand housing navigation, |
| stabilization, and mental health services, of which not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars |
| ($250,000) shall be for training. The Chief chief of the Office office shall send monthly reports |
| beginning thirty (30) days after passage to the Speaker speaker of the House house, President |
| president of the Senate senate, and chairs of the House house and Senate senate finance |
| committees and the respective fiscal advisors which describe the state of progress in achieving |
| these goals and the goals in subsection (a)(7) below as of the date of the report, and describe |
| marginal changes from the prior month’s report. |
| (6) Of this amount, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be allocated to |
| broadband services as follows: one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to support a state |
| broadband director at the Commerce Corporation commerce corporation,; two hundred thousand |
| dollars ($200,000) to coordinate and develop a statewide strategic plan to provide broadband access |
| to unserved and underserved households and businesses,; and two hundred thousand dollars |
| ($200,000) to conduct broadband access mapping in support of future state broadband investment. |
| (7) Of this amount, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be dedicated to |
| expanding programmatic and administrative capacity for affordable housing in Rhode Island. |
| (b) Executive Office office of Health health and Human Services human services |
| $13,000,000 |
| (1) Of this amount, seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) shall be |
| allocated to support relief to pediatric providers in response to the decline in visitation and |
| enrollment caused by the public health emergency as follows: six million dollars ($6,000,000) for |
| stabilization grant funding if certain targets established by the Executive Office executive office of |
| Health health and Human Services human services are met by the pediatric providers and one |
| million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to be awarded to incentivize pediatric providers |
| to increase developmental and psychosocial behavioral screenings. |
| (2) Of this amount, five million five hundred thousand dollars ($5,500,000) shall be |
| allocated to early intervention providers in response to a decline in enrollment for early |
| intervention, family home visiting, and screening programs as follows: two million six hundred |
| thousand dollars ($2,600,000) for stabilization grant funding to be used for operating costs such as |
| staffing, outreach activities, and professional development and to address a loss of revenue and two |
| million nine hundred thousand dollars ($2,900,000) for performance bonuses if certain metrics |
| established by the Executive Office executive office of Health health and Human Services human |
| services are met by the providers, which may include staff retention, expanding access to services, |
| and reducing disparities in coverage. |
| (c) Department of Children, Youth, and Families children, youth, and families |
| $12,500,000 |
| This amount shall be allocated to support workforce stabilization supplemental wage |
| payments up to seven hundred dollars ($700) monthly to eligible direct care and supporting care |
| staff of contracted service providers. To be eligible, an employee must earn an annual salary of less |
| than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000). Funding may be used to provide hiring incentives of |
| up to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) per employee, provided that employers may not disburse |
| funding obligated through hiring incentives until ninety (90) days of work has been completed by |
| the employee and the employee earns an annual salary of less than seventy-five thousand dollars |
| ($75,000). The Director director of the Department department of Children, Youth, and Families |
| children, youth, and families shall provide to the Speaker speaker of the House house and |
| President president of the Senate senate at least every sixty (60) days beginning January 15, 2022, |
| a report that includes the amount of funding disbursed to date,; progress in improving staffing levels |
| of any provider receiving these funds, including the number of new hires and staff attrition,; and |
| changes in placement availability of any provider receiving these funds. |
| (d) Department of Human Services human services $19,000,000 |
| (1) Of this amount, eighteen million seven hundred thousand dollars ($18,700,000) shall |
| be allocated to pay one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) semiannual retention bonuses for |
| direct care staff at childcare centers and licensed family providers in response to pandemic-related |
| staffing shortages. |
| (2) A total of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) shall be reserved for family |
| childcare incentive start up and technical assistance grants. The Director director of the |
| Department department of Human Services human services and the Director director of the |
| Department department of Children, Youth, and Families children, youth, and families may |
| waive any fees otherwise assessed upon childcare provider applicants who have been awarded the |
| family childcare provider incentive grant. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC003150/SUB A |
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