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| ARTICLE 2 |
RELATING TO STATE FUNDS
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| SECTION 1. Section 16-59-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-59 entitled "Council on |
| Postsecondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is |
| hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 16-59-9. Educational budget and appropriations. |
| (a) The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums it deems necessary for |
| support and maintenance of higher education in the state and the state controller is authorized and |
| directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of the appropriations |
| or so much of the sums that are necessary for the purposes appropriated, upon the receipt by him |
| or her of proper vouchers as the council on postsecondary education may by rule provide. The |
| council shall receive, review, and adjust the budget for the office of postsecondary commissioner |
| and present the budget as part of the budget for higher education under the requirements of § 35-3- |
| 4. |
| (b) The office of postsecondary commissioner and the institutions of public higher |
| education shall establish working capital accounts. |
| (c) Any tuition or fee increase schedules in effect for the institutions of public higher |
| education shall be received by the council on postsecondary education for allocation for the fiscal |
| year for which state appropriations are made to the council by the general assembly; provided that |
| no further increases may be made by the board of education or the council on postsecondary |
| education for the year for which appropriations are made. Except that these provisions shall not |
| apply to the revenues of housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities at the university of Rhode |
| Island, Rhode Island college, and the community colleges including student fees as described in |
| P.L. 1962, ch. 257 pledged to secure indebtedness issued at any time pursuant to P.L. 1962, ch. 257 |
| as amended. |
| (d) All housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities at all public institutions of higher |
| learning shall be self-supporting and no funds shall be appropriated by the general assembly to pay |
| operating expenses, including principal and interest on debt services, and overhead expenses for |
| the facilities, with the exception of the mandatory fees covered by the Rhode Island promise |
| scholarship program as established by § 16-107-3. Any debt-service costs on general obligation |
| bonds presented to the voters in November 2000 and November 2004 or appropriated funds from |
| the Rhode Island capital plan for the housing auxiliaries at the university of Rhode Island and |
| Rhode Island college shall not be subject to this self-supporting requirement in order to provide |
| funds for the building construction and rehabilitation program. The institutions of public higher |
| education will establish policies and procedures that enhance the opportunity for auxiliary facilities |
| to be self-supporting, including that all faculty provide timely and accurate copies of booklists for |
| required textbooks to the public higher educational institution's bookstore. |
| (e) The additional costs to achieve self-supporting status shall be by the implementation of |
| a fee schedule of all housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities, including but not limited to, |
| operating expenses, principal, and interest on debt services, and overhead expenses. |
| (f) The board of education is authorized to establish two (2) restricted-receipt accounts for |
| the higher education and industry centers established throughout the state: one to collect lease |
| payments from occupying companies, and fees from room and service rentals, to support the |
| operation and maintenance of the facilities; and one to collect donations to support construction, |
| operations and maintenance. All such revenues shall be deposited to the restricted-receipt accounts. |
| (g) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (d) of this section or any provisions of this title, to |
| the extent necessary to comply with the provisions of any outstanding bonds issued by the Rhode |
| Island health and educational building corporation or outstanding lease certificates of participation, |
| in either case, issued for the benefit of the university of Rhode Island, the community college of |
| Rhode Island, and/or Rhode Island college, to the extent necessary to comply with the provisions |
| of any such bonds or certificates of participation, the general assembly shall annually appropriate |
| any such sums it deems necessary from educational and general revenues (including, but not limited |
| to, tuition) and auxiliary enterprise revenues derived from the university of Rhode Island, the |
| community college of Rhode Island and Rhode Island college, to be allocated by the council on |
| postsecondary education or by the board of trustees of the university of Rhode Island, as |
| appropriate, in accordance with the terms of the contracts with such bondholders or certificate |
| holders. |
| (h) The board of education is authorized to establish a restricted-receipt account for income |
| generated by the Rhode Island nursing education center through the rental of classrooms, |
| laboratories, or other facilities located on the Providence campus of the nursing education center. |
| All such revenues shall be deposited to the restricted receipt account. |
| (i) The board of education is authorized to establish a restricted-receipt account for the |
| receipt and expenditure of monies received from IGT Global Solutions Corporation for the purpose |
| of financing scholarships relating to studying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics at |
| an accredited educational institution. This account shall be housed within the budget of the office |
| of the postsecondary commissioner and exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35- |
| 4-27. |
| SECTION 2. Section 21-28.11-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-28.11 entitled "The |
| Rhode Island Cannabis Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 21-28.11-13. Taxes. |
| (a) The following taxes are imposed on the retail sale of adult use cannabis pursuant to the |
| provisions of this chapter. |
| (1) Sales tax pursuant to the provisions of § 44-18-18; |
| (2) A state cannabis excise tax equal to ten percent (10%) of each retail sale as defined in |
| § 44-18-8; and |
| (3) A local cannabis excise tax equal to three percent (3%) of each retail sale as defined in |
| § 44-18-8. |
| (b) The assessment, collection, and enforcement of the sales tax pursuant to § 44-18-18, |
| the state cannabis excise tax, and the local cannabis excise tax shall be pursuant to the provisions |
| of chapters 18 and 19 of title 44 and paid to the tax administrator by the retailer at the time and in |
| the manner prescribed for sales tax in § 44-19-10. The retailer shall add the taxes imposed by this |
| chapter to the sales price or charge, and when added, the taxes constitute a part of the price or |
| charge, is a debt from the consumer or user to the state, and is recoverable at law in the same manner |
| as other debts. |
| (c) All sums received by the division of taxation under this section as local cannabis excise |
| tax or associated amounts as penalties, forfeitures, interest, costs of suit, and fines for failure to |
| timely report or pay the local cannabis excise tax shall be distributed at least quarterly and credited |
| and paid by the state treasurer to the city or town where the cannabis is delivered. |
| (d) There is created within the general fund a restricted receipt account known as the |
| "marijuana trust fund." Revenue collected from the state cannabis excise tax or associated amounts |
| as penalties, forfeitures, interest, costs of suit, and fines for failure to timely report or pay the state |
| cannabis excise tax shall be deposited into this account and used to fund programs and activities |
| related to program administration; revenue collection and enforcement; substance use disorder |
| prevention for adults and youth; education and public awareness campaigns, including awareness |
| campaigns relating to driving under the influence of cannabis; treatment and recovery support |
| services; public health monitoring, research, data collection, and surveillance; law enforcement |
| training and technology improvements, including grants to local law enforcement; and such other |
| related uses that may be deemed necessary. |
| (e) Revenue collected from the sales tax shall be deposited into the general fund. |
| (f) The budget officer is hereby authorized to create restricted receipt accounts entitled |
| "marijuana trust fund allocation" in any department or agency of state government wherein monies |
| from the marijuana trust fund are appropriated by the general assembly for the programmatic |
| purposes set forth in subsection (d) of this section. |
| SECTION 3. Chapter 23-17.14 of the General Laws entitled "The Hospital Conversions |
| Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
| 23-17.14-36. Hospital conversion monitoring account. |
| There is hereby established within the department of health, a restricted receipt account |
| entitled "Hospital Conversion Monitoring.". This account shall be used for the sole purpose to fund |
| monitoring activities associated with hospital conversions pursuant to § 23-17.14-28(d)(1), (2), (3), |
| and (4). Funds held in non-state escrow, whether currently existing or prospective, through |
| agreement between the department of health and the conversion acquiror may be deposited into the |
| restricted receipt account and disbursed, as necessary, to conduct the monitoring activities |
| associated with § 23-17.14-28(d) (1), (2), (3), and (4). |
| SECTION 4. Section 35-1.1-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-1.1 entitled "Office of |
| Management and Budget" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 35-1.1-5. Federal grants management. |
| (a) The controller shall be responsible for managing federal grant applications; providing |
| administrative assistance to agencies regarding reporting requirements; providing technical |
| assistance; and approving agreements with federal agencies pursuant to § 35-1-1. The controller |
| shall: |
| (1) Establish state goals and objectives for maximizing the utilization of federal aid |
| programs; |
| (2) Ensure that the state establishes and maintains statewide federally mandated grants |
| management processes and procedures as mandated by the federal Office of Management and |
| Budget; |
| (3) Promulgate procedures and guidelines for all state departments, agencies, advisory |
| councils, instrumentalities of the state, and public higher education institutions covering |
| applications for federal grants; |
| (4) Require, upon request, any state department, agency, advisory council, instrumentality |
| of the state, or public higher education institution receiving a grant of money from the federal |
| government to submit a report to the controller of expenditures and program measures for the fiscal |
| period in question; |
| (5) Ensure state departments and agencies adhere to the requirements of § 42-41-5 |
| regarding legislative appropriation authority and delegation thereof; |
| (6) Manage and oversee the disbursements of federal funds in accordance with § 35-6-42; |
| (7) Prepare the statewide cost allocation plan and serve as the monitoring agency to ensure |
| that state departments and agencies are working within the guidelines contained in the plan; and |
| (8) Provide technical assistance to agencies to ensure resolution and closure of all single |
| state audit findings and recommendations made by the auditor general related to federal funding. |
| (b) The division of accounts and control shall serve as the state clearinghouse for purposes |
| of coordinating federal grants, aid, and assistance applied for and/or received by any state |
| department, agency, advisory council, or instrumentality of the state. Any state department, agency, |
| advisory council, or instrumentality of the state applying for federal funds, aids, loans, or grants |
| shall file a summary notification of the intended application with the controller. |
| (1) When as a condition to receiving federal funds, the state is required to match the federal |
| funds, a statement shall be filed with the notice of intent or summary of the application stating: |
| (i) The amount and source of state funds needed for matching purposes; |
| (ii) The length of time the matching funds shall be required; |
| (iii) The growth of the program; |
| (iv) How the program will be evaluated; |
| (v) What action will be necessary should the federal funds be canceled, curtailed, or |
| restricted; and |
| (vi) Any other financial and program management data required by the office or by law. |
| (2) Except as otherwise required, any application submitted by an executive agency for |
| federal funds, aids, loans, or grants which will require state matching or replacement funds at the |
| time of application or at any time in the future, must be approved by the director of the office of |
| management and budget, or his or her designated agents, prior to its filing with the appropriate |
| federal agency. Any application submitted by an executive agency for federal funds, aids, loans, or |
| grants which will require state matching or replacement funds at the time of application or at any |
| time in the future, when funds have not been appropriated for that express purpose, must be |
| approved by the general assembly in accordance with § 42-41-5. When the general assembly is not |
| in session, the application shall be reported to and reviewed by the director pursuant to rules and |
| regulations promulgated by the director. |
| (3) When any federal funds, aids, loans, or grants are received by any state department, |
| agency, advisory council, or instrumentality of the state, a report of the amount of funds received |
| shall be filed with the office; and this report shall specify the amount of funds that would reimburse |
| an agency for indirect costs, as provided for under federal requirements. |
| (4) The controller may refuse to issue approval for the disbursement of any state or federal |
| funds from the state treasury as the result of any application that is not approved as provided by |
| this section, or in regard to which the statement or reports required by this section were not filed. |
| (5) The controller shall be responsible for the orderly administration of this section and |
| for issuing the appropriate guidelines and regulations from each source of funds used. |
| (c) There is hereby created in the general fund and housed within the budget of the |
| department of administration a restricted receipt account entitled "Grants Management |
| Administration." This account shall be used to fund centralized services relating to managing |
| federal grant applications; providing administrative assistance to agencies regarding reporting |
| requirements; providing technical assistance; approving agreements with federal agencies pursuant |
| to § 35-1-1; and, may include costs associated with the development, implementation, and ongoing |
| operation of a grants management information technology system. Every state department and |
| agency, as defined in § 35-1-4, that receives federal assistance funds, excluding awards made |
| directly to Rhode Island College, the Community College of Rhode Island, and the University of |
| Rhode Island, shall set aside an amount of the funds received equal to a percentage as determined |
| annually by the state controller multiplied by federal funds received. The state controller shall |
| determine this rate annually in proportion with budgeted expenditures for uses consistent with the |
| purpose of this subsection within the department of administration. |
| For federal awards in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stimulus |
| awards, there is hereby authorized an additional assessment that shall be deposited into the |
| restricted receipt account established by this subsection and shall be equal to a uniform percentage |
| of the amount of stimulus and other awards received, excluding Medicaid and all awards made |
| directly to Rhode Island College, the Community College of Rhode Island, and the University of |
| Rhode Island, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stimulus acts. The state |
| controller shall calculate the rate of this additional assessment, not to exceed one percent (1%) of |
| the total awards received during a fiscal year, in proportion with budgeted expenditures necessary |
| to finance the planning, oversight, compliance, and reporting functions within the department of |
| administration related to federal awards issued in response to the pandemic and subsequent stimulus |
| awards in addition to the costs of planning, development, and implementation of a grants |
| management information technology system. The Grants Management Administration account |
| shall not include an allocation of the State Fiscal Recovery Fund or the Coronavirus Capital Projects |
| Fund. For the additional assessment related to federal awards issued in response to the pandemic |
| and subsequent stimulus awards no funds shall be deposited into the restricted receipt account after |
| December 31, 2026, the federally determined end of performance period. All funds set aside and |
| designated to be used for grants management shall be deposited into the restricted receipt account |
| established in this subsection. |
| Prior to any deposits being made into the restricted receipt account established by this |
| subsection and thereafter prior to the commencement of each fiscal year, the state controller shall |
| provide a report to the director of administration and the chairpersons of the house and senate |
| finance committees that includes the rate and calculation thereof for the following fiscal year. |
| SECTION 5. Section 35-4-27 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-4 entitled "State Funds" |
| is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 35-4-27. Indirect cost recoveries on restricted receipt accounts. |
| Indirect cost recoveries of ten percent (10%) of cash receipts shall be transferred from all |
| restricted-receipt accounts, to be recorded as general revenues in the general fund. However, there |
| shall be no transfer from cash receipts with restrictions received exclusively: (1) From contributions |
| from nonprofit charitable organizations; (2) From the assessment of indirect cost-recovery rates on |
| federal grant funds; or (3) Through transfers from state agencies to the department of administration |
| for the payment of debt service. These indirect cost recoveries shall be applied to all accounts, |
| unless prohibited by federal law or regulation, court order, or court settlement. The following |
| restricted receipt accounts shall not be subject to the provisions of this section: |
| Executive Office of Health and Human Services |
| Organ Transplant Fund |
| HIV Care Grant Drug Rebates |
| Health System Transformation Project |
| Rhode Island Statewide Opioid Abatement Account |
| HCBS Support- ARPA |
| HCBS Admin Support- ARPA |
| Department of Human Services |
| Veterans' home — Restricted account |
| Veterans' home — Resident benefits |
| Pharmaceutical Rebates Account |
| Demand Side Management Grants |
| Veteran's Cemetery Memorial Fund |
| Donations — New Veterans' Home Construction |
| Department of Health |
| Pandemic medications and equipment account |
| Miscellaneous Donations/Grants from Non-Profits |
| State Loan Repayment Match |
| Healthcare Information Technology |
| Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals |
| Eleanor Slater non-Medicaid third-party payor account |
| Hospital Medicare Part D Receipts |
| RICLAS Group Home Operations |
| Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing |
| Emergency and public communication access account |
| Department of Environmental Management |
| National heritage revolving fund |
| Environmental response fund II |
| Underground storage tanks registration fees |
| De Coppet Estate Fund |
| Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission |
| Historic preservation revolving loan fund |
| Historic Preservation loan fund — Interest revenue |
| Department of Public Safety |
| E-911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System |
| Forfeited property — Retained |
| Forfeitures — Federal |
| Forfeited property — Gambling |
| Donation — Polygraph and Law Enforcement Training |
| Rhode Island State Firefighter's League Training Account |
| Fire Academy Training Fees Account |
| Attorney General |
| Forfeiture of property |
| Federal forfeitures |
| Attorney General multi-state account |
| Forfeited property — Gambling |
| Department of Administration |
| OER Reconciliation Funding |
| Health Insurance Market Integrity Fund |
| RI Health Benefits Exchange |
| Information Technology Investment Fund |
| Restore and replacement — Insurance coverage |
| Convention Center Authority rental payments |
| Investment Receipts — TANS |
| OPEB System Restricted Receipt Account |
| Car Rental Tax/Surcharge-Warwick Share |
| Grants Management Administration |
| Executive Office of Commerce |
| Housing Resources Commission Restricted Account |
| Housing Production Fund |
| Department of Revenue |
| DMV Modernization Project |
| Jobs Tax Credit Redemption Fund |
| Legislature |
| Audit of federal assisted programs |
| Department of Children, Youth and Families |
| Children's Trust Accounts — SSI |
| Military Staff |
| RI Military Family Relief Fund |
| RI National Guard Counterdrug Program |
| Treasury |
| Admin. Expenses — State Retirement System |
| Retirement — Treasury Investment Options |
| Defined Contribution — Administration - RR |
| Violent Crimes Compensation — Refunds |
| Treasury Research Fellowship |
| Business Regulation |
| Banking Division Reimbursement Account |
| Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner Reimbursement Account |
| Securities Division Reimbursement Account |
| Commercial Licensing and Racing and Athletics Division Reimbursement Account |
| Insurance Division Reimbursement Account |
| Historic Preservation Tax Credit Account |
| Marijuana Trust Fund |
| Social Equity Assistance Fund |
| Judiciary |
| Arbitration Fund Restricted Receipt Account |
| Third-Party Grants |
| RI Judiciary Technology Surcharge Account |
| Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Statewide Student Transportation Services Account |
| School for the Deaf Fee-for-Service Account |
| School for the Deaf — School Breakfast and Lunch Program |
| Davies Career and Technical School Local Education Aid Account |
| Davies — National School Breakfast & Lunch Program |
| School Construction Services |
| Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner |
| Higher Education and Industry Center |
| IGT STEM Scholarships |
| Department of Labor and Training |
| Job Development Fund |
| Rhode Island Council on the Arts |
| Governors' Portrait Donation Fund |
| Statewide records management system account |
| SECTION 6. Section 39-1-42 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1 entitled "Public Utilities |
| Commission" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 39-1-42. Access to telephone information services for persons with disabilities. |
| (a) The public utilities commission shall establish, administer, and promote an information |
| accessibility service that includes: |
| (1) A statewide telephone relay service and, through the competitive bidding process, |
| contract for the administration and operation of such a relay system for utilization of the |
| telecommunications network by persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired |
| persons; |
| (2) The adaptive telephone equipment loan program capable of servicing the needs of |
| persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, severely speech impaired, or those with neuromuscular |
| impairments for use with a single-party telephone line, or wireless telephone, to any subscriber who |
| is certified as deaf, hard of hearing, severely speech impaired, or with neuromuscular impairments |
| by a licensed physician, audiologist, speech pathologist, or a qualified state agency, pursuant to |
| chapter 23 of this title; and |
| (3) A telephone access to the text of newspaper programs to residents who are blind, deaf |
| or blind, visually impaired, or reading impaired with a single-party telephone line. |
| (b) The commission shall establish, by rule or regulation, an appropriate funding |
| mechanism to recover the costs of providing this service from each residence and business |
| telephone access line or trunk in the state, including PBX trunks and centrex equivalent trunks and |
| each service line or trunk, and upon each user interface number or extension number or similarly |
| identifiable line, trunk, or path to or from a digital network. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there |
| shall not be any additional funding mechanism used to charge each residence and business |
| telephone access line or trunk in the state, including PBX trunks and centrex equivalent trunks and |
| each service line or trunk, or upon each user interface number or extension number or similarly |
| identifiable line, trunk, or path to or from a digital network, to recover the costs of providing the |
| services outlined in subsection (a)(1), (2) or (3) above. |
| (c) The commission, with the assistance of the state commission on the deaf and hard of |
| hearing, shall also develop the appropriate rules, regulations, and service standards necessary to |
| implement the provisions of subsection (a)(1). At a minimum, however, the commission shall |
| require, under the terms of the contract, that the relay service provider: |
| (1) Offer its relay services seven (7) days a week, twenty-four (24) hours a day, including |
| holidays; |
| (2) Hire only qualified salaried operators with deaf language skills; and |
| (3) Maintain the confidentiality of all communications. |
| (d) The commission shall collect from the telecommunications service providers the |
| amounts of the surcharge collected from their subscribers and remit to the department of human |
| services an additional ten thousand dollars ($10,000) annually commencing in fiscal year 2005 for |
| the adaptive telephone equipment loan program and forty thousand dollars ($40,000) to the |
| department of human services for the establishment of a new telephone access to the text of |
| newspaper programs. In addition, eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) one hundred thousand dollars |
| ($100,000) shall annually be remitted to the Rhode Island commission on the deaf and hard of |
| hearing for an emergency and public communication access program, pursuant to § 23-1.8-4. The |
| surcharge referenced hereunder shall be generated from existing funding mechanisms and shall not |
| be generated as a result of any new funding mechanisms charged to each residence and business |
| telephone access line or trunk in the state, including PBX trunks and centrex equivalent trunks and |
| each service line or trunk, or upon each user interface number or extension number or similarly |
| identifiable line, trunk, or path to or from a digital network. |
| SECTION 7. Section 42-7.2-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-7.2 entitled "Office of |
| Health and Human Services" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 42-7.2-10. Appropriations and disbursements. |
| (a) The general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as it may deem necessary |
| for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter. The state controller is hereby |
| authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of such |
| sum or sums, or so much thereof as may from time to time be required, upon receipt by him or her |
| of proper vouchers approved by the secretary of the executive office of health and human services, |
| or his or her designee. |
| (b) For the purpose of recording federal financial participation associated with qualifying |
| healthcare workforce development activities at the state's public institutions of higher education, |
| and pursuant to the Rhode Island designated state health programs (DSHP), as approved by the |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMC) October 20, 2016, in the 11-W-00242/1 |
| amendment to Rhode Island's section 1115 Demonstration Waiver, there is hereby established a |
| restricted-receipt account entitled "Health System Transformation Project" in the general fund of |
| the state and included in the budget of the office of health and human services. |
| (c) There are hereby created within the general fund of the state and housed within the |
| budget of the office of health and human services two restricted receipt accounts, respectively |
| entitled "HCBS Support-ARPA" and "HCBS Admin Support-ARPA". Amounts deposited into |
| these accounts are equivalent to the general revenue savings generated by the enhanced federal |
| match received on eligible home and community-based services between April 1, 2021, and March |
| 31, 2022, allowable under Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. Pub. L. |
| No. 117-2. Funds deposited into the "HCBS Support- ARPA" account will be used to finance the |
| state share of newly eligible medicaid Medicaid expenditures by the office of health and human |
| services and its sister agencies, including the department of children, youth, and families, the |
| department of health, and the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and |
| hospitals. Funds deposited into the "HCBS Admin Support-ARPA" account will be used to finance |
| the state share of allowable administrative expenditures attendant to the implementation of these |
| newly eligible medicaid Medicaid expenditures. The accounts created under this subsection shall |
| be exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-27 of the Rhode Island general laws. |
| (d) There is hereby created within the general fund of the state and housed within the budget |
| of the office of health and human services a restricted receipt account entitled "Rhode Island |
| Statewide Opioid Abatement Account" for the purpose of receiving and expending monies from |
| settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, pharmacies, or their |
| affiliates, as well as monies resulting from bankruptcy proceedings of the same entities. The |
| executive office of health and human services shall deposit any revenues from such sources that |
| are designated for opioid abatement purposes into the restricted receipt account. Funds from this |
| account shall only to be used for forward-looking opioid abatement efforts as defined and limited |
| by any settlement agreements, state-city and town agreements, or court orders pertaining to the use |
| of such funds. By January 1 of each calendar year, the secretary of health and human services shall |
| report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and |
| the attorney general on the expenditures that were funded using monies from the Rhode Island |
| statewide opioid abatement account and the amount of funds spent. The account created under this |
| subsection shall be exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-27 of the Rhode |
| Island General Laws. No governmental entity has the authority to assert a claim against the entities |
| with which the attorney general has entered into settlement agreements concerning the |
| manufacturing, marketing, distributing, or selling of opioids that are the subject of the Rhode Island |
| Memorandum of Understanding Between the State and Cities and Towns Receiving Opioid |
| Settlement Funds executed by every city and town and the attorney general and wherein every city |
| and town agreed to release all such claims against these settling entities, and any amendment |
| thereto. Governmental entity means any state or local governmental entity or sub-entity and |
| includes, but is not limited to, school districts, fire districts, and any other such districts. The claims |
| that shall not be asserted are the released claims, as that term is defined in the settlement agreements |
| executed by the attorney general, or, if not defined therein, the claims sought to be released in such |
| settlement agreements. |
| SECTION 8. Section 7 of this Article shall take effect as of July 1, 2021. Sections 1 through |
| 6 of this Article shall take effect as of July 1, 2022. |