Dear John,

I’m thrilled to report that this week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Rhode Island is set to receive nearly $27 million for affordable housing, community development, and assistance for those experiencing homelessness.

The funding includes $16,149,217 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $6,729,938 from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), $1,213,710 from the Recovery Housing Program (RHP), $1,421,391 in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and $1,477,595 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) program.

If you or a loved one needs housing assistance, more information is available from RI Housing. And, of course, you can always reach out to me and my staff via email at [email protected] or by calling 401-729-5600.

Updates from Washington, DC

Protecting Vulnerable Horizon World Users

This week, Congressman Ken Buck and I wrote to Meta about their Horizon Worlds app, a platform developed for the Meta Quest headset.

We are particularly concerned that Meta is considering opening the platform to users aged 13 to 17, given the company’s history of failing to protect youth on other, older services like Instagram, and the emerging problems Horizon Worlds raises.

You can read our full letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg here.

COAST Anti-Drilling Act

This week, I joined with Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Frank Pallone to introduce the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act. This legislation would help protect Rhode Island’s blue economy and our coastline by banning offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Filing Your 2022 Taxes

As of January 23, 2023, the IRS has started accepting and processing 2022 tax returns. You have until the April 18, 2023 deadline to either submit your 2022 tax return or request an extension.

Free File options through IRS.gov

Through IRS Free File, taxpayers can select and use commercial software to prepare and file their federal income taxes online if they earned $73,000 or less in 2022. For taxpayers who are comfortable completing their own tax forms, Free File Fillable Forms may be a good option. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Locator tool is available to help find organizations that provide free tax assistance for taxpayers with low incomes, the elderly and disabled, or people whose preferred language isn’t English. MilTax is a free tax resource from the Department of Defense available to the military community.

IRS tools and resources for the filing season

The IRS encourages taxpayers to use and bookmark tools and resources on IRS.gov, where tax information, support and account management tools are available 24/7.

• Online account — An online account lets taxpayers securely access their personal tax information, including return transcripts, payment history, certain notices, prior-year adjusted gross income and power of attorney information. They can also pay their balance online or apply for a payment plan.
• Interactive Tax Assistant — Based on the taxpayer’s input, this tool provides answers to tax law questions specific to the taxpayer’s circumstances and doesn’t require a login. The system keeps provided information anonymous and discards all information when a taxpayer is done. 
• Let Us Help You — This page provides support for common concerns, like how to understand and respond to a letter from the IRS, or how to amend a return. Taxpayers also can get help with identify theft or tax scam concerns, payment options, penalty issues and more. 
• Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers — This tool allows individuals and businesses to search for tax preparers in their area who hold professional credentials recognized by the IRS.
• Where’s My Refund? — Using this tool, taxpayers can check the status of their refund within 24 hours after the IRS receives their e-filed return or four weeks after mailing a paper return.
• Forms, Instructions and Publications — This is a library of IRS forms, instructions and publications on virtually any tax topic, many available in multiple languages and accessible formats.
• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers — Here, taxpayers can get plain language answers to the most frequently asked questions on a variety of topics.

Medicare Enrollment

There are two main ways to get your Medicare coverage – Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

If you did not sign up for Original Medicare when you were first eligible, and you don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, the next time you can enroll is during the Medicare General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 each year. You can only sign up for Part A and/or Part B during this period. You may have to pay a late enrollment period for Part A and/or Part B.

Click here for additional information about Medicare General Enrollment Period.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, January 1 to March 31 is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period during which you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan).

Click here for additional information about Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

In Rhode Island, you can access the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) by contacting the Point at (401) 462-4444 or visiting their website at oha.ri.gov/Medicare. There you can receive free, unbiased Medicare counseling year-round and during Medicare Open Enrollment.

Free COVID Tests Via the Postal Service

The Biden Administration announced yesterday that households can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests though the Postal Service this winter. You can order your tests at CovidTests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Help with Winter Heating and Utility Costs

As winter approaches, it’s predicted that we are going to see a higher-than-usual increase in home heating costs. To help keep these and other utility costs down, I want to share with you some resources and programs that are available through our federal, local, and state government.

• The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program: Heating Assistance and Crisis Assistance.
• The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps income-eligible households reduce heating bills by providing whole house energy efficiency services to households that qualify for LIHEAP. Some services available include installing insulation and providing health and safety measures including: installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, reducing drafts, and providing proper ventilation.
• The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), funded by the American Rescue Plan Act  and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, is available for eligible low-income households through September 30, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. LIHWAP helps eligible low-income households afford and maintain access to drinking water and wastewater services through federal grants. One-time payments are made directly to the household’s utility company.
• The Heating System Repair and Replacement Program (HSRRP) provides a one-time service to eligible homeowners to increase the efficiency of their heating system, or replace it if necessary. Households that qualify for LIHEAP may be eligible.

As always, if you need help navigating or accesses these resources, or have questions about other resources that may be available to you, my staff and I are here to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected]. 

Important Passport & Travel Reminder

As more Rhode Islanders and people around the world get vaccinated and boosted, we are seeing an increase in both domestic and international travel. With travel resuming, many folks are looking to renew passports and this uptick in requests has led to a backlog at the State Department. Turnaround time, according to the State Department, for expedited processing is now at 5-7 weeks and regular processing is taking 8-11 weeks from submission to receipt.

Before booking international travel, please remember to check the expiration date on your passport and plan accordingly. Passports last for 5 or 10 years, depending on your age when the passport was issued. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.

You can learn more from the State Department here.

As always, I am here to serve you. If there is anything I can do, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at [email protected].

Warm regards, 

David N. Cicilline
Member of Congress