Establish a moratorium on changes to the state energy conservation code from the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code until January 1, 2030, unless approved by the legislature and made effective by the governor.
Allows advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and physicians who are and are not licensed in Rhode Island to provide telemedicine services to patients who are in the state when those services are rendered.
Establishes office of inspector general which would be charged with preventing fraud and mismanagement of public funds, regardless of their source and would oversee all state programs and operations.
Limits the use of certain criminal records and credit history reports in denying housing to prospective applicants, and provides for fines for failure to comply. This act further requires notices of denials to be sent to the prospective tenants.
Establishes the office of inspector general as an independent administrative agency charged with the responsibility to investigate, detect, and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.
This bill, SB 111, proposes to discontinue the tax rate reductions provided under the "Jobs Development Act." It would sunset all existing rate reductions from this program by July 1, 2025. Companies that qualified for a rate reduction before July 1, 2015, would be allowed to maintain their existing reduction until the 2025 deadline, provided they continue to meet their obligations. No new credits or additional rate reductions would be authorized under the Jobs Development Act after June 30, 2025.
Mandates state and electric distribution companies develop proposals and encourage off shore wind power development and give priority in those projects to providing employment and business opportunities to workers from disadvantaged communities.
Increases the Rhode Island earned-income credit to twenty percent (20%) on January 1, 2026. Such credit would not exceed the amount of state income tax.
SB 112, "The Bright Today Scholarship and Open Enrollment Education Act," aims to provide K-12 students and their parents in Rhode Island with expanded educational choices. It establishes open enrollment, allowing students to attend public schools in their own or other districts. The bill also creates Bright Today Scholarships, or Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which allow public funds to be used by parents for tuition, fees, textbooks, and other approved educational expenses at participating private schools or for private curriculum programs. Unused scholarship funds can roll over to future years.
Removes the age restriction for benefits coverage/requires, after 1/1/26, for policies issued or renewed include coverage for reimbursement for provider services at a rate equal to, or greater than, Medicaid establishments of EOHHS.
This bill, SB 921, proposes to define "qualified data centers" and related terms within the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation's governing statutes. It outlines specific "eligible qualified data center costs" that can be incurred from July 1, 2025, covering expenses like development, construction, and equipment for these facilities. The legislation also defines "enterprise information technology equipment" and "colocation tenants" who use these centers. The overall intent is to create a framework for qualified data centers and offer tax exemptions to incentivize their establishment in Rhode Island.
This bill, SB 101, proposes to repeal the state's corporation minimum tax. It directly affects all corporations, including small business corporations (S-corps), that are currently subject to the state's business corporation tax. Specifically, it eliminates the requirement for these businesses to pay a minimum tax amount, which is currently $400 for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2017. If enacted, corporations would no longer be subject to this minimum payment, regardless of their net income tax calculation.
