reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-16. - Limitation of powers.

§ 39-18-16. Limitation of powers.
The state does hereby pledge to and agree with any person, firm, corporation, or federal agency subscribing to or acquiring the bonds to be issued by the authority that the state will not limit or alter the rights hereby vested in the authority until all bonds at any time issued, together with the interest thereon, are fully met and discharged. The state does further pledge to and agree with the United States and any other federal agency, that in the event that any federal agency shall contribute any funds for the acquisition and improvement of any transit property or for the authority’s operations or otherwise, the state will not alter or limit the rights and powers of the authority in any manner that would be inconsistent with the due performance of any agreements between the authority and the federal agency; and the authority shall continue to have and may exercise all powers granted in this chapter, so long as the powers shall be necessary or desirable for the carrying out of the purposes of this chapter.
History of Section.
P.L. 1964, ch. 210, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 157, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 326, § 120.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-18. - Action by resolution — Reports — Audits.

§ 39-18-18. Action by resolution — Reports — Audits.
(a)
Any action taken by the authority under the provisions of this chapter may be authorized by resolution at any regular or special meeting, and each resolution shall take effect immediately and need not be published or posted.
(b)
Within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year, the authority shall approve and submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the secretary of state, of its activities during that fiscal year. The report shall provide: an operating statement summarizing meetings or hearings held, including meeting minutes, subjects addressed, decisions rendered, permits considered and their disposition, rules or regulations promulgated, studies conducted, polices and plans developed, approved, or modified, and programs administered or initiated; a consolidated financial statement of all funds received and expended including the source of the funds, a listing of any staff supported by these funds, and a summary of any clerical, administrative, or technical support received; a summary of performance during the previous fiscal year including accomplishments, shortcomings and remedies; a synopsis of hearings, complaints, suspensions, or other legal matters related to the authority of the authority; a summary of any training courses held pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; a briefing on anticipated activities in the upcoming fiscal year, and findings and recommendations for improvements. The report shall be posted electronically on the websites of the general assembly and the secretary of state pursuant to the provisions of § 42-20-8.2. The director of the department of administration shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this subsection.
(c)
The director of administration shall cause an annual audit of the books, records, and accounts of the authority to be made and the costs thereof shall be treated as part of the cost of operation of the authority.
History of Section.
P.L. 1964, ch. 210, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 103, § 5; P.L. 2006, ch. 144, § 5.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-18.1. - Authority deemed instrumentality and political subdivision of state.

§ 39-18-18.1. Authority deemed instrumentality and political subdivision of state.
For the purposes of chapters 42 — 44 of title 28 and chapters 29 — 37 of title 28, and with respect to chapter 31 of title 9, and notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of these chapters, the authority shall be deemed to be an instrumentality and a political subdivision of the state; provided, however, with respect to chapters 29 — 37 of title 28, the authority shall pay all benefits, required by law, until the authority ceases to exist. Thereafter, the payments shall be the obligation of the state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1967, ch. 171, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 261, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 65, art. 19, § 2.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-19. - Severability.

§ 39-18-19. Severability.
The provisions of this chapter are severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of the court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions.
History of Section.
P.L. 1964, ch. 210, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-20. - Use of services of department of transportation.

§ 39-18-20. Use of services of department of transportation.
The authority shall use the services of the department of transportation in planning, designing, and constructing transportation services or facilities to the extent that these services are provided by the department of transportation. The authority may use any other services provided by the department of transportation. Nothing in this section shall modify any trust agreement entered into by the Rhode Island public transit authority in accordance with § 39-18-8, as amended prior to July 1, 1970.
History of Section.
P.L. 1970, ch. 111, § 6.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-21. - Agreements and certifications regarding state and federal funds.

§ 39-18-21. Agreements and certifications regarding state and federal funds.
The authority and the department of transportation shall be authorized and empowered to enter into agreements, between each other and with others, providing for the assignment to the authority of all or part of any grants, loan, or other money or property of whatever nature received, or to be received, by the department; and the department of transportation is hereby authorized and empowered to certify to the authority, or to others, the amount of funds or property from any federal agency or other source received, or to be received, or reasonably expected to be received, or applied for, which funds or property have been or will be or are expected to be assigned to the authority.
History of Section.
P.L. 1983, ch. 157, § 2.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-22. - State appropriations.

§ 39-18-22. State appropriations.
The general assembly shall appropriate annually a sum for the financial support of the operating expenses of the Rhode Island public transit authority from certain proceeds of the motor fuel tax reserved for this purpose pursuant to § 31-36-20. The total amount of state subsidy disbursements in any fiscal year shall not exceed the appropriation for that year. In the event that dedicated motor fuel tax revenues received during a fiscal year are not sufficient to support the appropriation for that year, the difference shall be transferred from the proceeds of the motor fuel tax imposed by chapter 36 of title 31. Funds appropriated to the authority pursuant to this section shall be administered by the department of transportation in accordance with procedures established jointly by the departments of transportation and administration. The authority shall annually submit to the department of transportation a comprehensive budget request for funds for the ensuing fiscal year. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the authority shall enter into an agreement with the departments of administration and transportation establishing the conditions for payment of the available state and federal subsidies. The director of administration is authorized, from time to time, to advance funds from the general fund to the Rhode Island public transit authority to be used for the purpose of this section, in anticipation of transfers from the revenues reserved pursuant to § 31-36-20, provided that the aggregate of all advances less transfers, at any one time, shall not exceed the total amount of the annual appropriation.
History of Section.
P.L. 1983, ch. 167, art. 8, § 2; P.L. 1985, ch. 181, art. 2, § 2; P.L. 1987, ch. 118, art. 3, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18 - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority › Section 39-18-23. - Medical care available to employees.

§ 39-18-23. Medical care available to employees.
(a)
All eligible employees of the Rhode Island public transit authority shall be entitled to purchase benefits set forth in § 36-12-2 at the same rate as the group rate paid by the state for the benefits.
(b)
Payments for benefits shall be made by the authority directly to the general treasurer at the rate as calculated by the department of administration.
History of Section.
P.L. 1990, ch. 65, art. 19, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18.1 - Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 › Section 39-18.1-1. - Short title.

§ 39-18.1-1. Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Transportation and Debt Reduction Act of 2011.”
History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 151, art. 22, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18.1 - Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 › Section 39-18.1-2. - Legislative findings.

§ 39-18.1-2. Legislative findings.
The general assembly finds that:
(1)
Rhode Island now has, and for some years has had, a serious shortfall of funds available for the upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the state’s highways, roads, and bridges.
(2)
Rhode Island now funds, and for some years has funded, the local twenty percent (20%) match required to bring federal transportation dollars into the state by means of selling bonds. This has proven unsustainable and creates unaffordable debt-service obligations for future generations of Rhode Island taxpayers.
(3)
The health, safety, and convenience of Rhode Island’s citizens are seriously and adversely affected when the state’s highways, roads, and bridges are not kept in a proper state of upkeep, maintenance, and repair.
(4)
A critically important function of the state in maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of all the people of Rhode Island is to ensure the proper upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the state’s highways, roads, and bridges.
(5)
Rhode Island must consider all potential sustainable sources as a vehicle for maintaining and improving the transportation infrastructure of the state.
(6)
Additional stable and secure funding sources are absolutely necessary in order for the state to carry out its essential functions, including the upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the state’s highways, roads, and bridges, and providing for the continued functioning and reliability of public transit. In order to avoid to the full extent possible the creation of enormous and unaffordable debt-service obligations for future generations of Rhode Islanders, these funding sources should be created on a pay-as-you-go basis, and bonding should be reduced to the fullest extent practicable.
History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 151, art. 22, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18.1 - Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 › Section 39-18.1-3. - Definitions.

§ 39-18.1-3. Definitions.
When used in this chapter:
(1)
“Department of transportation” means the department created by chapter 13 of title 42.
(2)
“Director” means the director of the Rhode Island department of transportation.
(3)
“Highway maintenance” means the upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the state’s highways, roads, and bridges, including repaving or resurfacing the same.
(4)
“State planning council” means the state planning council within the division of planning of the department of administration, as established by § 42-11-10.
(5)
“Transportation improvement program” means the transportation improvement program that is created and amended from time to time by the state planning council.
History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 151, art. 22, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18.1 - Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 › Section 39-18.1-5. - Allocation of funds.

§ 39-18.1-5. Allocation of funds.
(a)
The monies in the highway maintenance fund to be directed to the department of transportation pursuant to § 39-18.1-4(b)(1) — (b)(3) shall be allocated through the transportation improvement program process to provide the state match for federal transportation funds, in place of borrowing, as approved by the state planning council. The expenditure of moneys in the highway maintenance fund shall only be authorized for projects that appear in the state’s transportation improvement program.
(b)
Provided, however, that beginning with fiscal year 2015 and annually thereafter, the department of transportation will allocate necessary funding to programs that are designed to eliminate structural deficiencies of the state’s bridge, road, and maintenance systems and infrastructure.
(c)
Provided, further, that beginning July 1, 2015, five percent (5%) of available proceeds in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account shall be allocated annually to the Rhode Island public transit authority for operating expenditures.
(d)
Provided, further, that from July 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, in addition to the amount above, the Rhode Island public transit authority shall receive an amount of not less than five million dollars ($5,000,000) each fiscal year, except for the period July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2022, during which such amount or a portion thereof may come from federal coronavirus relief funds.
(e)
Provided, further, that the Rhode Island public transit authority shall convene a coordinating council consisting of those state agencies responsible for meeting the needs of low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, along with those stakeholders that the authority deems appropriate and are necessary to inform, develop, and implement the federally required coordinated public transit human services transportation plan.
The council shall develop, as part of the state’s federally required plan, recommendations for the appropriate and sustainable funding of the free-fare program for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, while maximizing the use of federal funds available to support the transportation needs of this population.
The council shall report these recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate no later than November 1, 2018.
History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 151, art. 22, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 21, § 7; P.L. 2017, ch. 135, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 302, art. 4, § 6; P.L. 2017, ch. 326, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 8, § 2; P.L. 2020, ch. 79, art. 1, § 11; art. 2, § 22; P.L. 2021, ch. 162, art. 2, § 6, effective July 6, 2021.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-18.1 - Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 › Section 39-18.1-6. - Severability.

§ 39-18.1-6. Severability.
If any of the provisions of this chapter or the applicability thereof is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the provisions of this chapter shall not be affected thereby.
History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 151, art. 22, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-1. - “Community antenna television system” defined.

§ 39-19-1. “Community antenna television system” defined.
“Community antenna television system” or “CATV” as used in this chapter shall mean and include the ownership or operation of a cable television system that receives video or audio signals, electrical impulses, or currents at a central antenna or electronic control center within this state and from which it distributes or transmits such signals, impulses, or currents by a cable or wire system to electronic equipment at a customer’s terminal point within this state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17; P.L. 2008, ch. 116, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 266, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-2. - Subjection to regulation.

§ 39-19-2. Subjection to regulation.
Every company owning or operating a CATV plant in this state is hereby declared to be a communications carrier and, as such, subject to the jurisdiction of and to reasonable rules and regulations as the division may prescribe with reference to the erection and maintenance of distribution facilities and equipment in, under, above, along, across, and upon public highways, bridges, and public places in order to safeguard the safety of the customers and of the public and to preserve the environment and scenic assets of the state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-3. - Certificate required.

§ 39-19-3. Certificate required.
No person or company shall operate a CATV service unless there shall be in force for the same a valid certificate issued by the administrator authorizing the operation. Every application for a certificate shall be filed with the administrator on a form provided by him or her and shall contain verified answers to such questions and such information as the administrator may propound or require and shall be accompanied by a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00). All certificates shall be nonexclusive. Any additional certificate issued shall not contain terms or conditions more favorable or less burdensome than those imposed on the incumbent company. The administrator, within a reasonable time, shall fix the time and place of hearing on the application.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17; P.L. 1989, ch. 142, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-4. - Persons entitled to certificate.

§ 39-19-4. Persons entitled to certificate.
A certificate shall be issued by the administrator to an applicant therefor if the administrator finds that the applicant is of good character and is fit, willing, technically qualified, and financially able properly to perform the service proposed and to conform to the requirements, orders, rules, and regulations of the division, and that the proposed operation will be consistent with the public interest. No certificate shall be transferred except with the consent and approval of the administrator. The holder of a certificate shall be entitled to retain the same so long as the holder conforms to the orders, rules, and regulations of the division and pays an annual fee of fifty dollars ($50.00).
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-5. - Contents of certificate.

§ 39-19-5. Contents of certificate.
Each certificate shall specify the service to be rendered, the routes of aerial and underground feeder and distribution cables, the area of operation, and any plans, contracts, or arrangements for pole line attachments with a public utility or arrangements with a common carrier, and other appropriate feasibility plans.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-6. - Jurisdiction of division.

§ 39-19-6. Jurisdiction of division.
The division shall supervise and regulate every CATV company operating within this state so far as may be necessary to prevent the operation from having detrimental consequences to the public interest, and for this purpose may promulgate and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations as it may deem necessary with reference to issuance of certificates, territory of operation, abandonment of facilities, elimination of unjust discrimination among subscribers, financial responsibility, and insurance covering personal injury and property damage, safety of equipment and operation, and filing of reports. No certificates shall be issued or remain valid unless the applicant has filed with the division and revised to keep current a schedule of rates and charges for its services. The rates and charges shall be reasonably compensatory so as not to encourage unfair or destructive competitive practices and shall be applied without discrimination. The cable television section of the division of public utilities and carriers shall take all necessary steps to ensure that Rhode Island shall regulate the rates charged by cable television companies to the full extent allowable under federal law; provided, however, the division shall hold public hearings and the cable television companies shall justify and explain at the hearings the necessity for all rate increases of regulated rates. This section shall constitute authority to make any and all certifications to the Federal Communications Commission required under the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-385.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17; P.L. 1993, ch. 46, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 188, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-6.1. - Public, education and government television studios and equipment.

§ 39-19-6.1. Public, education and government television studios and equipment.
(a)
The division shall be empowered to manage and operate public, education, and government (PEG) access television in Rhode Island; provided, however, that an existing cable television certificate holder may, at its sole discretion, and for as long as it desires to do so, elect to continue to manage a PEG access studio within its service area.
(b)
In carrying out the purposes of this section, the division may designate another entity, whether public or private, to actually manage the day-to-day operations of any PEG access studios not being actively managed and operated by an existing cable television certificate holder. These day-to-day operations shall include the responsibility of programming statewide interconnect channels and managing interconnect playback in conjunction with the management of PEG playback.
(c)
The division shall fund the operations authorized under this section through PEG access and interconnect fees, which shall be established by the division following public hearing and notice to the state’s cable television certificate holders. The fees shall be paid by the state’s cable television certificate holders which may in turn pass through such expenses to their respective subscribers in accordance with federal law.
(d)
In furtherance of exercising this authority, the division shall promulgate such reasonable rules and regulations that the division deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
History of Section.
P.L. 2013, ch. 144, art. 7, § 6.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-7. - Placing of poles and cables.

§ 39-19-7. Placing of poles and cables.
(a)
Every CATV company that receives a certificate from the administrator shall have the right to erect poles or posts or to construct any conduit or other facility or maintain cables, wires, or fixtures upon, under, or over any state or municipal highway or public place for the purpose of operating a CATV service, provided that a permit therefor has first been obtained from the director of transportation or the proper official of the city or town having jurisdiction over the roads or public places, which permission the officials are authorized to give.
(b)
All equipment, fixtures, and facilities shall be so placed or constructed as not to unreasonably inconvenience travel on the highway or use thereof by public utilities or other persons or companies having rights therein.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17; P.L. 1970, ch. 206, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-7.1. - Removal of poles and cables.

§ 39-19-7.1. Removal of poles and cables.
(a)
Whenever, in order to move a building to be used as affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons for a period of not less than ten (10) years, a nonprofit housing development corporation desires that the poles, posts, conduits, cables, wires, or fixtures erected by a CATV company be cut, disconnected, or removed, the CATV company shall cut, disconnect, or remove the same at its own expense.
(b)
A nonprofit housing development corporation that desires the cutting, disconnection, or removal of poles, posts, conduits, cables, wires, or fixtures of a CATV company shall give written notification to the commission and the CATV company at least thirty (30) days before the removal is desired. The written notification must contain the location of the site where the structure is presently located; the location of the final destination of the structure; the path of the proposed move, described in reference to the crossings of streets or highways; and the date of required cutting, disconnection, or removal.
(c)
Upon receipt of the written notification described in § 39-2-15.1(b), the commission shall promptly determine whether the applicant is a nonprofit housing development corporation within the meaning of this chapter, and shall also determine whether the structure to be moved will be maintained as affordable housing for a period of not less than ten (10) years. A resolution, issued by the board of directors of the nonprofit housing development corporation and recorded at the land records office of the locality to where the structure is to be moved, stating that the structure will be used as affordable housing for a period of not less than ten (10) years, shall be satisfactory evidence that the requirements of this section have been satisfied. If the commission determines that the applicant satisfies the requirements of this section, it shall require that the CATV company undertake the actions as requested in the application on the date specified therein.
(d)
If, at any time during the ten-year (10) period following the cutting, disconnection, or removal of the pipes, mains, poles, wires, conduits, or fixtures of a public utility, the nonprofit housing development corporation shall utilize the structure for any purpose other than affordable housing, the nonprofit housing development corporation shall reimburse the public utility for the cost of the cutting, disconnection, or removal of the same.
History of Section.
P.L. 1988, ch. 580, § 4.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-8. - Revocation or change of certificate.

§ 39-19-8. Revocation or change of certificate.
The commission may, after affording the holder an opportunity to be heard, revoke, suspend, or alter any certificate for willful violation of any provision of this chapter, or the rules and regulations or orders promulgated under the authority of this chapter, or for failure to commence operations within a reasonable time, or for other reasonable cause. If a holder of a certificate after commencing operations shall fail for a continuous period of sixty (60) days to render proper service without good reason therefor, the administrator shall revoke the certificate. In the exercise of the police power of the state, the commission may revoke or refuse to renew the license of any CATV company whose programs originating in this state have been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be obscene.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 17; P.L. 1983, ch. 314, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-8.1. - Administrative civil penalties.

§ 39-19-8.1. Administrative civil penalties.
The administrator may, in his or her discretion, in lieu of seeking a suspension or revocation of a certificate as conferred under this chapter, impose upon its regulated CATV companies an administrative penalty. Any CATV company that violates any of the provisions of this chapter, or any division order, rule, or regulation issued or promulgated under this chapter, or does any act prohibited in this chapter, or fails or refuses to perform any duty enjoined upon it for which a penalty has not been provided, is subject to a penalty of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and in the case of a continuing violation of any of the provisions of the chapter, every day’s continuance of a violation is a separate and distinct offense.
History of Section.
P.L. 2000, ch. 188, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-9. - Administrative expenses — Assessment against franchise holders.

§ 39-19-9. Administrative expenses — Assessment against franchise holders.
(a)
The administrator shall determine the expenses of the division of public utilities and carriers associated with the regulation of operational community antenna television systems, including the cost of division personnel and consultants performing duties directly associated with the systems for each upcoming year. The administrator shall apportion and assess one hundred percent (100%) of the expenses among the several operating CATV franchise holders located in this state in the proportion that the gross revenue of each CATV franchise shall bear to the gross revenues of all of the CATV franchises issued and operational; provided, however, that the sum so apportioned and assessed shall not exceed three percent (3%) of any individual CATV franchise holder’s gross revenues. The sum so apportioned and assessed shall be in addition to any taxes payable to the state under any other provision of law.
(b)
CATV franchise awardees that have received compliance-order certificates but have not received operational certificates shall be assessed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for any fiscal year in which they are franchised but not in operation.
(c)
The administrator shall apply any budgetary balance or shortfalls from the preceding annual assessment toward the next fiscal year assessment.
(d)
Upon collection from the several franchise holders operating in this state, assessments shall be deposited in the public utilities commission funding account as established pursuant to § 39-1-23. The moneys deposited in the public utilities commission funding account pursuant to this section shall be expended at the discretion of the administrator for meeting CATV related operations expenses of the division.
History of Section.
P.L. 1980, ch. 337, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 209, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 65, art. 42, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 44, art. 10, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 332, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 365, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 150, § 1; P.L. 2010, ch. 23, art. 12, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-11. - Right of cancellation.

§ 39-19-11. Right of cancellation.
Subscribers to cable television may terminate service at any time by requesting disconnection and returning all equipment to the CATV company.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 257, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-12. - Billing to subscribers.

§ 39-19-12. Billing to subscribers.
The cable television section of the division of public utilities and carriers shall conduct a study of the billing and termination practices of cable television companies throughout the New England region. This study shall focus on the practice of advance billing by cable television companies and positive or negative effects on subscribers associated with prohibiting the practice. The study shall also include the financial impact of a prohibition of advanced billing on cable television companies and their subscribers including any technical barriers to prohibiting advance billing. The division shall submit a report to the house corporations committee on or before October 30, 1993. All costs associated with this study shall be billed directly to cable television companies pursuant to § 39-19-9.
History of Section.
P.L. 1993, ch. 46, § 2.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-19 - Community Antenna Television Systems › Section 39-19-13. - Payment for services — Late charges.

§ 39-19-13. Payment for services — Late charges.
No subscriber to a cable television service shall be subject to an assessment of a late fee on a monthly billing unless the payment is at least forty-five (45) days past the close of the billing period that is the subject of the statement. A cable television operator shall not impose a late fee unless the bill contains a clear and conspicuous notice of when the late fee is to be imposed consistent with this section.
History of Section.
P.L. 1993, ch. 46, § 2.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-1. - Declaration of public necessity.

§ 39-20-1. Declaration of public necessity.
Since reliable and economic bulk electric power supply is essential to the safety, health, morals, and welfare of the state and to the sound growth of the communities therein, and in order to promote the general welfare and insure the future power needs of the inhabitants of this state, it is hereby declared to be in the public interest and for a public purpose:
(1)
That electric utilities operating in the New England states be permitted to participate together in the common ownership of electric-generating facilities that will contribute towards a reliable bulk power supply in New England, achieve increased reliability and economies of generation, and thereby promote lower overall cost of power within the state;
(2)
That such advantages can be obtained through joint planning, ownership, operation, and use, or any combination thereof, of electric-generating facilities within or without the state for the generation of electricity to be consumed within or without the state;
(3)
That domestic electric utilities be authorized and granted rights both within and without the state to participate in the ownership of electric-generating facilities; and
(4)
That foreign electric utilities be authorized and granted rights within this state to own or participate in the ownership of electric-generating facilities.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-2. - Definitions.

§ 39-20-2. Definitions.
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words shall have the following meanings:
(1)
“Commission” means the public utilities commission.
(2)
“Division” means the division of public utilities and carriers.
(3)
“Domestic electric utility” means an electric utility organized under the laws of, or having its principal place of business in, this state.
(4)
“Electric-generating facilities” means electric-generating units rated five hundred megawatts (500 MW) or above, and generating stations in commercial generation on or before January 1, 1990, that are subsequently altered or modified to increase the rating of these stations by at least two hundred megawatts (200 MW), and related facilities including those for the transmission of the capacity and related energy from these units or stations.
(5)
“Electric utility” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or entity, or subdivision thereof, private, governmental, or other, wherever resident or organized, primarily engaged in the generation and sale or purchase and sale of electricity, or the transmission thereof, for ultimate consumption by the public.
(6)
“Foreign electric utility” means any electric utility other than a domestic electric utility.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1; P.L. 1976, ch. 334, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 171, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-3. - Powers of domestic electric utilities.

§ 39-20-3. Powers of domestic electric utilities.
Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of any general or special law relating to the powers and authorities of domestic electric utilities or any limitation imposed by their charters (which are hereby amended), but subject to the provisions of this title and this chapter, a domestic electric utility shall have the following additional powers:
(1)
Jointly or separately to plan, finance, construct, purchase, operate, maintain, use, share costs of, own, mortgage, lease, sell, provide services for, dispose of, or otherwise participate in electric-generating facilities, or portions thereof, within or without the state, or the product or service therefrom, or securities issued in connection with the financing of electric-generating facilities or portions thereof;
(2)
To enter into and perform contracts for joint or separate planning, financing, construction, purchase, operation, maintenance, use, sharing costs of, ownership, mortgaging, leasing, sale, providing services for, disposal of, or other participation in electric-generating facilities, or portions thereof, within or without the state, or the product or service therefrom, or securities issued in connection with the financing of electric-generating facilities or portions thereof, including, without limitation, contracts for the payment of obligations imposed without regard to the operational status of a facility or facilities and contracts with domestic or foreign electric utilities for the sale or purchase of electricity from an electric-generating facility or facilities for long or short periods of time or for the life of a specific electric-generating unit or units; and
(3)
To enter into and perform contracts for the transmission both within or without the state of the capacity and related energy from a specifically identified electric-generating facility, wherever located, to its own retail service territory, or to any purchaser of such capacity and related energy; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a domestic electric utility to sell electricity at wholesale or retail within or without this state unless:
(i)
The sale is authorized under its charter or the general or special laws of this state other than this chapter; or
(ii)
The sale constitutes a sale of capacity and related energy from a specifically identified electric-generating facility or a sale of economy, backup, and other energy therefrom.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-4. - Powers of foreign electric utilities and nonregulated power producers.

§ 39-20-4. Powers of foreign electric utilities and nonregulated power producers.
(a)
Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 7-1.2-1401 and 7-1.2-1402, and any other provision of any general or special law relating to the rights of foreign corporations to transact business in this state and to produce a certificate of authority under chapter 1.2 of title 7 to transact business, limiting the powers, rights, and privileges of a foreign corporation procuring a certificate, and establishing the duties, restrictions, penalties, and liabilities imposed on a foreign corporation, but subject to the provisions of this chapter, a foreign electric utility:
(1)
Shall have the right to transact business in this state to the extent necessary or desirable to exercise the powers set forth in § 39-20-3 in connection with electric-generating facilities or portions thereof located within this state or the product or service therefrom or securities issued in connection with the financing of the facilities or portions thereof;
(2)
Shall be entitled to procure a certificate of authority under chapter 1.2 of title 7 to transact business; and
(3)
Shall have within this state the powers set forth in § 39-20-3 in connection with electric-generating facilities or portions thereof located within this state, or the product or service therefrom, or securities issued in connection with the financing of facilities or portions thereof.
(b)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a foreign electric utility to sell electricity at wholesale or retail within this state unless:
(1)
The sale is authorized under its charter or the general or special laws of this state other than by this chapter; or
(2)
The sale constitutes a sale of capacity and related energy from a specifically identified electric-generating facility within this state or a sale of economy, backup, or other energy therefrom. Nonregulated power producers shall not be subject to this subsection.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1; P.L. 1976, ch. 332, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 316, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 36, § 25; P.L. 2005, ch. 72, § 25.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-5. - Regulation of foreign electric utilities.

§ 39-20-5. Regulation of foreign electric utilities.
(a)
A foreign electric utility, in order to procure a certificate of authority to transact business in this state pursuant to this chapter, shall make application therefor to the secretary of state pursuant to the provisions of §§ 7-1.2-1405 and 7-1.2-1406 and shall be subject to §§ 7-1.2-1403 — 7-1.2-1418, 7-1.2-1501 and 7-1.2-1601 — 7-1.2-1604.
(b)
A foreign public utility that has received a certificate of authority to transact business in this state pursuant to this chapter:
(1)
Shall, before owning or operating an electric-generating facility in this state, notify the commission of the action to be taken by it;
(2)
Shall thereafter furnish to the commission annually a copy of the annual report filed by it with the utility regulatory agency of the state of its domicile or principal locus; and
(3)
Shall furnish to the commission, from time to time, such other information with respect to its activities in the state as the commission may reasonably request.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 36, § 25; P.L. 2005, ch. 72, § 25.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-6. - Joint ownership and waiver of the right of partition.

§ 39-20-6. Joint ownership and waiver of the right of partition.
If any domestic or foreign electric utility acquires or owns an interest as a tenant in common with one or more other domestic or foreign electric utilities in any electric-generating facility in this state, the surrender or waiver by any owner of the property of the right to partition the property for a period not exceeding the period for which the property is used or useful for electric utility purposes, shall not be invalid or unenforceable by reason of the length of the period, nor shall such surrender or waiver be construed as unduly restricting the alienation of the property.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-7. - Taxation.

§ 39-20-7. Taxation.
(a)
The interests of domestic electric utilities and foreign electric utilities in all electric-generating facilities located in this state shall be liable to taxation by the cities and towns under the provisions of chapters 3 — 5 of title 44. To the extent that the interests may be exempt from taxation because: (1) The interests are owned by a quasi-municipal corporation that is exempt by the provisions of its charter from taxation by the city or town assessing the tax; or (2) The interests are owned by an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or entity that is exempt from taxation by any general or special law, the owners shall make payments to the city or town in lieu of those taxes in the same amounts as the taxes that would have been assessed were they not exempt. The payments in lieu of taxes to be made under this section shall be treated in the same manner as taxes for purposes of all procedural and substantive provisions of law, including appeals, now and hereafter in effect applicable to the levy, assessment, collection, cancellation, and abatement of the taxes.
(b)
Legislative consent is hereby given to the application of the laws of other states with respect to taxation, payments in lieu of taxes, and the assessment thereof to any domestic electric utility that has acquired or has an interest in an electric-generating facility or a portion thereof without the state or is otherwise acting without the state pursuant to powers granted in this chapter.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 326, § 121.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-8. - Regulation of activities of domestic electric utilities without the state.

§ 39-20-8. Regulation of activities of domestic electric utilities without the state.
Legislative consent is hereby given to the application of regulatory and other laws of other states and of the United States to any domestic electric utility that has acquired or has an interest in an electric-generating facility or a portion thereof without the state or is otherwise acting without the state pursuant to authority granted in this chapter.
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers › Chapter 39-20 - Ownership of Electric-Generating Facilities › Section 39-20-9. - [Repealed.]

§ 39-20-9. [Repealed.]
History of Section.
P.L. 1975, ch. 215, § 1; Repealed by P.L. 1976, ch. 332, § 2.