Rep. Arthur Handy

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1,167,100 to the Rhode Island Auditory Oral Program for fiscal year 2026-2027. The program, based in the Foster School Department, provides specialized auditory-oral instruction using hearing technology to support children with hearing loss, helping them achieve academic success and social inclusion. The funds will directly support this educational service for affected children and their families.

Rescinds any prior applications to the United States Congress from the Rhode Island General Assembly to call for a convention to amend the United States Constitution.

Prohibits family court from detaining or committing any youth, 12 years or younger, to training school, for any offense other than murder, first degree sexual assault, or an attempt to commit such offenses there is no other reasonable placement.

Prohibits a peace officer, as defined in § 12-7-21, from employing threats, physical harm, deprivation, deception, coercion, or psychologically manipulative interrogation tactics during the custodial interrogation of a juvenile.

Permits the family court to retain jurisdiction over juveniles and allow the family court to order juveniles detained in the training school until the age of twenty-one if the court finds that it is in the best interest of the child.

Provides for the right to strike for public sector workers in Rhode Island, including teachers, with exceptions for police officers, firefighters, 911 employees, and correctional officers.

Recognizes that municipal employees have the opportunity to utilize binding arbitration and establishes new factors for the arbitrators to consider. These factors include comparisons of wages/hourly conditions of employment in similarly skilled jobs.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $150,000 in state funding for the second year of the Main Street Rhode Island Program, which supports local downtown revitalization efforts across the state. The money will be managed by Grow Smart Rhode Island and distributed through the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to help existing and new district cohorts implement community improvement projects. The funding is specifically designated for fiscal year 2027 and must be disbursed by December 31, 2026, to support the program's administration and execution. This appropriation continues the initiative that launched in 2025 with 11 district cohorts representing 10 cities and towns.

Maddy summaryHB 7823 proposes a universal healthcare system called "RICare" that would guarantee all Rhode Island residents access to primary and preventive care through a single public insurance program, replacing the current multi-payer system. The bill creates a unified payment system to consolidate administrative costs, establishes a RICare board and fund for oversight, and requires state agencies to coordinate implementation, including workforce planning for transitions. It directly affects every state resident by ensuring comprehensive coverage regardless of income or pre-existing conditions, while focusing on reducing costs through streamlined administration rather than employer-sponsored insurance.

Allows foreign-trained dentists and dental hygienists to obtain limited licenses if they graduate from reputable dental colleges or universities, work under a supervising dentist, and pass a board-approved exam.