Legislative Testimony

Testimony on House Bill 7247 (Motion Picture Tax Credit)
[January 28, 2020] The Institute supports the creation of good jobs for Rhode Islanders and encouraging economic development in those communities most in need of such development. Given this context, the Institute has significant concerns with H-7247, which would allow the director of the Film & Television Office to waive the current requirement that productions must have Rhode Island serve as their primary location.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2147 (Minimum Wage)
[January 29, 2020] The Institute supports legislation raising the minimum wage – ideally to $15/hour – as quickly as possible. Three reasons why we need a $15/hr minimum wage is: to help our workers, to help retain our workforce, and to provide an economic boost to our Rhode Island economy.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2124 (Doula Services)
[February 4, 2020] The Institute supports passage of S-2124, which would require the Medicaid program and other health insurers to cover perinatal doula services. Long standing racial and ethnic disparities persist in maternal and child health outcomes in Rhode Island. Reducing disparities, improving birth outcomes and reducing state costs is a win-win-win for our residents and the state.

Testimony on House Bill 7157 (Minimum Wage)
[February 5, 2020] The Institute supports legislation raising the minimum wage – ideally to $15/hour – as quickly as possible. Three reasons why we need a $15/hr minimum wage is to: help our workers, to help retain our workforce, and to provide an economic boost to our Rhode Island economy.

Testimony on Budget Article 11 (Wavemaker Fellowship)
[February 26, 2020] Article 10, Section 9 extends the sunset date for the Wavemaker fellowship program from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2023 and Article 11 similarly extends the sunset dates for eleven tax credit/incentive programs administered by the Commerce Corporation.

Testimony on Budget Article 9 (Motor Vehicle Excise Tax)
[February 27, 2020] Article 9 of the Governor’s proposed FY2021 budget includes a provision to slow the phase-out of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, or “car tax.” We support this proposal, which raises the opportunity to review whether phase out of the car tax is good public policy.

Testimony on House Bill 7429 (Child Support)
[March 4, 2020] The Institute supports Representative Williams’ bill H7429 to eliminate interest on past-due child support payments, as 20 other states have done.

Testimony on Budget Article 10 and 5, Question 3 section d (Child Care and Pre-K)
[March 4, 2020] The Institute supports the articles in the Governor’s Proposed FY2021 Budget which invest in early childhood education, including Article 10 which expands access to publically funded pre-k and Article 5 which proposes a $15 million general obligation bond to finance capital projects for child care facilities.

Testimony on Senate Bill 7466 (Minimum Wage)
[March 4, 2020] The Institute supports Representative Walsh’s bill H7466 and raising the tipped minimum wage. Rhode Island’s current sub-minimum tipped wage or “cash” wage is $3.89/hour and was last increased in 2017. Bill S7466 would increase this amount by 50 cents annually until it reaches 2/3 the value of the regular minimum wage and keep it proportional going forward.

Testimony on House Bill 7570 (Minimum Wage)
[March 4, 2020] The Institute supports Representative Ranglin-Vassell’s bill H7570 to place Rhode Island on the path to a $15/hour minimum wage and to phase out the tipped minimum wage, as well.

Testimony on Budget Article 14 section 5 (Doula Services)
[March 10, 2020] The Institute strongly supports including Doula services as a required Medicaid service.

Testimony on Budget Article 14 (RIte Share)
[March 10, 2020] The Protect Our Health Care Coalition supports large employer reporting requirements intended to help maximize RIteShare enrollment as recommended in the Governor’s budget.

House Testimony on Budget Article 14 sections 1 and 5c (Medicaid Copays)
[March 10, 2020] The Protect Our Health Care Coalition opposes Budget Article 14 Sections 1 and 5c because Medicaid copays pose a very real barrier to care that will negatively impact health outcomes and are a bad deal for the state and the healthcare system that serves us all.

Testimony on House Bill 7881 (RI Works)
[March 11, 2020] The Institute writes in support of H-7881, amending the RI Works statute to strengthen engagement of parents in their employment-readiness plans. The proposed change would require a parent applying for RI Works cash assistance to sign her employment plan soon after receipt of cash assistance starts instead of prior to authorization of the benefit payment.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2143 (Minimum Wage)
[March 11, 2020] The Institute supports Senator Quezada’s bill S2143 which would raise and phase out the tipped minimum wage, as well as put Rhode Island on a path to a $15/hour minimum wage. Rhode Island’s current sub-minimum tipped wage or “cash” wage is $3.89/hour and was last increased in 2017.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2406 (Minimum Wage)
[March 11, 2020] The Institute believes that the General Assembly and the public already possess adequate information to increase the minimum wage, and we believe Rhode Island ought to get on a path to a $15/hour minimum wage to match our neighbors in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Testimony on Budget Articles 5 and 12 (Housing)
[March 12, 2020] The Institute writes in support of these proposals that would provide $25 million to increase construction and redevelopment of affordable homes, and create a dedicated funding stream to increase the supply of affordable safe and healthy homes.

Testimony on Senate Bill 191 (Payday Lending)
[April 9, 2020] The Institute supports Senator Metts’ bill SB191, which eliminates the deferred deposit transactions that drive the payday loan industry in Rhode Island.

Testimony on House Bill 7624 (Nursing Home Staff and Quality Care)
[June 8, 2020] The Institute supports H7624 which addresses critical issues that are necessary to ensure that seniors who need the 24-7 care provided by nursing facilities are able to live safely in those environments. Establishing minimum staffing standards is important to ensuring that residents receive the quality care that they deserve.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2519 (Nursing Home Staff and Quality Care)
[June 13, 2020] The Institute supports S-2519 which addresses critical issues that are necessary to ensure that seniors who need the 24-7 care provided by nursing facilities are able to live safely in those environments. Establishing minimum staffing standards is important to ensuring that residents receive the quality care that they deserve.

Testimony on Budget Article 12 (Housing)
[July 7, 2020] The Institute writes in strong support of Budget Article 12 (Section 5). This proposal would create a dedicated funding stream to increase the supply of safe and healthy homes for Rhode Islanders. As an organization committed to achieving economic security for Rhode Islanders, we are acutely aware of how important affordable housing is to that goal.

Testimony on Article 11 (Economic Development)
[July 7, 2020] The Institute writes in opposition to Article 11, extends from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2023 the sunset dates for eleven tax credit/incentive programs administered by the Commerce Corporation. The Article also raises the cap on the Rebuild RI program from $210 million to $250 million. Any such expansion ought to be paused until issuance of the expected Office of Revenue Analysis report and a public hearing on this report.

Testimony in Support of Budget Article 15, Sections 7 and 8 (RI Works)
[July 28, 2020] The Raising RI Coalition facilitated by the Institute, writes in support of the two changes to the RI Works Program included in the Governor’s proposed budget and asks the Senate Finance Committee to consider two other changes to the program.

Testimony on House Bill 8119 and 8120 (Rainy Day Fund)
[July 29, 2020] The Institute makes the argument that now is not the appropriate time for the State to begin setting aside additional General Revenue funds for the state’s Budget Reserve and Cash Stabilization Account, also known as the “Rainy Day Fund.” So long as the current COVID-19 crisis continues and until there is substantial economic recovery and increased state revenue, Rhode Island should not increase the monies set aside for the next rainy day.

Testimony on Article 5, (Capital Development Program and Bonds)
[July 29, 2020] The Institute makes the argument that now is the right time for Rhode Island to borrow money to make key investments in our economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Such investments can be found in the revised Housing and Infrastructure Bond proposed in Article 5 of the FY2021 budget. Borrowing now is a relatively safe investment. Rates remain quite low, and strategic investments will likely produce returns in the form of greater economic activity and state revenue, and enough to enable repayment of the loans and interest.

Testimony in Support of Budget Article 15, Sections 7 and 8 (RI Works)
[July 28, 2020] The Raising RI Coalition facilitated by the Institute, writes in support of the two changes to the RI Works Program included in the Governor’s proposed budget and asks the House Finance Committee to consider two other changes to the program.

Senate Testimony on Budget Article 14 sections 1 and 5c (Medicaid Copays)
[July 28, 2020] The Protect Our Health Care Coalition opposes Budget Article 14 Sections 1 and 5c because Medicaid copays pose a very real barrier to care that will negatively impact health outcomes and are a bad deal for the state and the healthcare system that serves us all.

Testimony in Support of Budget Article 14 (First Connections Program)
[July 30, 2020] The Protect Our Health Care Coalition supports expanding the multi-disciplinary First Connections Program to pregnant women to help improve birth outcomes for vulnerable women.

Testimony in Support of Budget Amendment to Article 8 (CARES Act Tax Provision)
[September 23, 2020] The Institute supports saving the state approximately $29 million in much needed revenue by approving Budget Amendment 14 to decouple from a misguided tax provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Testimony on House Bill 5196 (Court Fines)
The Institute supports Representative Blazejewski’s House bill 5196, which would standardize and restructure the assesment of a person’s ability to pay court fines, and require that qualification for Public Defender representation constitutes evidence of inability to pay.

House and Senate Testimonies on Governor’s Proposed FY2020 Budget – Article 13 (Minimum Wage)
The Institute supports legislation  increasing Rhode Island’s minimum wage to $11.10 in 2020, as called for in Budget Article 13. Putting more money in the pockets of Rhode Island workers not only helps those families, it also supports local businesses and supports the Rhode Island economy.

House Testimony on House Bills H5097, H5269, H5338, H5658, H5660 (Minimum Wage)
The Institute supports increasing Rhode Island’s minimum wage. We believe Rhode Island should implement a $15 minimum wage as quickly as possible. Progress toward $15 for either a specific population or locality, as some of these bills propose, is important progress forward, but our goal must be a statewide $15 minimum wage, so working Rhode Islanders across the entire state can benefit.

Testimonies on H5033/S112  (Financial Literacy)
The Institute supports legislation which would ensure that Rhode Island students receive financial literacy education, will help achieve that goal by ensuring that students and their families:

• better understand financial savings institutions, including the benefits of savings accounts and the pitfalls to high cost pay day loans;
• are better educated loan borrowers to help reduce the likelihood of unnecessary longstanding student loan debt and;
• are more likely to be able to become or remain homeowners.

House and Senate Testimonies on Governor’s Proposed FY2020 Budget – Article 15, Sec. 5 (RI Works)
The Institute strongly supports the Governor’s budget proposal to repeal the 24 month time limit in the RI Works program. Repealing the 24 month time limit would:

• Improve the RI Works work-readiness program so parents are more likely to obtain and maintain long-term employment;
• Streamline program operation;
• Have no or minimal cost

House/Senate Testimony on Governor’s Proposed FY2020 Budget – Article 9 (Car Tax)
The Institute submitted an educational testimony on the car tax asking lawmakers to think critically about the car tax and review whether phase out of the car tax is good public policy.

Senate Testimony on Governor’s Proposed FY2020 Budget – Article 14 (Individual Mandate)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of Article 14 with changes, requesting amending the proposed structure of the shared responsibility payment penalty to protect lower income Rhode Islanders by exempting taxpayers with income below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and setting the penalty as a percentage of income. Under the current proposal lowe income taxpayers would paya higher share of their income in penalties.

House H5137/Senate 321 (Source of Income Housing Discrimination)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of legislation which would prohibit discrimination in housing based on a person’s receipt of a lawful source of income. Rhode Island has a severe shortage of affordable and safe housing. Many working families are unable to find and afford a decent apartment in which to raise their children.

House Testimony on Governor’s Proposed FY2020 Budget – Article 11 (College Promise)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of budget article 11 but do not support the provision that the program would only be available to adults only once they turn 25.  Setting the eligibility age for adults at 25, leaves a big gap – young adults between the ages of 19 and 24 would not be eligible for RI Promise. Yet this is precisely the group of young adults we should be encouraging to continue their education because they are likely to be already motivated to do so.

Testimony on Senate S508/ House H5957 (Fight for $15 Minimum Wage)
The Institute supports raising the minimum wage. We believe Rhode Island should implement a $15 minimum wage as quickly as possible for the reasons listed below. Raising the minimum wage by a lower amount or raising it to $15 for specific groups of workers would still make for valuable progress, but our goal must be a statewide $15 minimum wage, so that working Rhode Islanders across the entire state can benefit.

House Testimony on House H5511/Senate S153 (Driver’s Licenses for All)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of legislation which would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driving privilege licenses/permits to Rhode Islanders who are unable to establish lawful presence in the United States. As of June, 2016 twelve states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted such laws. These include New England states, Connecticut and Vermont. The driving privilege license/permit is not a valid form of ID for voting or other benefits but providing these documents has economic and social benefit to the individuals and to the state.

Testimony on Senate  S191/House H5521 (Payday Lending)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of legislation which eliminates the deferred deposit transactions that drive the payday loan industry in Rhode Island. Payday loans, such as those currently permitted in Rhode Island, are high-cost loans structured to perpetuate an ongoing cycle of debt. Payday loans are harmful to consumers, and hurt the economy.

Senate Testimony on S683 (Shared Responsibility Payment)
The Institute supports with recommendations to improve fairness S683 which includes the provision which subjects short-term limited duration plans to the same regulations governing the individual health insurance market, the establishment of an individual mandate and reinsurance program proposed and attention to outreach to enroll uninsured individuals.

As stated previously, we recommend amending the proposed structure of the shared responsibility payment penalty to protect lower income Rhode Islanders by eliminating the flat penalty amount and instead setting the penalty as a percentage of income (2.5% up to 400% FPL and 3.2% above 400% FPL) and exempting individuals with income below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

Testimony on Senate S262 and House H5617 (RI Works)
The Institute strongly supports passage of S-262. The bill would make two important changes to the RI Works Program, our state’s safety net and workforce development program for low income children and parents. The changes proposed in S-262 will (1) encourage 18 year olds to stay enrolled in high school and (2) improve parents’ earning capacity by allowing participation in two-years of post-secondary education. These changes will benefit small numbers of RI Works participants, but have a potentially large impact on improving educational and employment outcomes.

Testimony on Senate S272/House 5245 (Earned Income Tax Credit)
The Institute submitted our EITC brief in support of legislation that would increase the Rhode Island EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit.

Testimony on House (H6019)/Senate (S698) Bills (Non Compete Agreements)
The Institute supports legislation which prohibits enforcing noncompetition agreements on low-wage workers. As originally designed, noncompetition agreements aimed to prevent highly-compensated, executive-level or other highly-skilled employees from leaving one company for another within a competitive industry and harm competition through their knowledge and possibly bringing trade secrets from their former employers. Increasingly, however, such “agreements” have been imposed upon workers at all levels, including, for example, low-wage workers at fast food franchises.consumers, and hurt the economy.

Testimony on House 5310, 5312, 5594, 5777 (Estate Tax)
The Institute testified in opposition to legislation that would erode or eliminate Rhode Island’s already narrow Estate Tax, depriving the Treasury of much-needed revenues, and making our current inequitable tax structure even more inequitable. Should the Estate Tax be repealed altogether, Rhode Island stands to lose something on the order of a half-billion dollars in revenues over the next decade. 

Testimony on House H5399/S21 (Personal Income Tax)
The Institute supports legislation H5399 which takes an important step in decreasing the regressivity and increasing the fairness of Rhode Island’s tax structure by adding three new personal income tax brackets, for households with adjusted gross incomes above $320,320.

Testimony on House H5106/Senate S282 (Child Care)
The Institute supports legislation H5399 which would increase tiered rates for preschoolers in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and establish and increase tiered quality rates for school-aged children. Legislation introduced will complete the work of ensuring providers are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide by adding additional increases for centers serving preschoolers (with increases ranging from 3% to 22% depending on the star level) and also establish tiered rates for school-aged children in centers, with increases ranging from 2.5% to 36%).

Testimony on Senate S816 (Adult Education)
The Rhode Island Workforce Alliance suggests changes to legislation which would move responsibility for the Adult Education Delivery System from the RI Department of Education (RIDE) to the Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB). We urge the General Assembly to put in place certain guardrails and protections to ensure that the quality, scope and structure of the current delivery system are maintained.

Testimony on Senate S172, 509 (Equal Pay)
The Institute supports legislation (S172) to require employers of 100 or more employees to report—by gender, race, ethnicity, and job category—information on compensation and hours worked. Senate Bill 509 would provide protections against employer imposed wage differentials based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of origin. These bills will move Rhode Island towards equal pay, adding important protections to those currently in place both in Rhode Island and federally. 

Testimony on House 5912/ Senate S765 (Paid Family Leave)
The Institute submitted our TCI brief in support of legislation that would improve Rhode Island’s paid family leave program by:

• Increasing the number of weeks a worker can use from four to six weeks in 2020 (and up to eight weeks in 2021),
• expanding the category of who a worker can take time to care for to include grandchildren, siblings, and care recipients,
• expanding who is eligible for TCI to include self-employed individuals,
• increasing the benefit rate from the current 60% of wages to 65% in 2020; 70% in 2021; 75% in 2022,
• institute fines and penalties for not reinstating an employee to work if they use TCI.

Testimony on House Bill 7528 / Senate Bill 2301 (Housing Discrimination Based on Source of Income)
The Institute supports House Bill 7528 and Senate Bill 2301 which would prohibit discrimination in housing based on a person’s receipt of a lawful source of income. Discrimination based on source of income is as harmful to families and individuals and to our public well-being as is discrimination based on race, religion, marital status and other statuses that are protected by Rhode Island’s Fair Housing law. 

Testimony on Governor’s Budget Article 13 and 14 (Medicaid)
The Protect Our Health care Coalition testified in the Senate Finance Committee in opposition to sections in Article 13 (co-payments for Medicaid) and 14 (Proposed rebalancing of long-term care) of the Governor’s budget. The Coalition is opposed to the requirement of copayments for vital health services because they will cause financial hardship and likely adverse health outcomes for over 150,000 adults, including parents, pregnant women, single adults and seniors who will be subject to these payments. As for the “rebalancing” of ling-term care, Rhode Island has a long-standing goal of “rebalancing” long-term care by making more investments in quality community based services that help people live at home. But at least two proposals in the proposed budget would be a step backward on the road to achieve this goal.

Testimony on Governor’s Budget Article 11  (Workforce)
The Institute’s Linda Katz delivered testimony on behalf of the RI Workforce Alliance on Article 11 of the Governor’s budget which would put the Governor’s Real Jobs Rhode Island Program into state law and proposed changes to the State Work Immersion Program. The Alliance suggests also added the Real pathways program into state law to ensure that the organization of the workforce development system around industry partnerships includes a commitment of resources and strategies to address the needs of lower-skilled adults.

Testimony on Governor’s Budget Article 12 (Economic Development)
The Institute submitted written testimony in opposition to sections of Article 12 of the Governor’s budget which would continue to expand the number and range of economic incentive tax credits and remove the sunset’s provisions to these tax incentives which are set to expire on December 31, 2018. The institute also supports the provision in the budget article that would require Commerce RI to assess the “performance, effectiveness, and economic impact of” most of the Governor’s economic development incentives but we have concerns about this report and the still due Tax Incentive Evaluation Act of 2013 report.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2244, 2247 (Minimum Wage)
The Institute supports Senate Bill 2244, which gradually increases the hourly minimum wage to $15.00/hour (in January 2022), and increases the tipped minimum wage to $15.00/hour (in January 2026), and Senate Bill 2247 increasing the minimum wage to $11.00 in 2019 and to $12.00 in 2020. 

Testimony on Senate Bill 2476, 2244 (Tipped Minimum Wage)
The  Institute supports Senate Bill 2476 to increase the tipped minimum wage from $3.89/hour to $9.00/hour on January 1, 2022 (and eliminate it entirely starting January 1, 2023) and the provisions in Senate Bill 2244 increasing the minimum wage for tipped workers from $3.89/hour to $15.00/hour on January 1, 2026).  

Testimony on Budget Article 13, Sec, 1 and 3 (Copayments and RIte Share)
The Institute is opposed to the proposal to require low-income Medicaid beneficiaries to pay co-pays for certain services. The Institute also has objections to some of the proposed changes to the RIte Share program.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2270 / House Bill 7385 (Foreclosure Mediation Act)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2270 and House Bill 7385 which would remove the sunset provision on the Foreclosure Mediation Act. The General Assembly wisely enacted the Foreclosure Mediation Act in 2013 in response to the frightening number of foreclosures in our state during and post-recession to ensure that homeowners had the opportunity to keep their homes, if possible. Since passage of the Act, 70% of homeowners who participated in the mediation process were able to avoid foreclosure.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2638/2375 (Equal Pay)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2638 which would require employers of 100 or more employees to report—by gender, race, ethnicity, and job category—information on compensation and hours worked, and Senate Bill 2475, a bill that provides protections against employer imposed wage differentials based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of origin. 

Testimony on Budget Article 15 (Child Care Assistance)
The Institute supports Article 15 of the Governor’s budget which would invest $1.5 million to create a tiered reimbursement rate structure based on quality and creating a pilot program allowing parents enrolled in post-secondary education to access child care assistance.

Testimony on House Bill 7544 / Senate Bill 2470 (Paid Leave)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7544/Senate Bill 2470 which would expand access to Rhode Island’s paid family leave program for hard-working, low-income Rhode Islanders. This bill would:
• Increase the number of weeks a worker can use from four to six weeks in 2019 (and up to eight weeks in 2020)
• Expand the category of qualifying family members to include grandchildren and siblings
• Increase the amount workers can receive when they claim TCI

Testimony on House Bill 7799 (Workforce)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7799 which would provide an opportunity for employees affected by plant closings or mass layoffs to furnish competitive bids to purchase businesses otherwise at risk of reducing their workforce.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2173 (Payday Lending)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2173 which eliminates the deferred deposit transactions that drive the payday loan industry in Rhode Island. Payday loans, such as those currently permitted in Rhode Island, are high-cost loans that are structured to perpetuate an ongoing cycle of debt.

Testimony on House Bill 7316 (Affordable Housing)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7316 which would provide for $5 million of capital investment for affordable housing development in the FY 2019 budget and subsequent years. EPI’s mission is to promote economic stability for all Rhode Islanders. The lack of affordable housing is a cavernous gap in the ability of working families and people living on a fixed income to meet basic needs.

Testimony on House Bill 7094 (Medicare Premium Savings Programs)
The Institute opposes House Bill 7094 which would increase the income eligibility limits for the Medicare Premium Savings Programs and eliminate the asset test. This would allow more low-income seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for most of their health care needs to be relieved of the cost of at least their monthly Medicare premium, thus freeing up their limited income to meet other basic needs.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2394 (Sales and Use Tax)
The Institute opposes passage of Senate Bill 2394 which would remove the sales tax on pet care services, eroding state revenues needed for the critical investments needed to build thriving communities and a strong vibrant economy.

Testimony on House Bill 7099 (Sales Tax Holiday)
The Institute opposes House Bill 7099 which creates a sales tax holiday in mid-August, eroding state revenues needed for the critical investments needed to build thriving communities and a strong vibrant economy. Eroding this revenue source in any way places critical public investments in jeopardy.

Testimony on House Bill 7315 (EITC)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7315 (Slater) that would increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit from 15 percent of the federal level to 20 percent of the federal level.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2871 (Workforce)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2871 which would provide an opportunity for employees affected by plant closings or mass layoffs to furnish competitive bids to purchase businesses otherwise at risk of reducing their workforce.

Testimony on House Bills 7146, 7147, 7432 (Estate Tax)
The Institute opposes House Bills 7146, 7147, 7432 which would erode Rhode Island’s estate tax, depriving the Treasury of much-needed revenues, and making our current inequitable tax structure even more so.

Testimony on House Bill 7385 (Foreclosure Mediation Act)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7385, which would remove the sunset provision on the Foreclosure Mediation Act. The General Assembly wisely enacted the Foreclosure Mediation Act in 2013 in response to the frightening number of foreclosures in our state during and post-recession to ensure that homeowners had the opportunity to keep their homes, if possible. Since passage of the Act, 70% of homeowners who participated in the mediation process were able to avoid foreclosure.

Testimony on House Bill 7891, Senate Bill 2567 (Driver’s Licences for Undocumented Immigrants)
The Institute supports passage of H7891 (Williams) and S2567 (Ciccone), bills that would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driving privilege licenses/permits to Rhode Islanders who are unable to establish lawful presence in the United States. Note that this is separate from the DACA Driver’s licenses bills that have passed the House and Senate.

Testimony on House Bill 7803 / Senate Bill 2734 (Long-term Care Delivery)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7803 and Senate Bill 2734 which will further our state’s long-standing goal of providing more opportunity for seniors and people with disabilities to live in their homes and communities. The 2006 findings also acknowledged the need “to assure that rates paid for community-based long-term care services are adequate to assure high quality as well as supportive of workforce recruitment and retention”. The Independent Choice option will help further this goal as well – promoting improved working conditions for the 10,000 plus direct care workers who provide such a vital service to their clients and to our state.

Testimony on House Bill 7148 (Child Care Assistance)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7148 (Diaz). Representative Diaz’s companion bill would expand on the Governor’s proposed Article 15 to create a tiered reimbursement rate structure based on quality for all child care programs.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2120 and Article 15 (Child Care Assistance)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2120 (Crowley) and Article 15 of the Governor’s proposed budget that invests $1.5 million to create a tiered reimbursement rate structure based on quality for infants and toddlers and creates a pilot program allowing parents enrolled in post-secondary education to access child care assistance. Senator Crowley and Representative Diaz’s companion bill would expand on Article 15 to create a tiered reimbursement rate structure based on quality for all child care programs.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2217 (EITC)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2017 (Goldin) that would increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit from 15 percent of the federal level to 20 percent of the federal level.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2389 (Tax Equity)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2389 (Satchell) that would create three new tax brackets to the state’s income tax structure at $275,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000 (with increased rates of 7.99%, 8.49%, and 8.99%, respectively). EPI using data from The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) argue that it would raise $130 million dollars and only affect 2.2% of all Rhode Island filers.

Testimony on House Bill 7860 (Medicaid income eligibility)
The Institute supports passage of House Bill 7680 which would increase the Medicaid income eligibility limit for seniors and people with disabilities. Under current rules, the income limit is 100% of the federal poverty level ($1,012/month for a single adult). The income counting methodology is based on gross earned and unearned income, with a $20 disregard applied to unearned income and additional disregards to earned income. There is also a resource test of $4,000

Testimony on Senate Bill 2472 (Jobs Development Act)
The Institute supports passage of Senate Bill 2472 which sunsets/discontinues the Jobs Development Act (JDA) rate reduction as of July 1, 2018. Since 2008, Rhode Island revenues have been depleted by more than $160 million as a result of JDA tax abatements, depriving the state Treasury of much-needed resources while our schools, bridges, and roads have fallen further into disrepair. ORA’s recommendation is particularly relevant to the bill, noting that the inclusion of sunset provisions in economic development tax incentive bills is considered a “best practice”, and recommending the addition of a sunset provision for the JDA or a time limit on the length of time a company could be eligible to claim the rate reduction.

Testimony on Senate Bill 2785 Sub A2 (Essential Health Benefits)
The Institute and the Protect Our Health Care Coalition support passage of Senate Bill 2472 because it enacts Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) and no-cost sharing for preventative services as a part of state law.  This is important as ongoing administrative actions at the Federal level continue to erode key consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Testimony in Support of Senate Bill 0350 (Wage Theft)
The Institute testified in support of S350 which would expand Rhode Island’s current protections against wage theft, by prohibiting employers from subjecting their employees to wage theft by deducting from wages for spoilage, breakage, cash shortages, or fines, or by imposing penalties for tardiness, misconduct, or quitting by an employee without notice.

Testimony in Support of H5453 (All Students Count Act)
The Institute testified in support of H5453, the All Students Count Act which would require schools to gather and report on an agreed-upon set of sub groups within the “Asian” category and other categories as appropriate. As our “State of Working Rhode Island, 2015: Workers of Color Report” demonstrated, the failure to report sub-categories within the “Asian” category can mask significant differences among sub-populations. In our 2015 report, the “All Asian” category shows median income of $36,105. But the median income for South East Asians is only $30,621 and the median income for South and other Asians is $50,000. Just as the “All Asian” category masks these significant wage differences, collecting data about K-12 “Asian” students may mask potential significant differences in educational achievement among sub-populations.

Testimony in Support of S206 (Child Support)
The Institute submitted written testimony in support of S206 which would allow the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) to automate the process of initiating reviews of a child support orders for non-custodial parents at the ACI who will be incarcerated for 180 days or longer. The bill will improve the efficiency of the current child support modification process and help eliminate the accrual of arrears, making it more likely that the parent will meet his child support obligation when he is released from the ACI.

Testimony in Support of Article 3 (RI Promise)
The Institute submitted written testimony in support of Article 3 of Governor Raimondo’s budget which would allow RI high school seniors to be able to attain an Associate’s degree at CCRI and complete a Bachelor’s degree at RIC or URI. Improving opportunities for our high school graduates to continue their education is an important part of what should be a comprehensive approach to ensuring more Rhode Islanders can attain economic security and employers have the skilled workforce they need to compete in the national and global economies. A comprehensive approach includes expanding early learning opportunities for children through expanding pre-K and child care (areas that have also seen investments over the past few years); ensuring high quality K-12 schools that meet the diverse needs of all students; and providing more opportunities for the current adult workforce to improve their skills and earnings capacity, such as ending the waiting list for adults anxious to improve their English language skills.

Testimony in Opposition to Budget Article 2 (Eco. Dev. & Tax Credits)
The Institute presented testimony in the House in opposition to the Governor’s Budget article 2 which would further expand the number and range of tax credits used for economic development. With a new report forthcoming that should provide helpful information to assess the effectiveness of Rhode Island’s existing economic development tax incentives, we advise against further expanding Rhode Island’s suite of tax credits. Retaining a larger share of tax revenues to invest in a healthy and well-educated workforce, transportation, and other critical infrastructure may have a greater impact on Rhode Island’s future economic prosperity.

Testimony in Support of H5413 (Earned Sick Days)
The Institute testified in support of H5413 which would provide paid sick leave to Rhode Island workers. One significant reason to pass paid sick leave legislation is that failing to do so further exacerbates disparities based on income. The Economic Policy Institute shows in stark terms that “rich people have paid sick days [while] poor people do not.”

Testimony in Support of H5057 (Minimum Wage)
The Institute testified in support of House Bill 5057 increasing the minimum wage for Rhode Island workers to $10.50. Putting more money in the pockets of Rhode Island workers not only helps those families, it also puts more money in the cash registers of local businesses and creates jobs in Rhode Island.

Testimony in Support of H5595 AND H5315 (Tipped Wage)
The Institute submitted written testimony supporting the provisions in House Bill 5595 and 5315 increasing the minimum wage for tipped workers. After decades of stagnant wage growth, lower income Rhode Islanders can best contribute to a vibrant Ocean State economy if their wages are sufficient to allow them to spend their income on goods and services, supporting local businesses in every Rhode Island community.

Testimony in Opposition to H5742 (EBT Cards)
The Institute submitted written testimony in opposition to House Bill 55742 which would require individuals using their EBT card to provide a photo identification card at the time of a transaction. While the bill amends a section of the law that applies to the use of RI Works cash assistance, requirements pertaining to the use of EBT cards impacts SNAP benefits as well.  This is because an individual who receives both RI Works cash assistance and SNAP benefits has one EBT card through which their cash benefit and their SNAP benefit are accessed. To the extent this bill is intended to reduce SNAP trafficking – such trafficking involves the conspiring of both recipients and retailers, requiring photo identification would not act as any sort of deterrent.

Testimony in Support of H5686 (Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants)
The Institute submitted written testimony in support of House Bill 5686 which would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driving privilege licenses/permits to Rhode Islanders who are unable to establish lawful presence in the United States. Allowing our working neighbors to have a driving privilege license/permit will not only ensure they are safe drivers but can promote additional work hours or job changes that can improve the local and state economies.

Testimony in Support of S290 (Earned Sick Days)
The Institute submitted written testimony in support of Senate Bill 290 which would provide paid sick leave to Rhode Island workers. One significant reason to pass paid sick leave legislation is that failing to do so further exacerbates disparities based on income. The Economic Policy Institute shows in stark terms that “rich people have paid sick days [while] poor people do not.” As with every workplace reform in this nation, opponents of earned sick time in every jurisdiction warned the sky would fall. They were wrong. They warned of unintended consequences of job loss and business flight. It never happened. What we have learned from the Family [email protected] network is that, across the country, these 40 local economies where paid sick days policies have been implemented are thriving!

Testimony in Support of S676 (Worker’s Cooperatives)
The Institute supports Senate Bill 676, An Act Relating to Corporations, Associations, and Partnerships – Workers’ Cooperatives. In establishing a mechanism for the formation of enterprises that are not only owned, but also democratically controlled and operated by their own workers, this bill provides an important set of tools to address several key economic challenges facing Rhode Island today.

Testimony in Opposition to Budget Article 2 (Eco. Dev. & Tax Credits)
The Institute presented testimony in the Senate in opposition to the Governor’s Budget article 2 which would further expand the number and range of tax credits used for economic development. With a new report forthcoming that should provide helpful information to assess the effectiveness of Rhode Island’s existing economic development tax incentives, we advise against further expanding Rhode Island’s suite of tax credits. Retaining a larger share of tax revenues to invest in a healthy and well-educated workforce, transportation, and other critical infrastructure may have a greater impact on Rhode Island’s future economic prosperity.

Testimony in Opposition of H6198 (Temporary Caregiver Insurance Program)
The Institute presented testimony in opposition of House Bill 6198, which would jeopardize the benefits available to thousands of Rhode Island workers through the publicly administered Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) Program and Temporary Caregiver’s Insurance (TCI) Program. The Institute had several concerns with the legislation including its impact on employees, its impact on the TDI fund and its impact on the Department of Labor and Training.

Testimony in Support of H5331 (Payday Lending)
The Economic Progress Institute supports House Bill 5331, which eliminates the deferred deposit transactions that drive the payday loan industry in Rhode Island. Payday loans are harmful to consumers, and hurt the economy. H5331 protects Rhode Islanders, which currently face fees of $7.6 million a year due to payday lending, accounting for 93 percent of all payday lending fees in New England.

Testimony in Opposition to H6186 (Adult Education) on behalf of Workforce Alliance
The Institute on behalf of the RI Workforce Alliance opposes House Bill 6186, which would direct 10% of state funds allocated to the RI Department of Education (RIDE) for adult education to be dedicated to programs that are provided at an employer’s workplace. This would result in at least a $200,000 reduction in funds for the community-based network of adult education providers, which is already facing an equal reduction due to changes in state allocations by the federal agency. The loss of funds would mean adding more Rhode Islanders to the waiting list for services.

Testimony in Support of H5791 (Earned Income Tax Credit)
The Institute supports House Bill 5791, which would increase the Rhode Island Earned Income Tax Credit from 15% of the federal credit to 20%. The EITC is a common-sense tax credit that benefits working families, small businesses and our local economies.

Testimony in Opposition to H6005 (Sales Tax)
The Institute opposes House Bill 6005, a bill that would further decimate Rhode Island’s revenue base, and undercut Rhode Island’s ongoing economic recovery.

Testimony in Opposition to H6267 (Motor Vehicle Tax)
The Institute opposes House Bill 6267, a bill that would further erode Rhode Island’s revenue base at an estimated annual cost of $221 million (this amount is in addition to the $10 million in state aid currently allocated to partially offset the MVT). Furthermore, looming potential federal cuts to programs like Medicaid, SNAP, LIHEAP, education, housing, and workforce development means that the state cannot afford to decimate state revenues further. In the absence of new revenue sources, the Institute expects budget cuts that are not known at this time and calls on the House to discuss what cuts are on the table before enacting on the proposed MVT phaseout.

Testimony in support of H 7927 (Temporary Caregivers Insurance)
The institute submitted written testimony in support of Representative Maldonado’s bill H7927 which would make improvements to the Temporary Caregiver’s Insurance (TCI) Program. The changes included in this bill will increase participation and fairness for lower wage workers by: 1) exempting a portion of their salary from contribution so they are able to keep more of their paycheck while they are working and 2) increasing the wage replacement percentage so that if those workers need to participate in the TCI program, they will receive a larger share of their salary while they are out on leave. Lifting the earnings cap on contributions is a reasonable and equitable way to insure that the contribution pool stays strong.

Testimony in Support of H 7347 (Earned Income Tax Credit)
The Institute testified in support of H 7347 which proposes raising the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 20 percent of the federal credit. An increased state EITC will help 83,000 of  Rhode Island’s working families meet their basic needs. and has a significant return on investment that will help Rhode Island’s economy. The merits support making an increased state EITC a priority investment in hard working Rhode Islanders.

Testimony in Opposition to H 7383 & H 7732 (Estate Tax Credit)
The Institute testified against H 7383, which exempts from the estate tax “property used in the conduct of a trade or business” to the value of five million dollars, and H 7732, which exempts from the estate tax “the value of a qualified small business valued at an amount not greater than $5,000,000.” Exempting estates valued at $5 million or more from estate taxes benefits only the most wealthy Rhode Islanders. We expect our public dollars to be used for our common good, to fund our schools, maintain our bridges, and protect the safety of the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Testimony in support of H 7235 (Dis-aggregated Data in Schools)
The Institute testified in support of the All Students Count Act, which would require schools to gather and report on an agreed-upon set of sub groups within the Asian/Pacific islander category. Currently schools report racial and ethnic data about students in the following categories:  Native American, Asian Pacific, Black, White, Hispanic, Multi-Race. The failure to report sub-categories within Asian/Pacific Islander can mask significant differences among these populations, as our recent  “State of Working Rhode Island, 2015: Workers of Color Report” demonstrates.

Testimony in Support of H 7628 (Protection from Wage Theft)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of H7628 which would grant employees several additional avenues to help them collect their wages from nonpaying employers, sets forth penalties for nonpayment of wages by an employer, and implements a new procedure for filing of claims. Enacting this bill will give some teeth to Rhode Island’s current protections against wage theft.

Testimony in Support of S 2721 (Earned Sick Leave)
The Institute testified in support of S2721, An Act Relating To Labor And Labor Relations— Healthy And Safe Families And Workplaces Act, which would provide earned sick leave for RI workers. This measure has broad support, even by business leaders. A recent survey of American CEOs indicating that a vast majority of those polled (73 percent) support paid sick days, while just 16 percent opposed paid sick days.

Testimony in Support of S 2723 (Temporary Caregiver Insurance)
The Economic Progress Institute testified in support of S2723 which would make improvements to the Temporary Caregiver’s Insurance (TCI) Program, increasing participation and fairness for lower wage workers. Lifting the earnings cap on contribution is a reasonable and equitable way to insure that the contribution pool stays strong.

Testimony in Support of S 2587 (Unemployment Insurance)
The Institute testified in support of increasing the maximum weekly unemployment benefit rate to the higher of fifty-seven and one-half percent (57.5%) of the average weekly wages paid to workers in the prior calendar year or six hundred sixteen dollars ($616) per week. Passage of this bill would help individuals (and their families) by providing them with a source of income during periods of unemployment and insulate the Rhode Island economy from the negative effects of economic impacts.

Testimony in Support of H 7694 (Gender Wage Gap)
The Institute testified in support of the FAIR PAY Act, a bill that takes important steps to address persistent wage differentials based on gender. The Institute estimates that if trends continue, women’s median wages will not be equal to men’s median wages in Rhode Island until 2038.

Testimony in Support of H 7633 (Earned Sick Leave)
The Institute submitted written testimony at the House Labor Committee in support of H7633, legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that if passed would provide Rhode Island workers with earned paid sick days. One significant reason to pass paid sick leave legislation is that failing to do so further exacerbates disparities based on income. The Economic Policy Institute shows in stark terms that “rich people have paid sick days [while] poor people do not.” Moreover, employer savings and government savings are considerable, creating a more productive workforce that is less reliant on public assistance and emergency rooms for treatment of illnesses.

Testimony in Support of H 7285 (Minimum Wage)
The Institute supports Representative Bennett’s bill H7285 which would further increase Rhode Island’s minimum wage to $11.00/hour increasing wages for 107,100 Rhode Island workers (22 percent of total workforce), by a total of $80.1 million. An $11 minimum wage would give the Rhode Island economy a further boost. Critics of increasing the minimum wage argue that raising the minimum wage will result in job loss. A meta-analysis done by the Center for Economic and Policy research that looked at over a thousand academic papers, shows that there is essentially no aggregate impact on employment levels.

Testimony in Support of: S2379, S2235, & S2475 (Protection from Wage Theft)
The Institute submitted testimony in support of S2235, S2379, and S2475, each of which addresses different dimensions of wage theft, which undermines the well-being of workers in Rhode Island. Wage theft has contributed to the decline in the lowest 20 percent of wages in RI– down more than a dollar per hour since 2000. Additionally, we urge the Finance Committee to work with their legislative colleagues to provide the Department of Labor and Training the resources necessary to ensure full enforcement of all of Rhode Island’s laws protecting against wage theft (The Governor’s proposed funding for the Workforce Regulation and Safety Division for 2017 falls short of 2014 spending by nearly $70,000)

Testimony in support of H 7610 (Licenses for Undocumented Workers)
The Institute submitted written testimony in support of Representative Williams’s bill (H7610) that would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driving privilege licenses/permits to Rhode Islanders who are unable to establish lawful presence in the United States.Undocumented immigrants contribute an estimated total of $33 million in taxes to Rhode Island. Allowing our working neighbors to have a driving privilege license/permit will not only ensure they are safe drivers but can promote additional work hours or job changes that can improve the local and state economies.

Testimony in Support of H 7325 (Carbon Tax)
The Institute testified in support of H7325 which would make Rhode Island the first state in the nation to put a price on carbon through a carbon tax. While a portion of the carbon tax will be passed onto consumers, including lower-income families, in the form of higher prices, the Energize Rhode Island Act addresses this concern, by providing rebates to Rhode Island families and businesses, ensuring they come out ahead–especially if they do their part to reduce their own carbon emissions.

Testimony in Support of Governor’s Budget Article 13 (Min Wage / EITC)
The Institute testified in support of the Governor’s FY17 Budget Article 13 which increases the minimum wage to $10.10 next year and expands the state earned income tax credit from 12.5 percent to 15 percent of the federal credit (the Governor indicated an interest in further expanding the EITC pending available resources following the mid-year revenue forecast). Senator Goldin and Representative Slater have each introduced bills (S 2156 and H 7347) to further increase the EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit.

Testimony in Support of H 7505 (Protection from Wage Theft)
The Institute testified in support of a bill before the House Labor Committee that expands Rhode Island’s current protections against wage theft, by prohibiting employers from subjecting their employees to wage theft by deducting from wages for spoilage, breakage, cash shortages, fines or by imposing penalties for tardiness, misconduct, or quitting by an employee without notice.

Testimony in Opposition to H 7356 (Temporary Disability Insurance)
The Economic Progress Institute testified in opposition to H7356 highlighting concerns that the bill, which allows employees to opt-op of the TDI program would shrink the pool of those paying into the program, thus undermining the ability of the program to reimburse those who need the coverage.