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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. |