Legislative Watch

Issues on the horizon in the RI General Assembly.

Our organization’s activities in government relations provide a significant service to CIRI members and the construction industry at large. During the 2017 General Assembly sessions, CIRI’s efforts have again included monitoring of all bills submitted to the General Assembly – along with active advocacy to make our views known on issues of importance.

Here are proposed bills the CIRI Legislative Committee has identified as concerns for our industry, which call for active opposition by our membership:

Creation of a RIDOT economic relief fund. This proposed legislation in the House (H-5025) would create an economic hardship relief fund from penalties imposed on contractors for past due road or bridge projects — to be paid to business owners who can show a decline in revenue as a result of the past due completion.

Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act. A bill (H-5413) that would require all employers to provide their employees with a minimum level of paid sick and safety leave, including time to care for the employee’s family members.

Healthy Workplace Act. If passed, this act (H-5862) would establish a cause of action against employers and employees for workplace bullying, harassment and other abusive conduct that is tolerated by employers.

Extraction/blasting oversight for Charlestown. Matching bills in the House and Senate (H-5983 & S-751) propose to authorize the Town of Charlestown to regulate earth removal extraction and blasting operations within the town.

Defining lead entities and potential liabilities. This Senate bill (S-771) looks to require lead entities to share “all civil legal responsibility and civil liability for all workers supplied by that labor contractor for any violation of title 28.” Liability would extend to a corporation’s president, treasurer and any management officers or agents.

 

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