STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) is calling on Governor Raimondo to create a special commission to be run by the Rhode Island State Police with the purpose of restructuring the Department of Children, Youth and Families following several recent incidents involving the agency.

“As a retired police officer, I have dealt with DCYF many times in the past and unfortunately, recent reports of tragic and disturbing failures within DCYF are not surprising to me considering my past experiences with the agency. And, as we have seen in these recent headlines, too many children in state care are dying, too many are being hurt, and too many are being victimized. This is simply unacceptable and it points to deep systematic problems that have long been present in DCYF,” said Representative Canario.
Representative Canario is proposing that the governor call in the State Police to do a top-to-bottom review of the troubled agency through a special oversight commission. He believes that in order for the agency to protect the children in its care, long overdue institutional changes must be made rather than simply replacing those in charge of the agency, and this can only be done through the outside viewpoint of the State Police.
“I want to be clear too, my proposal for State Police intervention is in no way an indictment of the hard-working and dedicated front-line employees of DCYF. These employees are over-worked, over-whelmed, and are unable to adequately care for these children due to long-term structural deficiencies within DCYF. I urge Governor Raimondo to send in the State Police to clean up DCYF once and for all so that no more of the children in our care are hurt and killed anymore,” added Representative Canario.

STATE HOUSE – Two bills introduced by Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) have been signed into law by the governor. The bills relate to license plates benefiting the New England Patriots Charitable Fund and requiring comprehensive discharge plans for patients with mental health disorders.
The first bill (2017-H 5761A) makes combination vehicles eligible for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation registration plates.
“The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation does so much good work for so many worthy causes and I felt it was important to allow the widest amount of vehicles possible to be able to participate in this program,” said Representative Canario.
The second bill (2017-H 6306A) signed into law requires medical treatment facilities to provide discharge plans for patients with nonsubstance abuse related mental health disorders.
“As we as a society learn more about the importance of mental health, we must ensure that people who suffer from these diseases have the adequate and proper care they need to regain their health. This legislation will make sure that patients with mental health issues receive the best possible care for their conditions in the medically best way possible,” said Representative Canario.
According to the legislation, on or before September 1, 2017, each hospital and freestanding emergency care facility shall submit a discharge plan and transition process for patients with a primary diagnosis of a mental health disorder without a co-occurring substance use disorder.
On or before January 1, 2018, the director of the Department of Health, with the director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals, shall develop and disseminate mental health best practices standards for health care clinics, urgent care centers, and emergency diversion facilities regarding protocols for patient screening, transfer, and referral to clinically appropriate inpatient and outpatient services. The best practice standards shall include information and strategies to facilitate clinically appropriate prompt transfers and referrals from hospitals and freestanding emergency care facilities to less intensive settings.

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) and Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley’s (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket) legislation that relates to the classification of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids within the list of uniform controlled substances is headed to Governor Gina M. Raimondo’s desk for signature after passing the House of Representatives and the Senate tonight.
“Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are killing Rhode Islanders at an alarming rate, and we must codify in law how devastating and deadly these new substances are that are flooding into our borders,” said Representative Canario.
“The fentanyl epidemic is getting more serious by the day, and too many people are dying due to fentanyl infecting Rhode Island’s illicit drug supply. This troubling phenomenon is fairly new, and that is why we must amend the Uniform Controlled Substances Act to include fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as the dangerous and deadly substances that they are,” said Senator Crowley.
The bill (2017-H 5738 / 2017-S 0812) includes fentanyl analogs and synthetic opioids into Schedule I and Schedule II of the list of uniform controlled substances. Cosponsors of the legislation are Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth), Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), Rep. Raymond H. Johnston, Jr. (D-Dist. 61, Pawtucket), Rep. Jeremiah T. O’Grady (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln), Pawtucket, Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham) and Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence).

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) has introduced legislation (2017-H 6050) that would exempt the elderly and disabled people who cannot operate a vehicle from paying for state-issued identification cards.
“This legislation is needed because for many in our elderly and disabled communities, if they are not active drivers then they do not possess an official ID card. And for many of these people, they are already living on fixed-incomes and the price of a new ID card is too much for some, yet, so many programs in our society require an official ID, such as voting, so these people are left in a quite a predicament,” said Representative Canario. “Waiving the fees for these people is a small price to pay to ensure that our elderly and disabled friends and neighbors can continue to interact in our society.”
The act would apply to people over the age of 59 or people who are disabled and unable to drive from being charged a fee for identification cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would only apply to people with no valid operator’s license or people who surrender their license due to an inability to drive.
The cosponsors of the legislation are Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth), Rep. Charlene M. Lima (D-Dist. 14, Cranston, Providence), Rep. Robert A. Nardolillo III (R-Dist. 28, Coventry), and Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick). 
The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Finance.

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) is pleased to announce that the Rhode Island State House will be participating in the “Good Night Lights” program this Wednesday night through Friday night. The program involves businesses, buildings, and groups within the sightline of Hasbro Children’s Hospital whom blink their lights on and off for one minute at 8:30 p.m. every night. Often, blinking room lights can be seen in the hospital as reciprocation to the nightly ritual.
“This is truly a heartwarming gesture that so many have become involved in over the past year and I would like to thank Governor Raimondo and her administration for allowing the State House to hopefully brighten the spirits of the children in Hasbro,” said Representative Canario. 
Representative Canario had written to Governor Raimondo and the Department of Administration about the possibility of the State House joining the other buildings, businesses, and groups who are in view of Hasbro Children’s Hospital and participate in the nightly gesture to the children residing in the hospital. The Department of Administration informed Representative Canario that the State House will be flashing its lights at the children in the hospital for three nights starting tomorrow, April 12.

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) has introduced legislation (2017-H 5551) that would create a 15-member special legislative commission to study the effects of legalizing recreational marijuana in Rhode Island.

“The potential effects of legalizing recreational marijuana in Rhode Island would have drastic impacts to the fabric of our state and this commission is necessary to determine if those effects would come with positive or negative outcomes,” said Representative Canario. “There is too much at stake from both a financial and a public health standpoint to rush into legalization because Massachusetts has elected to do so. This commission will take a thoughtful and data-driven approach to determine if legalizing marijuana is the right move for Rhode Island.”
The commission would consist of three members of the House of Representatives, three members of the Senate, one member from Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the President of the Substance Use Mental Health Council of RI or a designee, a member from a pro-legalization organization, the Executive Director of the RI Medical Society or a designee, a member of a local chamber of commerce, the Director of the Department of Health or a designee, the President of the RI Police Chief’s Association or a designee, a designee of the RI Attorney General, and a member representing the medical marijuana patients of Rhode Island.
The purpose of the commission would be to conduct a comprehensive review and make recommendations regarding marijuana and the effects of its use on the residents of Colorado and Washington to the extent available, and to study the fiscal impact to those states; and thereafter the potential impact on Rhode Island of legalized recreational marijuana.

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) has introduced legislation (2017-H 5213) that would prohibit the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) from placing, through the courts, an abused or neglected child with either the child’s paternal or maternal grandparents without interviewing and investigating both sides of the child’s family.
“First and foremost, this bill’s intent is to protect our state’s children who are in dangerous situations. The act will ensure that if an abused child is in need of placement, the family member who is given custody of the child is the best possible person or persons who can protect and provide for the child the most,” said Representative Canario.
The act would exclude recommendations of DCYF regarding the placement of an abused or neglected child with other family members unless the recommendation is based on the investigation of both the paternal and maternal branches of the child’s family.
“There has been too many instances where DCYF has arbitrarily placed abused children with a family member without investigating other possible guardians as well, and in the most horrific instances, the child was in worse danger than before the placement,” said Representative Canario. “The state’s abused and neglected children have already been through too many terrible and traumatic experiences and we owe it to them to place them in the safest and most stable environments possible and that can only happen if thorough investigations into the child’s entire extended family takes place.”

STATE HOUSE – Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Little Compton, Tiverton) was appointed to the position of Deputy Majority Leader yesterday by House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello (D-Dist. 15, Cranston). Representative Canario was also appointed as the First Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare and he was appointed to the House Committee on Judiciary and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. 
“I am truly honored to have been appointed as Deputy Majority Leader and I thank Speaker Mattiello and the rest of my colleagues for their vote of confidence to join the House leadership team,” said Representative Canario. “I am also eager to begin working on solving the problems all Rhode Islanders face every day within the committee setting. Our state faces some tough issues and I pledge to always work for the best interests of my constituents, and all of Rhode Island, on the committees I have been appointed to.”
The Judiciary Committee considers all bills affecting the penal code, judicial system, ethics, open meetings, access to public records and election laws. The Health, Education and Welfare Committee deliberates matters relating to the health care system, public education, human services and children and families. The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs handles all legislation impacting the lives of Rhode Island veterans and those currently in military service.