Governmental Affairs | Sinapi, Formisano & Company, Ltd.

Firm members have over 25 years of combined experience successfully providing governmental affairs services at the local, executive/administrative, and legislative levels. The Firm members practicing in the field of governmental affairs have both a proven track record and a recognized presence at the state and local levels. Firm members have monitored legislation and lobbied on a variety of matters for a wide range of clients, including successfully modifying, opposing, and/or supporting the passage of various ordinances, regulations and bills. In total, they have drafted and successfully lobbied for the passage of over 14 measures for their clients over the past 12 years, including two bills passed on behalf of clients in the 2011 legislative session alone.

Representative Clients and Activities

Rhode Island Associated General Contractors (RIAGC) (2007 to present) (monitored legislation and lobbied on a variety of matters including successfully modifying, opposing, and supporting the passage of various bills often in conjunction with the legislative agenda of BuildRI; in 2010, drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of modifications to the State Purchases Act to improve transparency; in 2011; drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of the Omnibus Fair Contracting Standards Act, which modified existing law to promote and improve prevailing wage contract enforcement).
New England Mechanical Contractors Association (NEMCA)(2004 to present) (monitored legislation and lobbied on a variety of matters including successfully modifying, opposing, and supporting the passage of various bills often in conjunction with the legislative agenda of BuildRI).
Harrisville Fire District (1988 to present) (monitored legislation and lobbied on variety of matters at various times; in 1999 drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of bill totally revising quasi-municipal corporate charter, which included the addition of broad powers of eminent domain and state and local tax exempt status; in 2011 successfully lobbied for modification of bill that had broad range of support which would have adversely impacted client revenue source).
Ironworkers, Local 37 (2011)(drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of amendment to existing law to exempt members from strict limitations under state drug testing law to improve competitiveness of signatory contractors employing local union members).
Rhode Island ACLU (2000-2003) (drafted and lobbied for passage of state strip search bill including compromise amendment to address limited but vocal opposition).
Rhode Island Association of Home Inspectors (2000) (co-drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of state home inspector licensing law; although the bill failed to be reported out of the House Corporations Committee in the previous session, a combination of skillful redrafting, compromise and intensive lobbying successfully neutralized all opposition resulting in unanimous approval of bill by House Corporations Committee. P.L. 2000 ch. 140 § 1).
Rhode Island Association of Master Plumbers (1986) (drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of amendment to master plumbers licensing act).
BuildRI (2000 to the present)
1. At the general assembly drafted, monitored and advocated for and against all legislation affecting client constituency during this time, and successfully lobbied for passage of the below legislation:
  - Modified existing statute to require contractors to submit certified payrolls on a monthly basis as opposed to a weekly basis and increased penalties for non-compliance. P.L. 2009 ch. 76 § 1.
  - Amended current law to require that any contractor receiving a public works project to adjust their wage rate on an annual basis as opposed to the term of their contract. P.L. 2007 ch. 521 ch. § 1.
  - Modified existing law to requiring contractors to post all rights and remedies an aggrieved an employee may have for nonpayment of wages on prevailing wage projects. P.L. 2005 ch.402 § 1.
  - Created a statutory private right of action to collect wages and benefits on a public works projects. P. L. 2004 ch. 597 § 1.
  - Amended existing law to require entities seeking tax incremental financing or assistance from the State Economic Development Corporation to document the number of jobs they would create from the assistance sought, their approximate wage rates, the projected impact on increased personal income taxes to the State, the extent to which their will be hiring opportunities for local workers, and several other related criteria. P.L. 2004 ch. 390 § 1 and ch. 275 § 1.
2. In Local Government:
  - This past September 8, 2011, we authored the First Source Commission Report for the City of Providence City Council that made findings and recommendations to improve the city's First Source Ordinance.
  - Modified the qualifications for entities doing business with the City of Providence to require any contractor doing business with the city to have an apprenticeship program for the construct trade they utilize on any city public works project. City of Providence Ord. 2010 ch. 2010-35.
3. At the National Level: In 2009 we persuaded NAVFAC MIDLANT (Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic) to require that apprenticeship be considered a "strength' when bidding for all construction projects at Naval Station Newport. This is the only Naval installation in the country where this has taken place.
Private education clients On behalf of multiple parents, expanded school districts obligations to provide special education services to all parentally placed children in private school who either have or develops an educational disability. P.L. 2008 ch. 166 § 1.
Rhode Island Association of Realtors Monitored legislation and lobbied on a variety of matters including successfully modifying, opposing, and supporting passage of various bills affecting the real estate industry from 1998-2000. Co-drafted and successfully lobbied for passage of state home inspector licensing law. P.L. 2000 ch. 140 § 1.