Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5146 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5146
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7	7	LC000683
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
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14	14	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $1,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COUNCIL FOR
16	16	THE HUMANITIES FOR DIRECT GRANT FUNDING TO COMMUNITY CULTURA L
17	17	ORGANIZATIONS THROUG HOUT RHODE ISLAND
18	18	Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Cortvriend, Cardillo, Ackerman,
19	19	Fogarty, Hull, Casimiro, Kazarian, Felix, and Ajello
20	20	Date Introduced: January 18, 2023
21	21	Referred To: House Finance
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24	24	WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Humanities Council is a highly respected grantmaking, 1
25	25	infrastructure and strategic partnership organization founded in 1973 as the State’s designee of 2
26	26	the National Endowment for the Humanities; and 3
27	27	WHEREAS, Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell authored the 1965 federal law creating 4
28	28	the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provides support to the Rhode Island 5
29	29	Humanities Council for competitive grants that provide the only designated support for 6
30	30	humanities research, education, and programs to individuals and organizations making up the 7
31	31	state’s “Main Street” Creative and Cultural Economy; and 8
32	32	WHEREAS, Recipients of grants from the Rhode Island Humanities Council include 9
33	33	elementary and secondary schools, libraries, museums, preservation and historical societies, 10
34	34	historic sites, cultural centers, writers, film makers, researchers, archivists and community-based 11
35	35	nonprofits, all of whom craft the stories of Rhode Island’s rich and diverse culture; and 12
36	36	WHEREAS, During the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Rhode Island 13
37	37	Humanities Council distributed $915,646 in emergency CARES Act grants and RI CHARG 14
38	38	grants to 136 local organizations reaching 1,114,262 people in 33 of 39 Rhode Island 15
39	39	municipalities; and 16
40	40	WHEREAS, The emergency grants distributed by the Rhode Island Humanities Council 17
41	41	were a lifeline to local organizations that suffered devastating COVID-related financial reversals, 18
42	42	and the Council’s support ensured the survival of 136 community nonprofits and allowed for the 19
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45	45	LC000683 - Page 2 of 3
46	46	retention or creation of 302 jobs in the State; and 1
47	47	WHEREAS, Ninety-five percent of RI CHARG grants were made to small to mid-sized 2
48	48	organizations (budgets under $500,000) and to organizations led by or centered on the 3
49	49	experiences of BIPOC communities; and 4
50	50	WHEREAS, Emergency CARES Act grants and RI CHARG grants were made possible 5
51	51	by one-time COVID relief funds, and the National Endowment for the Humanities funding level 6
52	52	for the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities no longer enables the Council to continue to 7
53	53	provide the same level of extensive outreach to local organizations that was made during 2020 8
54	54	and 2021; and 9
55	55	WHEREAS, Thirty-three states provide direct budgetary support to their Humanities 10
56	56	Councils, including nearby Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont; and 11
57	57	WHEREAS, Annual funding from the National Endowment for Humanities requires the 12
58	58	Rhode Island Humanities Council to match one local dollar for each federal dollar received, 13
59	59	creating the opportunity for our local council to leverage additional federal support if local 14
60	60	appropriation funding is secured; now, therefore be it 15
61	61	RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not 16
62	62	otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2023-2024, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) 17
63	63	to the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities to support direct grant funding to community 18
64	64	cultural organizations throughout Rhode Island; and the state controller is hereby authorized and 19
65	65	directed to draw his orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much 20
66	66	thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. 21
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68	68	LC000683
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73	73	EXPLANATION
74	74	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
75	75	OF
76	76	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
77	77	MAKING AN APPROPRIAT ION OF $1,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COUNCIL FOR
78	78	THE HUMANITIES FOR DIRECT GRANT FUNDING TO COMMUNITY CULTURA L
79	79	ORGANIZATIONS THROUG HOUT RHODE ISLAND
80	80	***
81	81	This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $1,000,000 to the Rhode 1
82	82	Island Council for the Humanities to continue efforts to support local cultural organizations 2
83	83	throughout the State. 3
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85	85	LC000683
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