Requires specific notice of the tax sale to the taxpayer with a copy of this § 44-9-10 attached thereto. Failure to do so would render the tax sale null and void.
HB 7418 would establish medical and dental schools at the University of Rhode Island, authorizing the conferral of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degrees. The bill requires the schools to seek accreditation from medical (LCME) and dental (CODA) bodies and mandates clinical training partnerships with hospitals and health centers. It also allows the university to retain revenue from faculty practice plans to support educational, clinical, and research activities. The legislation directly affects Rhode Island residents by aiming to expand healthcare workforce capacity and improve access to care, particularly for underserved communities.
SB 2390 reclassifies certain gift card fraud offenses as theft (larceny), directly affecting gift card holders and those who commit fraud against them. It makes it a crime to steal or alter gift cards or their redemption information with intent to defraud, imposing fines up to $1,000 or one year in jail for amounts under $1,500. For offenses exceeding $1,500 or recurring within six months, standard larceny penalties apply. The bill defines key terms like "cardholder" and "forgery" to clarify these offenses. This changes penalties from civil fines to criminal charges for significant fraud.
Requires that any covered entity that develops/provides online services, products, or features that children are reasonably likely to access shall consider the best interest of children when designing/developing such online service, product, or feature.
This is a non-binding House resolution (not a bill) introduced by the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It expresses concerns about Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which are private insurance options replacing traditional Medicare, noting issues like higher costs for patients during serious illness, narrower provider networks, and practices that allegedly prioritize insurer profits over patient care. The resolution urges federal lawmakers and agencies to take specific actions, including increasing transparency, auditing MA plans, regulating marketing, and prohibiting profit-driven practices like "cherry-picking" healthy enrollees. It does not create new laws but calls for administrative changes to protect Medicare beneficiaries.
Authorizes the appropriation of the sum of $10,000,000 to the Rhode Island Foundation, to generate funds to support public education through distributions to local education agency foundations. The funds would be disbursed over 5 years.
Establishes the Rhode Island Maternal Health Improvement and Equity Act of 2026, to establish permanent statewide support for maternal health and to implement the maternal health strategic plan improving maternal health care and access.
HB 7426 allows nurse anesthetists with two or more years of supervised experience to practice independently without physician oversight for anesthesia care. It defines "non-supervised CRNAs" and grants them authority to administer anesthesia, manage patient care, and issue medication orders (with written guidelines for certain actions), while requiring hospitals to permit this independent practice. The bill also mandates the state health department to seek a Medicaid waiver by September 2026 to update reimbursement policies for CRNAs under Medicaid. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Extends time for a party to apply for stay of arbitration to180 days; invalidates any provision that penalizes a party for seeking legal representation; requires arbitrator to provide notice of default to a party for failure to pay fees.
HB 7750 would allow plaintiffs in civil lawsuits to seek punitive damages when defendants acted with "willful or wanton conduct" or showed "reckless disregard" for health, safety, or welfare. This applies to cases like wrongful death claims (under Title 10, Chapter 7) and requires evidence proving the defendant knew or should have known their actions were dangerous. The bill defines "willful or wanton conduct" as heedless, reckless behavior ignoring consequences or others' safety. It directly affects plaintiffs pursuing civil claims against parties whose actions caused foreseeable harm through intentional or grossly negligent behavior. The law would take effect immediately upon passage.
HR 7533 is a House Resolution requesting a waste audit at the Rhode Island State House to analyze what materials (like paper, plastic, and food) are discarded, recycled, or composted. It directs the State House operations team to develop a waste reduction strategy based on the audit findings and to investigate installing water filling stations (to reduce plastic bottles) and electric car chargers (to meet climate goals). The resolution requires a report on these recommendations by January 5, 2027, to the House. This affects only the State House’s internal operations, not broader public policy.
HB 7749 repeals the collateral source rule in medical malpractice cases, meaning defendants would no longer be allowed to introduce evidence of insurance or workers' compensation benefits the plaintiff received to reduce the damage award. This directly affects plaintiffs and defendants in medical malpractice lawsuits, as it would prevent courts from lowering awarded damages based on payments already received by the plaintiff from third parties (like health insurance or disability programs). The bill removes the current mechanism where defendants could show such benefits to reduce damages, and plaintiffs could counter with their own contributions to secure those benefits. If enacted, plaintiffs would receive full damage awards without deductions for pre-existing insurance benefits, while defendants could not offset payments through collateral sources.
