Rep. Ramon Perez

Maddy summaryHB 7274 allows physician assistants (PAs) to practice without needing a physician's direct supervision and permits them to receive Medicaid payments directly for services provided. The bill amends licensing rules to remove the requirement for written agreements with supervising physicians and clarifies that PAs can provide medical services within their scope without physician oversight. It also adds a new provision requiring Medicaid to pay PAs directly, rather than through a physician's billing, for services rendered. This affects PAs by expanding their practice autonomy and Medicaid patients by potentially increasing access to care from PAs. The changes take effect upon passage.

Prohibits state or local authorities from voluntary participation in federal civil immigration enforcement. It would not prohibit compliance with a judicial warrant or court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.

RIDOC) (Creates a 9 member commission to study and make recommendations on the delivery of healthcare services at RIDOC, and who reports back to the House no later than January 5, 2027, and whose life would expire on March 5, 2027.

Exempts homes under two thousand (2,000) square feet from automatic statewide IECC energy mandates, allowing municipalities to decide whether to adopt climate-focused building code requirements for small and modest homes.

Maddy summaryHB 7182 limits utility-scale solar projects (10 MW or larger) to developments on urban residential/commercial properties or developed areas like rooftops and parking lots. It prohibits such projects on forested land, farmland, or undeveloped rural land (1 acre or more). The bill directly affects solar developers and landowners seeking to build large solar installations outside urban zones. It takes effect upon passage and is currently pending in the House Corporations committee.

Maddy summaryHB 7563, the Development Review Efficiency Act, allows property owners or their contractors to hire licensed architects, engineers, or building code administrators (called "independent providers") to review construction plans and perform building inspections instead of relying solely on local government staff. This directly affects developers, contractors, and property owners by potentially speeding up project approvals, as the bill requires local governments to reduce fees by the amount they save when using third-party reviews. Key safeguards include mandatory professional liability insurance ($1M-$4M coverage depending on project size), restrictions against providers having ownership stakes in projects, and a requirement that local governments issue occupancy certificates within 7 business days (or 3 days for single-family homes) after inspections are completed. The law aims to streamline development while maintaining safety standards through regulated third-party oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates March 2026 as National Social Work Month in Rhode Island to recognize and celebrate the contributions of social workers in the state. It directly affects the National Association of Social Workers Rhode Island Chapter by directing the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to their executive director. The resolution highlights the profession's role in addressing mental health, addiction, housing crises, and social justice issues across schools, hospitals, and government agencies. It calls on citizens to join in celebrating the social work profession but does not create new laws or funding. The measure is a commemorative resolution rather than a policy change that alters existing regulations or programs.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Places a cap of twenty percent (20%) on increases in consecutive revaluations of real property in all cities and towns conducting revaluations commencing December 31, 2026, and every December 31 thereafter.