Rep. David Bennett

Maddy summaryHB 5870 defines public-private partnerships (PPPs) as long-term contracts where private companies develop, finance, or maintain state-owned assets while bearing significant risk. It requires state agencies to use competitive procurement for PPPs and mandates specific requirements in requests for proposals, including value-for-money analyses, oversight plans, and financial documentation. The bill directs the chief purchasing officer to create rules by July 2026 to encourage PPP use, while ensuring state agencies remain responsible for oversight. It directly affects state agencies making infrastructure or property purchases and private contractors seeking to partner with the government. The law does not change existing procurement rules but provides a formal framework for evaluating and implementing PPPs.

Provides that an electronic shelving label by itself would not satisfy the disclosure and display requirements for unit pricing by way of the attachment of a stamp, tag or label to the commodity.

Allows private employees at nursing homes, developmental disability and home care providers whose salaries are 90% funded with federal or state monies to be eligible to opt into the state healthcare plan.

Authorizes an increase in resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term-care needs who reside at home and requires semi-annual reports from Medicaid certified assisted living facilities and adult day service providers to the EOHHS.

Requires that the division of planning create a checklist of environmental and energy issues that state construction projects which cost in excess of $10,000,000 would need to consider.

Maddy summaryHB 5166 prohibits Rhode Island from licensing any new high-heat waste facilities, including incinerators, gasifiers, and advanced recycling plants that process waste at temperatures above 400°F. The bill defines such facilities broadly to cover processes like pyrolysis, depolymerization, and gasification used for converting waste, plastics, or recovered materials into fuels or chemicals. It directly affects developers and companies seeking to build new facilities of this type in the state. The prohibition would take effect immediately upon the bill's passage, applying to all new construction and operation permits.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution honoring Armand M. LaMontagne, a Rhode Island artist known for sculptures displayed at venues like the Baseball Hall of Fame and the New England Sports Museum. It expresses the Rhode Island House of Representatives' condolences on his passing and directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to his wife, Lorraine A. LaMontagne, and family. As a purely commemorative measure, it does not create new laws or affect policy.

Provides that a hearing required before a judge or magistrate may adjudge a motorist in contempt for failure to comply with the court's orders regarding a conditional hardship license, and defines penalties for violation of a hardship/interlock order.

Maddy summaryHB 5937 adopts the Uniform Partition of Heirs' Property Act to establish clear court procedures for dividing property owned by multiple family members (called "heirs' property"). It directly affects individuals holding real estate in tenancy in common where at least 20% of interests are held by relatives or acquired through family lines. Key provisions require courts to determine property value through appraisal (or agreed valuation), offer cotenants the chance to buy out others who want to sell, and allow partition by sale or in kind. The law applies to partition cases filed after January 1, 2026, and supplements existing property law for these specific cases.