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SB 3316

AN ACT REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Gordon Rogers and 1 co-sponsor

The bill requires a pre-notice for any floor motion at Scituate’s AFTM that changes an appropriation by $10,000+, including published notices and signatures.

06/24/2026 Effective without Governor's signature
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 3316

Summary of SB 3316 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill seeks to reform how motions that affect town appropriations are handled at Scituate’s Annual Financial Town Meeting (AFTM).
  • Specifically, it adds a pre-notice requirement for motions that propose increasing or reducing an appropriation by $10,000 or more, ensuring that such motions are announced with sufficient time and support before the meeting.

Key provisions and changes

  • Eligibility of motions at the AFTM:

    • If the town council has proposed and published appropriations that are in place by the fourth Thursday in April preceding the AFTM (held on the first Tuesday in June), then:
    • Any floor motion that would increase or decrease an appropriation by $10,000 or more must meet a notice requirement to be in order at the AFTM.
    • The notice must be filed with the town treasurer with signatures of at least ten (10) qualified Scituate electors no later than May 15 preceding the meeting.
    • The notice must be included in the publication required under Rhode Island law for town finances (publication under § 44-35-6).
    • If notice is properly given, amendments made at the AFTM to such a motion may be considered even if they reduce the amount from the original motion, as long as those amendments are for lesser amounts.

  • Procedural changes to the town meeting statute (Section 4, Chapter 1321 of the Public Laws of 1915):

    • Reaffirms the scheduling of the AFTM:
    • For 2023: first Tuesday after the first Monday in April at 7:00 PM.
    • From 2024 onward: first Tuesday in June at 7:00 PM.
    • Location: at a location determined by the town council (with potential invocation of alternate provisions under § 45-3-4).
    • The same $10,000 threshold and notice requirements apply to motions increasing or decreasing an appropriation.
    • Notice must be published as part of the required financial publication.

  • Referendum and local adoption process (Section 2):

    • The act itself, if enacted, will be put to a vote of Scituate electors at the November 3, 2026 general election.
    • The ballot question would ask whether the act titled “AN ACT REGARDING MOTIONS AT THE TOWN OF SCITUATE ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING” should be approved.
    • If districts are combined for the election, the Town Board of Canvassers will announce this, and the Town Clerk must keep the act available for public inspection.

  • Effective dates (Section 3):

    • Sections 2 and 3 (the referendum and related provisions) take effect upon passage.
    • The remainder of the act (the substantive procedural changes to the AFTM) takes effect only upon the Act’s approval by a majority of voters at the November 2026 election.

Who is affected

  • Town of Scituate residents and electors:
    • The rules governing motions at the AFTM and the annual budgeting process will be altered, affecting who can propose motions, how motions must be noticed, and how they are debated.
  • Town Treasurer and Town Clerk:
    • The treasurer must receive and verify notice petitions with required signatures; the clerk must maintain public access to the act and, if applicable, assist with publication and election-day procedures.
  • Town Council and local officials:
    • The council’s recommended appropriations will influence which motions are eligible for consideration at the AFTM, given the threshold and notice requirements.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • The bill applies to the AFTM held on the first Tuesday in June each year; for 2023 begun transitional language, and thereafter standardizes to June.
  • The notice deadline for motion petitions is May 15 prior to the AFTM.
  • The threshold for requiring notice is a proposed change of $10,000 or more to an appropriation.
  • The act’s overall changes hinge on voter approval at the November 3, 2026 election; Sections 2 and 3 become operative only if approved by a majority in that election. The substantive procedural changes (Sections 1 and related amendments) would take effect upon passage of the act, but the ultimate validity of the act rests on statewide voter approval.

Overall impact

  • The bill introduces a formal pre-notice requirement for substantial floor motions at Scituate’s AFTM, intended to increase transparency and allow affected residents to prepare.
  • It potentially narrows the scope of floor motions unless proper notice is provided, while preserving the possibility to amend motions downward at the meeting.
  • It couples a local procedural change with a statewide referendum to determine whether the act should take effect permanently.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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