Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 7424: AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- COLLABORATIVE PHARMACY PRACTICE

Expands the existing law regarding collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and physicians to allow other healthcare providers to enter into such agreements and removes the definition of “collaborative practice committee.”

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands collaborative pharmacy practice to include more healthcare providers, improving access to services and aligning with patient access indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 19, 2026

SB 2978: AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- MENTAL HEALTH LAW

This bill extends legal immunity protections to advanced practice registered nurses, granting them the same liability protections as physicians under Virginia's mental health law. The key provision states that neither physicians nor licensed advanced practice registered nurses can be held liable in court for their participation in mental health proceedings unless actual fraud or gross, willful, or wanton negligence is proven. It also clarifies that neither group can be sued for damages resulting from a patient exercising rights protected by the mental health law, such as discharge decisions, even if those actions contradict written medical orders. This change directly affects mental health facilities and healthcare providers by aligning the legal protections for nurses with those for physicians in this specific context.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill extends legal immunity protections to advanced practice nurses in mental health proceedings, protecting healthcare providers and supporting mental health services access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 7639: AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- GENETIC INFORMATION PRIVACY ACT

Requires a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, as defined, to provide a consumer with certain information regarding the company’s policies and procedures regarding use of genetic data.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires genetic testing companies to disclose data policies, protecting consumer privacy in healthcare services per patient rights indicators.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates genetic testing companies to disclose data policies, directly protecting consumer data privacy per topic indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 7634: AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- MENTAL HEALTH LAW

HB 7634 amends the state's Mental Health Law to grant advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) the same legal protection from lawsuits as physicians and surgeons when providing mental health services. Specifically, it ensures APRNs licensed in the state cannot be held liable in court for their professional actions under this law - except in cases of actual fraud or gross negligence - similar to existing protections for doctors. This directly affects APRNs working in mental healthcare settings, clarifying their legal standing during proceedings like patient discharges or treatment decisions. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareGrants APRNs same legal protections as physicians in mental health services, strengthening provider access and reducing liability barriers for mental health care.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 18, 2026

SB 3184: AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- NURSES

This bill clarifies the rules for when registered nurses and nurse practitioners can administer deep sedation and general anesthesia during elective, non-emergency procedures. It explicitly prohibits these providers from giving certain strong anesthesia medications for scheduled procedures unless there is an immediate emergency where delaying care would endanger a patient's life or safety. The law maintains that nurses can still provide lighter levels of sedation and ensures that students in anesthesia training programs can participate under supervision. Additionally, the bill requires the state Department of Health to create specific regulations by 2027 and report on how the new rules impact patient access, hospital operations, and safety incidents by 2028.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands the scope of practice for nurses in emergency situations, improving patient access to critical care.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 18, 2026

SB 2882: AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- QUALITY SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORTS ACT OF 2026

Ensures that more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care they need and want, by incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands self-directed care options for developmentally disabled adults and incorporates collective bargaining rights, improving patient access and autonomy in healthcare services.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly incorporates collective bargaining rights into self-directed supports program, directly advancing worker organizing and bargaining protections for developmentally disabled adults.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 7481: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

Requires the department of elementary and secondary education and DOH to adopt policies, rules and regulations for the administration of seizure rescue medications for children who have been medically identified as having epilepsy/seizure disorder.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires health protocols for seizure medications in schools, directly protecting student safety and well-being in educational settings.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates policies for administering seizure rescue medications to students with epilepsy, improving access to healthcare services in schools for a specific medical condition.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 7740: AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- NURSES

HB 7740 clarifies the rules for when registered nurses and nurse practitioners can administer deep sedation or general anesthesia, specifically limiting these actions to emergency situations where delaying care would endanger a patient's health. The bill explicitly prohibits these providers from using general anesthetics for elective, scheduled procedures unless an urgent need arises, while still allowing them to perform minimal or moderate sedation as usual. To enforce these limits, the law requires that any nurse or nurse practitioner who is not a certified registered nurse anesthetist must not initiate, adjust, or maintain general anesthetic medications outside of critical care scenarios. Additionally, the bill mandates that hospitals report specific serious incidents, such as unplanned transitions to deep sedation that result in severe patient outcomes, to the Department of Health within 24 hours.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands nurse emergency sedation authority in life-threatening situations, improving access to critical care during emergencies per bill's specific emergency circumstances language.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 8171: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD-AS-MEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM

HB 8171 establishes a food-as-medicine pilot program to test whether providing medically tailored food assistance improves health outcomes for individuals with specific conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Administered by the state's executive office of health and human services, the program will include a task force to design and oversee the initiative. It directly affects participants in state health programs who may receive food support as part of their treatment plan, rather than traditional medical care. The bill creates a temporary, evidence-based approach to evaluate this model before potential expansion.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes food-as-medicine pilot program to improve health outcomes for conditions like diabetes/hypertension, directly advancing healthcare access through medically tailored nutrition support under state health department oversight.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 7026: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE NATHAN BRUNO AND JASON FLATT ACT

Directs middle and high schools which issue student identification cards to include on those cards on or before September 8, 2026, contact crisis telephone numbers for suicide prevention and substance use disorder prevention.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates inclusion of suicide prevention and substance use disorder crisis numbers on student IDs, directly advancing mental health services as defined in healthcare topic.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare