August 2021 The Reporter
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From the State House General Assembly Passes Civic Literacy Proficiency Requirement in Rhode Island Schools
Bill Cosponsored By Rep. Amore State House – The General Assembly today passed legislation cosponsored by Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) which requires students to demonstrate proficiency in civics education before high school graduation. Representative Amore was a history teacher for 31 years at East Providence High School. The bipartisan bill (2021-H 5028Aaa) was introduced by Rep. Brian C. Newberry (R-Dist. 48, North Smithfield, Burrillville). “As we watch our country suffer from division, distrust, and disinformation from all directions, it is vital to the health of our democratic republic that the future generations of our country know and understand how our government functions and how our current society came to be from its inception in 1776,” said Representative Amore. “Without this critical knowledge, we are doing a great disservice to our students and hampering their abilities to be engaged and well-informed citizens during their adult lives. In order for a better world to be created by future generations, our students need to know why change is needed and how to advocate for change. This is only possible through civics education.”
Bill which Makes AP Tests Accessible to All Students Included in FY 2022 Budget
State House – Rep. Gregg Amore’s legislation (2021-H 5350) which makes Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests more accessible to a greater number of students has been included in the FY 2022 state budget. The bill calls for the state to pay the AP test fee for students who are unable to afford the cost. “As someone who has taught AP courses, I am a firm believer in their abilities to engage our students and push them past their comfort zones in their educational careers. These courses prepare our students for their future and they should be available to all students who are able to do the work, regardless of the student’s ability to pay to take the test. At $53 per test, the current process was discouraging students in poverty from taking one or multiple tests, forcing the students to forego the college credits that they would receive after doing well on the AP test even though they have
completed the AP class. This bill will save money for our students and families that need it the most through absorbing the costs of the AP test and the possible college credits that would not have to be paid for by the student. I thank my colleagues in the legislature for supporting this important bill for our students and families,” said Representative Amore. The legislation would change the definition of advanced placement to mean a college level class taught at the high school level that provides students the opportunity to earn college credit upon passage of an exam. The bill also expands the reach of access to advanced placement courses to ensure that the opportunity to participate in the advanced placement program and gain college credit is available to the greatest amount of students.
General Assembly Passes Legislation Banning Guns from School Grounds
State House – The General Assembly today passed legislation which would prohibit anyone, with certain exceptions, from bringing a firearm onto school property. The Senate version of the bill (2021-S 0073) is sponsored by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio and the House legislation (2021H 5555A) is sponsored by Majority Whip Katherine S. Kazarian. The bills are named The Harold M. Metts School Safety Act of 2021 in honor of its longtime champion in the Senate. Whip Kazarian has introduced the legislation for the past several sessions. “Our nation has suffered so many horrific and tragic school shootings. Every parent deserves an assurance that no one is allowed to enter their child’s school armed. Guns simply have no place in schools, and we shouldn’t accept a situation that allows anyone outside the police to carry them there,” said Whip Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence). “This legislation give schools the same protections already afforded to the Rhode Island Convention Center, our post offices as well as our very own State House.”
New Law Protects Hospital Employees From Violence, Harassment On The Job
State House – A new law passed the by General Assembly and sponsored by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio and House Majority Whip Katherine S. Kazarian will help protect hospital staff from violence and harassment at work.
The legislation (2021-S 0055A, 2021-H 6018A), which was passed by the Assembly July 1 and was recently signed into law by the governor, establishes procedures for hospital employees to file complaints with the hospital or the Department of Health for any assaultive behavior or other violation of law occurring on hospital grounds, and requires hospitals to develop plans to protect and respond to violence and employee safety issues and institute safety training for employees. Said House Majority Whip Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), “Our brave and hardworking hospital employees deserve as much protection as we can provide. While they may selflessly accept that their jobs have inherent risks, there still needs to strong policies that minimize those risks, and structures in place to protect them and respond swiftly and fairly to situations where they have been hurt, threatened or put in danger. Every hospital employee has a human right to safety, security and protection at work.”
Assembly OKs Bill to Allow Seniors to Earn Property Tax Credit for Volunteering
State House – The General Assembly has approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Cynthia A. Coyne and Rep. Jason Knight to allow seniors to put their time and skills to good use helping their cities and towns, while reducing their property taxes. The legislation (2021-S 0103, 2021-H 6238), which has been transmitted to the governor, would authorize cities and towns to establish programs to offer tax credits to property owners age 60 and over in exchange for volunteer hours. While each city and town adopting the program could set its own parameters, the legislation would allow them to let seniors earn up to $1,500 off their property taxes. “Many older property owners, particularly retirees, struggle under the burden of their property taxes. Allowing them to reduce their tax liability by volunteering for their city or town lets them use some of resources they have — time and skills — to lighten the load,” said Senator Coyne (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence). “This is an idea that would benefit seniors and municipalities alike. Seniors are very dependable volunteers who have a lifetime of skills and experience to offer. In these days of tight municipal budgets, it could bring in some very valuable volunteers for cash-strapped towns.” Continued on next page ...
