2023 -- S 0022
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LC000280
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- RHODE ISLAND VETERAN S'
HOME
Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, DiPalma, and F. Lombardi
Date Introduced: January 18, 2023
Referred To: Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 30-24-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 30-24 entitled "Rhode 1
Island Veterans’ Home" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
30-24-10. Admissible to home — Fees. 3
(a) Any person who has served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force 4
of the United States for a period of ninety (90) days or more and that period began or ended during 5
any foreign war in which the United States shall have been engaged or in any expedition or 6
campaign for which the United States government issues a campaign medal, and who was 7
honorably discharged from it, and who shall be deemed to be in need of care provided at the Rhode 8
Island veterans’ home, may be admitted to that facility subject to such rules and regulations as shall 9
be adopted by the director of human services to govern the admission of applicants to the facility. 10
Any person who has served in the armed forces of the United States designated herein and otherwise 11
qualified, who has served less than the ninety-day (90) period described in this section, and who 12
was honorably discharged from service, and who, as a result of the service, acquired a service-13
connected disability or disease, may be admitted. No person shall be admitted to the facility unless 14
the person has been accredited to the enlistment or induction quota of the state or has resided in the 15
state for at least two (2) consecutive years next prior to the date of the application for admission to 16
the facility. 17
(b)(1) The director shall, at the end of each fiscal year, determine the net, per-diem 18
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expenses of maintenance of residents in the facility and shall assess against each resident who has 1
“net income”, as defined in this section, a fee equal to eighty percent (80%) fifty percent (50%) of 2
the resident’s net income, provided that fee shall not exceed the actual cost of care and maintenance 3
for the resident; and provided that an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the maintenance fee 4
assessed shall be allocated to, and deposited in, the veterans’ restricted account. For the purposes 5
of this section, “net income” is defined as gross income minus applicable federal and state taxes 6
and minus: 7
(i) An amount equal to one hundred fifty dollars ($150) per month of residency and fifty 8
percent (50%) of any sum received due to wounds incurred under battle conditions for which the 9
resident received the purple heart; and 10
(ii) The amount paid by a resident for the support and maintenance of his or her spouse, 11
parent(s), minor child(ren), or child(ren) who is/are blind or permanently and totally disabled as 12
defined in title XVI of the Federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1381 — 1383d, subject to a 13
maximum amount to be determined by rules and regulations as shall be adopted by the director. 14
(2) The fees shall be paid monthly to the home and any failure to make payment when due 15
shall be cause for dismissal from the facility. Prior to dismissal, the resident shall be afforded 16
administrative due process. 17
(c) Admissions to the veterans’ home shall be made without discrimination as to race, 18
color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity 19
or expression, assets, or income. 20
(d) Laundry services shall be provided to the residents of the Rhode Island veterans’ home 21
at no charge to the residents, with such funds to cover the cost of providing laundry services for 22
residents of the Rhode Island veterans’ home derived from monies appropriated to the department 23
of human services. 24
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 25
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- RHODE ISLAND VETERAN S'
HOME
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This act would reduce the assessment against a resident's net income from eighty percent 1
(80%) to fifty percent (50%). 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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