Tag Archives for COLAs

When the dust settles. Looking back at 2024’s legislative days

Published in RINewsToday on June 24, 2024

Over a week ago, after being in session for 49 legislative days (opening day was Jan. 2, 2024), the Rhode Island General Assembly held its final session at 4pm on June 13, 2024, and ended at about 1:30am on June 14, 2024. During this year’s legislative session 1,167 bills and resolutions were introduced in the Senate, and 1,369 in the House. This total does not include Resolutions, which were  congratulatory in nature or noted prominent Rhode Island residents who have passed away.

With the dust settling at the end of this year’s session, there were 249 bills that passed both the House and Senate, and that are now sitting on Gov. Dan McKee’s desk for his signature to enact, or to pass without signature, or to be rejected.

“This was an outstanding legislative year for Rhode Island’s seniors,” observes House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick). “In addition to all the investments for seniors made in the state budget that has been signed by Governor McKee, there were excellent bills that will be of great benefit to our aging population, he says. 

Attacking the housing crisis head on

In a joint statement, the House Speaker and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said, “It is critical to attack our housing crisis from many different angles. Allowing ADUs in other states has been proven to make a significant impact by immediately increasing available housing supply.  We are confident that ADUs will be beneficial for the many Rhode Islanders who need flexibility in housing options, particularly seniors wishing to age in place in their communities,” they say.

Shekarchi points out the enactment of ADU legislation sponsored by House Commission on Housing Affordability Chairwoman June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren Bristol) and Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingston) that would boost the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are also known as in-law apartments. The House Speaker is the House bill’s top co-sponsor.

“I have heard from so many seniors who would like to downsize and continue to live independently, but would enjoy the extra assurance of living on the property of their children,” he noted, thanking AARP Rhode Island and housing advocates, including Rhode Island Housing, Grow Smart RI and Housing Network RI, who pushed this “significant legislation” across the finish line. 

The bills (2024-H 7062A, 2024-S 2998A) would provide homeowners statewide the right to develop a single ADU on an owner-occupied property or within the existing footprint of their structures or on any lot larger than 20,000 square feet, provided that the ADU’s design satisfies building code, size limits and infrastructure requirements.

The purpose of the bill is to encourage the development of rental units that are likely to be more affordable than many other apartments, and also to provide opportunities for homeowners with extra space to generate income that helps them maintain ownership of that property.

To ensure that the bill achieves its goal of housing Rhode Islanders, the legislation prohibits ADUs constructed under this provision from being used as short-term rentals, and streamlines the permitting process.

In the HEALTH arena

According to Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, several legislative proposals in the Senate’s health care package passed the General Assembly.

“Few issues are as important as health care, and right now, our health care system is in critical condition. Health care absolutely must be accessible and affordable for all Rhode Islanders,” says Ruggerio, noting that for too many people in the Ocean State is too expensive or too difficult to get. “And we know that many health care providers are feeling enormous strain due to many factors,” he adds.

“Like providers and consumers, our community hospitals, including Fatima in my district, are facing difficult circumstances,” said the Senate President, who recognized his Senate colleagues in the development of this package of legislation.

“As we celebrate our victories in the 2024 session, we are committed to continuing our work on this issue and accomplishing all the objectives of the HEALTH initiative. “

According to Ruggerio, several legislative proposals in the Senate leadership’s HEALTH (Holistic Enhancement and Access Legislation for Total Health) initiative include legislative proposals to join five interstate licensing compacts to make it easier for Rhode Islanders to access the care they need and budget provisions to use $1 million of general revenue to purchase debts of struggling Rhode Islanders and incentivize providers to enter primary care fields.

Advocates on aging give their recap of the 2024 Legislative Session

“The Senior Agenda Coalition of RI supported several housing-related bills (that did not pass) that would benefit older adults including those sponsored by Rep. Meghan Cotter (D-Dist. 39, Exeter, Richmond, and Hopkinton)  and Sen. Linda Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol) to increase the income cap for the Property Tax Relief program to $50,000 and the credit or refund to $850 to help offset the cost, of property taxes and rents for older adults and persons with disabilities,” says Maureen Maigret, Policy Advisor for the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI), noting the Coalition plan to continue to advocate for them next year.

Maigret warned that with a growing older population the need for more accessible housing will increase and the Coalition supported and will continue to support bills to create greater accessibility in new housing.  

Maigret stated that SACRI will also continue to support legislation to create a caregiver tax credit as provided for in 2024 legislation sponsored this year by Rep. Susan Donovan and Sen. Linda Ujifusa. “Our caregivers are valued and deserve our support. A caregiver tax credit will help the many R.I. family caregivers who provide thousands of hours of care for spouses and parents often spending thousands of dollars of their own money to give their loved ones a better, more comfortable life,” she says.

She noted that SACRI also plans to build on its efforts to further expand the Medicare Savings Program to help more lower-income persons on Medicare afford needed healthcare by covering required co-pays and deductibles and to continue its work to promote quality long term care through support for staffing standards, worker training programs and Medicaid enhanced reimbursement for private rooms to help with infection control issues that became so apparent during the Covid pandemic.

SACRI will also push next legislative session to enact legislation to establish a formula for state funding to support local senior centers and programs based on a community’s population of those 65 years and over.  

Raise the Bar on Resident Care and other advocates successfully pushed the passage of H 7733 and S 2621 legislation sponsored by Rep. Scott Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence) and Sen. Bridget Valverde (D-Dist. 35, (East Greenwich, North Kingstown, South Kingstown) that would establish the Nursing Home Work Standards Board (NWSB). According to Raise the Bar, NWSB will help stabilize the nursing home system by establishing training standards, promoting caregiver rights, depoliticizing funding allocations and implementing financial oversight of nursing homes.  A 13-member board (including frontline staff, nursing home management representatives, state government and community organizations will work with Medicaid to ensure comprehensive and informed decision-making.

“In 2023, Minnesota passed its own Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board and just voted to raise wages for caregivers to over $23 an hour in 2027 while guaranteeing 11 paid holidays. Here in Rhode Island, the Workforce Standards Board is a critical step toward transforming nursing home jobs into sustainable careers that can support a family and provide quality resident care. Now we need Governor McKee to show his support and sign this bill into law,” said Jesse Martin, Executive Vice President of SEIU 1199 New England, member of Raise the Bar on Resident Care.

Raise the Bar also advocated for the passage of the Financial Transparency Act (S 2604 | H 8204) but ultimately pulled the bill in order to re-adjust some of its language. This legislative proposal, S 2604, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist.13, Newport, Jamestown) and its companion measure, H 8204, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Dawson (D-Dist.65, East Providence) would require nursing homes to provide annual, audited financial statements that include detailed income, expenses, and cash flow, alongside transparent ownership information to prevent for-profit owners from misusing Medicaid and Medicare dollars. “We look forward to advocating for its passage in next year’s legislative session to ensure all for-profit nursing homeowners are held accountable to investing public dollars appropriately in direct care,” continued Jesse Martin. 

Advocates for Better Care in Rhode Island, a grassroots community organization founded to advocate for the rights and interests of residents of long-term care facilities in RI, celebrates the passage of S. 2263. The Long-Term Care Residents Rights Camera Bill, notes Director Kathleen Gerard. 

“The legislation gives residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities and their legal representatives the right to install a monitoring device in their room provided all residents in the room consent. The consent can be withdrawn at any time, and a variety of safeguards exist to protect resident privacy,” says Gerard.

The legislation, S 2263 A, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown, who chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary and H 7969 A, sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Jason Knight (D-Dist. 67, Barrington and Warren) has been signed by the governor and will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.  

According to Gerard, the legislation was first introduced in this form in 2021, but the care staffing crisis and massive 138% increase in serious deficiencies cited in RI long-term care facilities since 2022 made it even more urgent to finally pass it this year.

“Speaker Shekarchi worked tirelessly to reach a compromise that was acceptable to the various parties supporting and opposing the bill, and long-term care residents will consequently soon be able to have their care and condition monitored remotely by loved ones and care-partners, resulting in more peace of mind for everyone,” she says. 

“A legislative proposal we backed this year and that we hope to see enacted next year was introduced by the Rhode Island Department of Health.  The legislation, (S 2818 sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence and H. 7819 sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman), would improve financial transparency in nursing home ownership and prevent the rapid extraction of equity from facilities that we see with many private equity firms, real estate investment trusts, and investor groups,” says Gerard.

Next legislative session, Gerard says Advocates for Better Care in Rhode Island will also continue to advocate for legislation requiring assisted living facilities to support family councils.   This requirement already applies to nursing homes, she notes.

“We’ve Only Just Begun, says Sandra Paquette, representing Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform, a non-profit representing 4,700 retirees. “Our group numbers continue to increase, along with our determination and commitment, to fight for the justice which was so unnecessarily and ruthlessly taken away,” she says. .

According to Paquette, there were legislative proposals pertaining to current and future state and teaching retirees, which did not reach the floor of the House or Senate. One legislative proposal applied to those active employees whose retirement is based upon an arbitrary “rule of 95”. This translates into a calculation where the years of service and the age of those wishing to retire must add up to 95. The law would have changed this total to 90. Another one for which we strongly advocated, and for which we provided thousands of letters, verbal testimony and volunteer lobbying sessions was Pat Serpa’s (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry and Warwick), H-8193, would have restored a compounded Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to all current and future retirees, and would have been enacted as of July of this year.

“Our goals for next year will remain— to advocate through testimony, letters, media and lobbying–for the passage of the two bills which will provide the now essential support to the victims of the 2011 Rhode Island Retirement Security Act,” says Paquette.

And here are specifics about other bills that impact seniors:

Rally round Martin O’Malley for Social Security Administration Commissioner

Published in RINewsToday on August 7, 2023

Just weeks ago, President Joe Biden nominated former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Social Security Commissioner, to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA) in delivering benefits to 67 million Americans per month, totaling over 1 trillion dollars in benefits paid during the year. With the SSA Trust Fund running out of money in 2033 if changes are not made to financially shore up the program, O’Malley will be a key player in the fierce partisan battle on Capitol Hill to address the SSA’s solvency.   

In a tweet with over 91,000 views after his nomination, O’Malley said: “Humbled and honored to be chosen by @POTUS to lead @Social Security into the future. President Biden believes Social Security is a sacred promise.  I look forward to earning the Senate’s approval and serving with the hardworking patriots of the U.S. Social Security Administration.” 

After firing Andrew Saul in July 2021, a hold-over from President Trump’s administration who refused to resign, Biden had named Kilolo Kijakazi, who served as SSA’s deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, as Acting SSA Commissioner.  Over her tenure, Kijakazi oversaw the Baltimore, Maryland based independent agency’s efforts to maintain customer service amid the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the closure of SSA field offices throughout the nation. With the agency’s staffing levels at a 25-year low, along with using outdated technology, customer service plummeted because of long waits for phones in-person service.

Now O’Malley is headed to replaces Kijakazi as Social Security Commissioner. If confirmed by the Senate, he will serve a six-year appointed term.  O’Malley will be directly responsible for all programs administered by SSA; for state-administered programs directed by SSA; and for certain functions with respect to the black lung benefits program.

Lots of experience under O’Malley’s belt

O’Malley’s background as two-term Mayor of Baltimore and two-term Governor of Maryland, where he adopted data and performance-driven and customer service technologies to tackle complex challenges, will be helpful as he grapples with how to manage an understaffed and underfunded agency that has reduced SSA’s ability to determine in a timely fashion eligibility of persons seeking retirement, survivor, and disability benefits, and updating benefits promptly when circumstances change.  He has written extensively about how to govern for better results by measuring the outputs of government on a real-time basis.  

During his time as mayor, O’Malley’s policies helped achieve the greatest crime reduction of America’s largest cities. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served as a member of the Baltimore City Council, and Assistant States Attorney for the City of Baltimore before that.

According to the Georgetown University’s Institute for Politics and Public Service, O’Malley was called the best manager in government by Washington Monthly magazine.  “Under his leadership Maryland achieved nation-leading progress: Best public schools in America for an unprecedented five years in a row (Education Week); one of the top states in the nation for holding down the cost of college tuition (College Board); and #1 in innovation and entrepreneurship for three years running (U.S. Chamber of Commerce).” 

In 2016, O’Malley ran for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States. He dropped out of the race in the winter of 2016 after placing third in the Iowa caucus. He also served two terms as chair of the Democratic Governors Association and was appointed to the nation’s first-ever Council of Governors by President Obama in 2010.

O’Malley received his bachelor’s degree from Catholic University and his law degree from the University of Maryland. Since 2016, he has lectured on public administration at numerous universities and institutions, including the University of Maryland, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and Boston College School of Law.

He and his wife, Katie, a District Court judge, have two daughters, Grace and Tara, and two sons, William and Jack.

Calls for O’Malley’s Senate Confirmation

On July 26, Democratic lawmakers and social security advocates were quick to issue statements of support, strongly endorsing and celebrating O’Malley’s nomination to be SSA Commission.  Here is a listing of a few of these endorsements:

Oregon Senator, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden: “Social Security needs a confirmed commissioner in order to ensure Americans are receiving the best service possible for their earned Social Security benefits. Governor O’Malley is a proven leader with experience running a large organization that millions of families count on. I look forward to moving this nomination through the Finance Committee as soon as possible.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-statement-on-omalley-nomination-to-lead-social-security

Connecticut Congressman John Larson: “I applaud President Biden for nominating a champion for Social Security, Martin O’Malley, to lead the Social Security Administration and move it forward to better serve current and future beneficiaries. Governor O’Malley has long supported protecting and expanding Social Security. He knows just how important this program is to our seniors and that the modest payments they live on are simply not enough. I look forward to working alongside him as we work to ensure SSA has the resources it needs to serve our most vulnerable Americans for decades to come.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-biden-nomination-martin-omalley-commissioner-social

Nancy Altman, President, Social Security Works: “Social Security Works and I, personally, applaud the nomination of Governor O’Malley, a longtime Social Security champion. We will do all we can to ensure his swift confirmation.  We look forward to working with him, once confirmed, to secure more funding for SSA as the president requested and higher benefits, with no cuts, as he, President Biden, and indeed the Democratic Party, through its 2020 platform, have called for.” [Statement, 7/26/23 – https://socialsecurityworks.org/2023/07/26/martin-omalley-will-fight-for-social-security/

Max Richtman, President and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: “We commend President Biden for nominating former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley as Social Security Commissioner. It has been more than 20 years since the Senate has confirmed a permanent commissioner nominated by a Democratic president, and it is way past time for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to have one. As a confirmed commissioner, Martin O’Malley will be able to advocate effectively for SSA, which has been chronically underfunded and has struggled to provide adequate customer service. 

As a presidential candidate in 2016, Governor O’Malley championed the expansion of Social Security. He proposed boosting benefits and adopting a more generous (the CPI-E) for calculating COLAs — while adjusting the payroll wage cap so that the wealthy pay their fair share.  He insisted that ‘it is our responsibility to ensure that Americans who put in a lifetime of hard work are able to retire with the dignity they deserve.’ American workers’ payroll taxes largely fund the SSA.  They have every right to expect the agency that administers their benefits to be fully funded — with a permanent commissioner at the helm. The Senate should confirm Governor O’Malley in a timely manner when it returns from August recess.”

Richard Fiesta, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans: “Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans are pleased that President Biden has nominated former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to be the next Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner. The SSA needs a strong Commissioner now more than ever. With 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the workload increases every day, and the budget has been woefully inadequate to meet the needs of seniors, people with disabilities and all-American families. Gov. O’Malley has a proven track record and the experience to navigate these challenges and ensure that Americans are able to get the benefits they have earned. American workers have earned their Social Security benefits, paying into the system with every paycheck. They deserve world class service from a fully staffed workforce equipped with the best tools and technology available. The Alliance for Retired Americans is confident that under Governor O’Malley’s leadership SSA will deliver. There is no time to waste. We urge the Senate to confirm Gov. O’Malley without delay.”

As SSA’s Commissioner, O’Malley will become the point person for Biden to push for an increase in the agency’s administrative expenses to improve computer technology, open field offices across the nation to improve the agency’s customer service by reducing backlog and wait-time on phone to its 67 million beneficiaries. (https://retiredamericans.org/retirees-praise-biden-nomination-of-martin-omalley-to-be-social-security-commissioner/)

Final thoughts…

Like Biden, O’Malley calls for defending the Social Security program against Republican attack, supporting the expansion of Social Security benefits, and raising SSA taxes on higher income beneficiaries. With Senate Republicans opposing these policies and a razor-thin Democratic majority in the upper chamber, expect O’Malley’s nomination to squeak by in being confirmed.  After the Senate returns from its month-long August recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) must quickly move to schedule a vote on O’Malley’s nomination.  SSA now needs its top leader in place to begin working to fix SSA’s ongoing issues of financial solvency and customer service issues.

For more details about O’Malley, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_O%27Malley.

Path to an “age-friendlier” budget

Published in RINewsToday on June 5, 2023

After a 47:10 minute meeting on Friday night, the House Finance Committee approved a $14 billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year that commits funding toward addressing the housing crisis (top priority), supports business development and makes education funding more equitable while limiting the use of one-time revenue to one-time expenditures. 

The passed budget reflects the May revenue estimate that was $61.2 million lower than projected last November. 

On June 2, 2023, the budget passed on a partisan vote of 13-3, sending the budget bill (2023-H 5200A) to the full House of Representatives, which is slated to take it up June 9 at 2:30 p.m. Changes could be made.

Hammering Out a Compromised Budget 

At a news conference held on Friday at 3:30 p.m. before the vote, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi  (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) compared the politics of hammering out the state budget proposal to Democratic and GOP leadership making a deal to avoid a national default earlier this week.  “Nobody, including me and everyone else here, got everything they wanted,” he said, noting that the state budget required “compromise.”  

“Our goal with this budget is to support Rhode Islanders’ needs while responsibly preparing for our future. Our top priority, of course, is addressing our housing crisis, and we have worked hard, in collaboration with Governor McKee and our colleagues in the Senate, to identify the most effective ways we can direct the funding we have toward solutions that will help create more affordable housing access. This budget also strengthens our efforts to provide educational opportunities in K-12 and higher education and supports businesses, working Rhode Islanders, retirees and those struggling to meet their families’ basic needs,” said Shekarchi, in a statement announcing the House Finance Committee’s passage of the budget.

“At the same time, we are being realistic. Given the end of the federal funding related to the pandemic, we need to plan not only for next year, but for the following years, when we are not going to have the level of revenue we’ve been fortunate enough to have for the past few years. We are spending our remaining federal COVID funding and our available revenue on one-time investments rather than creating long-term commitments that we can’t sustain,” he said.  

Adds Marvin L. Abney (D-Dist. 73, Newport, Middletown), chairman of the House Finance Committee: “This budget was carefully crafted so that our residents, particularly our most vulnerable, retain the supports and assistance that they and their families need, so that our businesses have the ability and opportunity to grow, and so that Rhode Island is situated to withstand a very possible financial downtown that will affect both our state and national economies.  Responsible, compassionate and thoughtful decisions were made to create a budget that will benefit all Rhode Islanders and this budget positions the state to be as competitive as possible into the future.”

Taking a Look at Aging Programs and Services 

“I am extremely pleased the budget passed by the House Finance Committee contains important funding that will benefit seniors as well as older adults with disabilities,” says Maureen Maigret, chair of the Aging in Community Subcommittee of Rhode Island’s Long-Term Care Coordinating Council and policy consultant and board member of the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI. “The Office of Healthy Aging (OHA) will receive an additional $250,000 in general revenue for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). The ADRC provides counseling about services and benefits and assistance with the application process.  Advocating to strengthen the ADRC (called the POINT) was a high priority for the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI and the Aging in Community Subcommittee of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council,” says Maigret.

According to Maigret, this is the first time that ADRC will receive state funds. To date, it has operated with limited federal dollars and too many persons are not aware of the program. The state funding can be matched by federal Medicaid funds. “ADRC services are critically important for older adults, persons with disabilities and family caregivers, as they attempt to find appropriate services and navigate a sometimes-fragmented system of care, says Maigret.

Maigret says that the budget also adds funds to support two new staff positions for OHA’s protective services unit to deal with increasing reports of elder abuse and exploitation. OHA’s Adult Protective Services received over 6,000 calls last year. The additional funding for these positions will ensure that reports are investigated in a timely manner and protect older adults at risk of abuse and neglect. 

Other notable additions to the budget include an increase in the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) for nursing home residents on Medicaid to $75/month (from $50.) This amount had not been adjusted since 1999, says Maigret noting that the additional funding will help thousands of nursing home residents pay for such items as haircuts, clothing and, telephone service.

“The House Finance Committee also added $250,000 to increase funding for the Livable Home Modification grant program to $0.8 million,” says Maigret, noting that the program helps pay for costs of support home modifications and accessibility enhancements to allow individuals to remain in community settings. And of course, the funds dedicated to addressing housing affordability although not specific to the older population will benefit them,” adds Maigret. “Overall, these budget additions and the additional funds for community senior services and Meals on Wheels proposed by the Governor demonstrate a continued commitment on the part of our state leaders to address the needs of our growing older population,” she says.

The budget didn’t reinstate the retiree Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) eliminated in 2011.  “Once again, retired state workers, teachers, and municipal retirees who are part of the state retirement system have been shown how little they are valued by state legislators”, comments Susan Sweet, a former state associate director of elderly affairs and an advocate for low-income elders. “Although there were many bills in to restore the COLA or at least provide a token payment to these retirees, it appears that no funds at all are being directed towards that purpose.  This is a great disappointment to so many folks who faithfully performed their duties and were stripped of their promised pensions. No wonder that teachers and government workers are reluctant to spend their career lives in the public sector” she states.

Is Proposed House Budget “Age Friendly” ?

Maigret believes that the state has taken some positive steps toward becoming “age friendly” especially if we think of age-friendly with an intergenerational lens. Items that address children and youth such as expanded tuition assistance of Rhode Island colleges are important.  “However, we still have a long way to go in many of the domains for age friendliness,” she notes, “especially in the area of economic security for older adults as many live with income less than $25,000 relying mostly on fixed incomes.” 

Maigret calls on the Rhode Island General Assembly to fund mini-grants to communities to incentivize them to “look at their comprehensive plans with age-friendly lens.” 

Here is the link to the bill to establish the budget:

Click to access H5200A.pdf

Here is the link to the entire budget and every article (as well as how it compares to the budget as submitted by the Governor in January):  https://www.rilegislature.gov/Budget/SitePages/FY24.aspx.

Here is a link to a press release which contains a summary of the highlights of the budget:

https://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease/_layouts/15/ril.pressrelease.inputform/DisplayForm.aspx?List=c8baae31-3c10-431c-8dcd-9dbbe21ce3e9&ID=373660.

To watch the House Finance Committee meeting, go to https://ritv.devosvideo.com/show?video=defebab838c1&apg=52ab780b.