Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0271 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- S 0271
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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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: Senator Samuel D. Zurier
19	19	Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
20	20	Referred To: Senate Finance
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23	23	WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Humanities Council is a highly respected grantmaking, 1
24	24	infrastructure and strategic partnership organization founded in 1973 as the State’s designee of 2
25	25	the National Endowment for the Humanities; and 3
26	26	WHEREAS, Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell authored the 1965 federal law creating 4
27	27	the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provides support to the Rhode Island 5
28	28	Humanities Council for competitive grants that provide the only designated support for 6
29	29	humanities research, education, and programs to individuals and organizations making up the 7
30	30	state’s “Main Street” Creative and Cultural Economy; and 8
31	31	WHEREAS, Recipients of grants from the Rhode Island Humanities Council include 9
32	32	elementary and secondary schools, libraries, museums, preservation and historical societies, 10
33	33	historic sites, cultural centers, writers, film makers, researchers, archivists and community-based 11
34	34	nonprofits, all of whom craft the stories of Rhode Island’s rich and diverse culture; and 12
35	35	WHEREAS, During the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Rhode Island 13
36	36	Humanities Council distributed $915,646 in emergency CARES Act grants and RI CHARG 14
37	37	grants to 136 local organizations reaching 1,114,262 people in 33 of 39 Rhode Island 15
38	38	municipalities; and 16
39	39	WHEREAS, The emergency grants distributed by the Rhode Island Humanities Council 17
40	40	were a lifeline to local organizations that suffered devastating COVID-related financial reversals, 18
41	41	and the Council’s support ensured the survival of 136 community nonprofits and allowed for the 19
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45	45	retention or creation of 302 jobs in the State; and 1
46	46	WHEREAS, Ninety-five percent of RI CHARG grants were made to small to mid-sized 2
47	47	organizations (budgets under $500,000) and to organizations led by or centered on the 3
48	48	experiences of BIPOC communities; and 4
49	49	WHEREAS, Emergency CARES Act grants and RI CHARG grants were made possible 5
50	50	by one-time COVID relief funds, and the National Endowment for the Humanities funding level 6
51	51	for the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities no longer enables the Council to continue to 7
52	52	provide the same level of extensive outreach to local organizations that was made during 2020 8
53	53	and 2021; and 9
54	54	WHEREAS, Thirty-three states provide direct budgetary support to their Humanities 10
55	55	Councils, including nearby Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont; and 11
56	56	WHEREAS, Annual funding from the National Endowment for Humanities requires the 12
57	57	Rhode Island Humanities Council to match one local dollar for each federal dollar received, 13
58	58	creating the opportunity for our local council to leverage additional federal support if local 14
59	59	appropriation funding is secured; now, therefore be it 15
60	60	RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not 16
61	61	otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2023-2024, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) 17
62	62	to the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities to support direct grant funding to community 18
63	63	cultural organizations throughout Rhode Island; and the state controller is hereby authorized and 19
64	64	directed to draw his orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much 20
65	65	thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. 21
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72	72	EXPLANATION
73	73	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
74	74	OF
75	75	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
76	76	MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $1,000,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COUNCIL FOR
77	77	THE HUMANITIES FOR DIRECT GRANT FUNDING TO COMMUNITY CULTURA L
78	78	ORGANIZATIONS THROUG HOUT RHODE ISLAND
79	79	***
80	80	This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $1,000,000 to the Rhode 1
81	81	Island Council for the Humanities to continue efforts to support local cultural organizations 2
82	82	throughout the State. 3
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