Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 5-32 - Electrolysis and Laser Hair Removal

• Actuary: means the actuary selected from time to time and employed by the board in accordance with chapter 8 of this title. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.2-3
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Any person within his or her family: means a spouse and any dependent children of any public official or public employee as well as a person who is related to any public official or public employee, whether by blood, adoption or marriage, as any of the following: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, halfbrother or halfsister;

  (2)  "Business" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation, holding company, joint stock company, receivership, trust, or any other entity recognized in law through which business for profit or not for profit is conducted;

  (3)  "Business associate" means a person joined together with another person to achieve a common financial objective;

  (4)  "Employees of state and local government, of boards, commissions and agencies" means any full time or part time employees in the classified, nonclassified and unclassified service of the state or of any city or town within the state, any individuals serving in any appointed state or municipal position, and any employees of any public or quasi-public state or municipal board, commission, or corporation;

  (5)  "Governmental function" means any action that is public in nature and is performed for the common good of all the people;

  (6)  "Open and public process" means the open solicitation for bids or proposals from the general public by public announcement or public advertising followed by a public disclosure of all bids or proposals considered and contracts awarded;

  (7)  "Person" means an individual or a business entity;

  (8)(i)  "State agency" means any department, division, agency, commission, board, office, bureau, authority, or quasi-public authority within Rhode Island, either branch of the Rhode Island general assembly, or an agency or committee thereof, the judiciary, or any other agency that is in any branch of Rhode Island state government and which exercises governmental functions other than in an advisory nature;

  (ii)  "Municipal agency" means any department, division, agency, commission, board, office, bureau, authority, quasi-public authority, or school, fire or water district within Rhode Island other than a state agency and any other agency that is in any branch of municipal government and exercises governmental functions other than in an advisory nature;

  (9)  "State or municipal appointed official" means any officer or member of a state or municipal agency as defined herein who is appointed for a term of office specified by the constitution or a statute of this state or a charter or ordinance of any city or town or who is appointed by or through the governing body or highest official of state or municipal government;

  (10)  "State or municipal elected official" means any person holding any elective public office pursuant to a general or special election;

  (11)  A person's natural child, adopted child, or stepchild is his or her "dependent child" during a calendar year if the person provides over fifty percent (50%) of the child's support during the year;

  (12)  A person "represents" him or herself before a state or municipal agency if he or she participates in the presentation of evidence or arguments before that agency for the purpose of influencing the judgment of the agency in his or her own favor;

  (13)  A person "represents" another person before a state or municipal agency if he or she is authorized by that other person to act, and does in fact act, as that other person's attorney at law or his or her attorney in fact in the presentation of evidence or arguments before that agency for the purpose of influencing the judgment of the agency in favor of that other person. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-14-2

• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• board: shall mean the retirement board of the Employees Retirement System of Rhode Island as defined in chapter 8 of this title. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• board: means the retirement board of the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Rhode Island as defined in chapter 8 of this title. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.2-3
• Casual employees: shall mean those persons hired for an occasional period to perform special jobs or functions not necessarily related to the work performed by the regular employees in the collective bargaining unit. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-11-1.1
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• commission: means the state investment commission as defined in § 35-10-1. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Compensation: means compensation as defined in § 36-8-1(8). See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Cross examine: Questioning of a witness by the attorney for the other side.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Electrologist: means a person who is licensed by the department of health to perform electrolysis and/or laser hair removal. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Electrolysis: means the method of removing hair from the human body by the application of an electrical current or any form of energy to the hair-papilla or hair germination by means of a needle or any other instrument or device to cause decomposition, coagulation, dehydration, or other form of tissue destruction, to permanently disable the hair follicle from producing hair. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Employee: means an employee as defined in §§ 36-8-1(9) and 45-21-2(7) and a teacher as defined in § 16-16-1(12), effective July 1, 2012; provided however, effective July 1, 2015, "employee" shall not include any employee with twenty (20) or more years of total service as of June 30, 2012, in the employees retirement system under chapters 8 through 10 of title 36 or chapter 16 of Title 16 (ERS), or the municipal employees retirement system under chapter 21 of Title 45 (MERS). See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Employer: means the State of Rhode Island or the local municipality which employs a member of the Employees Retirement System under chapters 8 through 10 of title 36 or chapter 16 of Title 16 (ERS) or the Municipal Employees Retirement System under chapters 21 and 21. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Funded percentage: means the percentage equal to a fraction- the numerator of which is the actuarial value of the plan's assets, as determined by the actuary, and the denominator of which is the accrued liability of the plan, determined by the actuary using actuarial assumptions approved by the board. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.2-3
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Laser: means the acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Laser hair removal: means using laser light to perform hair removal or reduction or electrolysis performed with laser light. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Laser light: means an intense, coherent, directional beam of light produced by stimulated emission of photons. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• magistrate: may be construed to mean a justice, or a clerk acting as a justice, of a district court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Major decision-making position: means the executive or administrative head or heads of a state agency, whether elected or appointed or serving as an employee and all members of the judiciary, both state and municipal. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-14-2
• Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
• Medical director: means a Rhode Island licensed physician. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-32-1
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Plan: means the retirement plan established by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• plans: means any plan or plans that are part of the following public retirement systems: the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERS); the Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (MERS); the Rhode Island State Police Retirement Benefits Trust (SPRBT); and the Rhode Island Judicial Retirement Benefits Trust (JRBT). See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.2-3
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• public safety member: shall mean a member of MERS who is a municipal fire fighter or a municipal policeman or policewoman as defined in Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Regular member: means :

  (i)  An employee who is a member of ERS other than correctional officers as defined in Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1

• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• seal: shall be construed to include an impression of the seal made with or without the use of wax or wafer on the paper. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-15
• Seasonal employees: shall mean those persons employed in positions which are part of an annual job employment program. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-11-1.1
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Supplemental employer: includes any employer that provides supplemental contributions to the defined contribution retirement plan as provided in Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.3-1
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• town council: include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8