Chapter 281
2022 -- S 2855 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/29/2022

A N   A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE

Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Goodwin, Pearson, Lombardo, Ciccone, and Miller

Date Introduced: April 05, 2022

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 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).
     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
     (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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LC005695/SUB A/2
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