House Passes Sheehan Bill to Set Standards for Quasi-Public Agencies

Rhode Island’s quasi-public agencies, such as the RI Airport Corporation, RI Resource Recovery Corporation, RIPTA, the RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority and more than a dozen more, perform essential government functions and provide essential services.

Equally important as the work they do is their accountability to the public, which is why on June 20, the Senate and on July 3, the House, voted to approve legislation sponsored by Sen. James C. Sheehan (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight, which requires the agencies to “carry out their government missions effectively, and exemplify a commitment to transparent, accountable and effective government

“These agencies are empowered to collect fees and generate revenue and to manage significant public resources, but the majority are exempt from many kinds of public oversight, such as executive and legislative budgetary review required of other state departments,” said Senator Sheehan. “These agencies need to be more transparent, not less, because while they operate independently, they would not exist but for their relationship with state government. Like all other state departments, they need to demonstrate a commitment to protecting the interests of Rhode Island taxpayers by achieving the highest standards of open, effective and ethical operations.”

Approved last Wednesday by the House was 2013-S 0609Aaa, “The Quasi-Public Corporations Accountability and Transparency Act.” The bill, which lists 15 agencies (and several agency subsidiaries) that would fall under its purview, codifies the role and responsibilities of the agency board members, establishes specific transparency requirements and calls for a performance audit every three years, beginning this year.

The legislation that he has introduced, said Senator Sheehan, “is a comprehensive set of regulations and guidelines that will apply to every quasi-public agency. Enactment of this bill will ensure that all of these agencies abide by the same set of standards for ethics and transparency and will guarantee that the work they are doing on the public’s behalf is open and accessible by the public.”

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III (D-Dist. 7, Providence, North Providence), Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton), Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, New Shoreham, South Kingstown) and Sen. Erin P. Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston).

A companion House bill, 2013-H 6258, has been introduced by Rep. Michael J. Marcello (D-Dist. 41, Scituate,Cranston) and is being held by the House Committee on Corporations for further study.