Rhode Island Bills

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 5247: AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES

HB 5247 prohibits retailers from advertising products with a "net price" (price after rebate) without disclosing the rebate amount at the point of purchase. It directly affects retailers selling goods with manufacturer rebates, requiring them to provide the rebate details to consumers when the item is purchased. The law makes it a deceptive trade practice to advertise rebates without this disclosure, aligning with federal rules for live-event tickets and short-term lodging. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026, and applies to all retail sales involving rebates in the state.

Grace Diaz (D) Kathleen Fogarty (D) Arthur Handy (D) Brandon Potter (D) Joshua Giraldo (D)

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 6244: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

HB 6244 prohibits licensed healthcare facilities in this state from asking patients about their immigration status or requiring proof of legal presence. This applies to all patients receiving care at hospitals, clinics, and other facilities covered under healthcare licensing laws. The bill amends existing patient rights standards to explicitly add that facilities cannot inquire about immigration status (new section 19), ensuring equal access to care regardless of immigration status. It took effect immediately upon the governor's signature on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Immigration

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 6120: AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT

Grants the family court jurisdiction to make findings for special immigrant juvenile status petitions, including determinations about dependency, parental reunification, and the child’s best interest, for minors/petitioners under 21 years of age.

Topics ✓ Immigration

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 6406: AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE GOOD SAMARITAN OVERDOSE PREVENTION ACT OF 2016

HB 6406 extends existing immunity protections under the Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Act to cover violations of bail conditions. It ensures individuals who seek medical help for an overdose or drug/alcohol emergency cannot face charges for violating bail, probation, or parole related to drug possession or alcohol offenses. The bill specifically adds Section 21-28.9-4(d) to the law, clarifying that seeking emergency care for an overdose prevents prosecution for bail violations tied to the same incident. This applies to people experiencing overdoses, those providing first aid, and others involved in emergency medical assistance.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 922: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT INVESTMENT INITIATIVE

Requires the board of regents to adopt support and intervention strategies consistent with Comprehensive Education Strategy and SALT in one district at a time.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 5218: AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

Increases insurance coverage for hearing aids from one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) to one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750), per ear, for all people regardless of age effective January 1, 2026.

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 887: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

SB 887 ensures continued protection against disability discrimination in Rhode Island state programs and federally funded activities, even if federal law changes. It requires the state to maintain all existing disability protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if that federal law is repealed or invalidated by a court or federal action. The law automatically reverts to the state’s prior legal standards for disability rights as of the day before any federal change takes effect. This directly affects all state agencies, schools, and organizations receiving state funding or operating under state regulation.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 809: AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT

Grants Rhode Island's family court jurisdiction to make findings for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions, including determinations about dependency, parental reunification, and the child’s best interest, for minors under twenty-one (21) years.

Topics ✓ Immigration

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 829: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- TEMPORARY DISABILITY INSURANCE -- BENEFITS

SB 829 expands Rhode Island's temporary caregiver insurance program to include bone marrow transplant donors and living organ donors as eligible beneficiaries. This means employees taking time off work to donate bone marrow or an organ can now receive wage replacement benefits under the state's temporary disability insurance program. The bill amends existing eligibility criteria to add these donors as a covered category, alongside caregivers for seriously ill family members. Benefit limits gradually increase over time, reaching up to eight weeks per year starting in 2026. The law directly affects workers who are organ or bone marrow donors needing time off for this purpose.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 6122: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

This bill ensures continued protection against disability discrimination in Rhode Island state programs and services that receive state funding or operate under federal programs. It requires that if federal disability protections (like Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) are repealed or invalidated, Rhode Island will maintain the same level of protection that existed before the federal change. The law applies to all state agencies, schools, and organizations receiving state financial assistance. This creates a legal safeguard to prevent gaps in disability rights during potential federal policy shifts.

signed · Rhode Island · House Jul 1, 2025

HB 5796: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES

HB 5796 amends Rhode Island's zoning law to require municipalities to include new residential options in their zoning ordinances. Specifically, it adds a requirement that zoning rules must permit "residential use options that are not limited to single-family detached structures" in areas with existing public water and sewer capacity within urban service boundaries. This change directly affects towns and cities as they update their zoning codes, enabling more housing types like duplexes or townhomes without requiring new infrastructure. The key mechanism is mandating this flexibility in zoning districts where water and sewer systems already exist, aiming to increase housing diversity. The bill does not override existing single-family zoning but expands permissible options in eligible areas.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jul 1, 2025

SB 487: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

SB 487 prohibits all licensed healthcare facilities (such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes) from asking patients about their legal immigration status or requiring proof of U.S. residency. This applies to every patient regardless of their immigration status, ensuring that facilities cannot deny care or ask for such information during treatment. The bill amends existing licensing rules to add a clear standard (section 19) explicitly banning these questions, with no exceptions for facility staff or billing processes. It takes effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, which occurred on July 1, 2025. This policy change directly protects patients’ privacy and access to care without altering other healthcare services or billing requirements.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Immigration

Bill results