2018 -- H 7214

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LC003386

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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 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT

     Introduced By: Representatives Regunberg, Kazarian, Marszalkowski, Casimiro, and
Shanley

     Date Introduced: January 18, 2018

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 160

CITIZENS ACCESS

     42-160-1. Public parking.

     The department of administration shall allocate and make available one hundred (100)

parking spaces at the state house for members of the public attending or visiting the state house

during the legislative session.

     42-160-2. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority state house stop.

     The department of administration shall, in conjunction with the Rhode Island public

transit authority created by § 39-18-2, establish and operate a dedicated public transit stop at the

state house to meet the mobility needs of the people of the state attending or visiting the state

house, including the elderly and disabled.

     42-160-3. Childcare services.

     (a) The department of administration, in conjunction with the office of the governor, shall

establish and operate a childcare service within the state house.

     (b) The director of the department of administration shall allocate and make available

within the state house appropriate space for fixtures and supplies necessary for the operation of

the childcare center. The childcare center will only be open and services provided during the days

and hours of the legislative session and also committee hearings.

     SECTION 2. Section 17-25-10.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-25 entitled "Rhode

Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting" is hereby amended to read as

follows:

     17-25-10.1. Political contributions -- Limitations.

     (a) (1) No person, other than the candidate to his or her own campaign, nor any political

action committee shall make a contribution or contributions to any candidate, as defined by § 17-

25-3, or political action committee or political party committee that, in the aggregate, exceed one

thousand dollars ($1,000) within a calendar year; nor shall any political action committee make

such contributions that in the aggregate, exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) within a

calendar year; nor shall any candidate or any political action committee or any political party

committee accept a contribution or contributions that, in the aggregate, exceed one thousand

dollars ($1,000) within a calendar year from any one person or political action committee.

Provided, no lobbyist registered pursuant to the provisions of chapter 139.1 of title 42, "the

Rhode Island lobbying reform act," shall make a contribution or contributions to any candidate

that in the aggregate exceed one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year, nor shall any

candidate accept a contribution or contributions that, in the aggregate, exceed one hundred dollars

($100) within a calendar year from a registered lobbyist.

     (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, a person or

political action committee or political party committee may contribute an amount that in the

aggregate, does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) within a calendar year to a political

party committee, which funds can be utilized for organizational and party building activities, but

shall not be used for contributions to candidates state and local for public office.

     (b) Contributions to a named candidate made to any political committee authorized by

that candidate to accept contributions on the candidate's behalf shall be considered to be

contributions made to the candidate. Contributions to a candidate by a political committee for

another person shall be considered to be contributions by that person.

     (c) Expenditures made by any person in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at

the request or suggestion of, a candidate, the candidate's authorized political committees, or their

agents shall be considered to be a contribution to the candidate.

     (d) The financing by any person of the dissemination, distribution, or republication, in

whole or in part, of any broadcast or any written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials

prepared by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committees, or their authorized agents shall

be considered to be a contribution to a candidate.

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     (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict political party committees

organized pursuant to this title from making contributions to the candidates of that political party;

provided, that these contributions, other than allowable "in-kind" contributions, shall not exceed,

in the aggregate, twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) to any one candidate within a calendar

year; nor shall any candidate accept a contribution or contributions, other than allowable "in-

kind" contributions, that, in the aggregate, exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) within a

calendar year from all committees of his or her political party. There shall be no restriction on the

amount of "in-kind" contributions that a political party committee may make to a candidate of its

political party; provided, that for the purposes of this subsection only, the cost of any preparation

and airing of television and/or radio advertisements and the cost of any print advertisements shall

not be considered an allowable "in-kind" contribution and shall be subject to the aggregate

limitation of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

     (f) (1) A contribution from an individual's dependent children, as defined in § 36-14-2,

shall be deemed a contribution from the individual for the purpose of determining whether

aggregate contributions exceed either the one hundred dollar ($100) threshold for reporting

purposes or the one thousand dollar ($1,000) maximum for contributions to a single candidate or

political action committee within a calendar year.

     (2) No dependent child shall contribute an amount that, when added to contributions

already made by that child's parent or legal guardian and by other dependent children of that

parent or legal guardian, exceed the one thousand dollar ($1,000) maximum for contributions to a

single candidate or political action committee within a calendar year.

     (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the amount of money that a

candidate can borrow in his or her own name, and subsequently contribute or loan to his or her

own campaign.

     (h) (1) It shall be unlawful for any corporation, whether profit or non-profit, domestic

corporation or foreign corporation, as defined in § 7-1.2-106, or other business entity to make any

campaign contribution or expenditure, as defined in § 17-25-3, to or for any candidate, political

action committee, or political party committee, or for any candidate, political action committee,

or political party committee to accept any campaign contribution or expenditure from a

corporation or other business entity. Any contribution made in the personal name of any

employee of a corporation or other business entity, for which the employee received or will

receive reimbursement from the corporation or other business entity, shall be considered as a

contribution by the corporation or other business entity, in violation of this section.

     (2) Any voluntary payroll deduction and/or contribution made by employees of a

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corporation or other business entity shall not be deemed a contribution of a corporation or other

business entity, notwithstanding that the contributions were sent to the recipient by the

corporation or other business entity.

     (i) All contributions of funds shall be by check, money order, or credit card and may be

made over the internet, but in each case the source of the funds must be identified; provided, that

candidates, political action committees, and political party committees may accept contributions

in cash that do not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) in the aggregate from an individual within

a calendar year. The cash contribution must be delivered directly by the donor to the candidate,

the campaign treasurer, or deputy treasurer. The treasurer or deputy treasurer shall maintain a

record of the name and address of all persons making these cash contributions.

     (j) Except as provided in subsection (h) of this section, no entity other than an individual,

a political action committee which is duly registered and qualified pursuant to the terms of this

chapter, political party committee authorized by this title, or an authorized committee of an

elected official or candidate established pursuant to this chapter shall make any contribution to or

any expenditure on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate, political action committee, or

political party.

     (k) For purposes of the limitations imposed by this section, all contributions made by a

person, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of a particular candidate, including contributions

that are in any way earmarked or otherwise directed through an intermediary or conduit to such

candidate, shall be treated as contributions from such person to such candidate. The intermediary

or conduit shall report the original source and the intended recipient of such contribution to the

board of elections and to the intended recipient, in accordance with regulations and reporting

requirements promulgated by the board of elections.

     SECTION 3. Section 22-11-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 22-11 entitled "Joint

Committee on Legislative Services" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     22-11-3. Functions.

     (a) It shall be exclusively the responsibility of the joint committee to act upon all

administrative matters affecting the operation of the general assembly, including, but not limited

to:

     (1) The preparation of the legislative payrolls;

     (2) The preparation of requests for the annual operating budget for the general assembly;

     (3) The control of house and senate appropriations, including expenditures of standing,

select, and special committees of the general assembly, except those provided otherwise by law;

     (4) All printing for the general assembly and its members and staff including, but not

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limited to, stationery, bills and journals and covers for them, daily calendars, public laws, acts of

a local and private nature, and resolutions;

     (5) The procuring of office space, supplies, equipment, and professional and technical

assistants for the general assembly; and

     (6) The exclusive responsibility for the purchase or rental of and the installation,

obtaining, upkeep, and maintenance of electronic voting devices and equipment incidental to the

devices, and sound systems for the house of representatives and senate chambers, including, but

not limited to, entering into contracts and agreements for the purchase, rental, installation, or

maintenance of the equipment and procuring the necessary supplies for the systems.

     (b) In addition, the joint committee will have exclusive authority on office space

allocations and maintenance and repair in this state capitol building for all agencies of

government, except the offices of the governor and the offices of the secretary of state.

     (c) In addition, the joint committee shall have the exclusive responsibility for the

purchase or rental of and the installation, obtaining, upkeep, and maintenance of electronic video

and audio equipment, and equipment incidental to such devices, for the house of representatives

and senate chambers for the purpose of enabling the submission of remote public testimony with

respect to committee hearings during the legislative session, including, but not limited to, entering

into contracts and agreements for the purchase, rental, installation, or maintenance of the

equipment and procuring the necessary supplies for such systems. This taking and submission of

remote public testimony shall be in effect and operation no later than the commencement of the

2019 legislative session of the general assembly.

     SECTION 4. Chapter 42-139.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode Island

Lobbying Reform Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     42-139.1-14. Prohibited contributions by lobbyists and political action committees.

     No lobbyist or political action committee shall make any political contributions to any

member of the general assembly in any year during the period from January 1 through July 1,

unless the legislature has adjourned its business for the year prior to July 1 of the session year.

     SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT

***

     This act would establish one hundred (100) public parking spaces and a dedicated bus

stop to allow for greater public access during the legislative session. This act would also direct

the establishment of childcare services at the state house and provide for remote public testimony

in connection with committee hearings. This act would further prohibit lobbyists and political

action committees from making contributions from lobbyists to any one candidate from one

thousand dollars ($1,000) to one hundred dollars ($100).

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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