Requires one elector of the parole board to be a person directly impacted by the criminal justice system who has completed the probation/parole process three (3) or more years prior to selection with a professional background in certain enumerated areas.
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.
Establishes a restricted receipt account at the DLT for hospitality industry workforce training grants, funded by an annual $50 dollar fee to be charged by RIDOH to food service establishments.
Requires the court to set reasonable bail for all those individuals who appear before it as probation violators and establish a presumption of personal recognizance unless the new alleged offense is a crime of violence as defined in the act.
Maddy summaryHB 5574 requires utility companies (like electric and telephone providers) to remove old utility poles within 30 days after installing a new pole alongside them. It mandates 72-hour notice to other pole users (e.g., cable or telecommunications companies) before removal work begins, with a $100 daily penalty for late removal. Fines collected from violations must be donated to the low-income home energy assistance program. This bill directly affects utility companies managing poles and aims to streamline pole replacement while ensuring timely removal of outdated infrastructure.
Maddy summaryHB 5502 clarifies the legal definitions of criminal offense categories in the state's laws. It specifies that a felony involves imprisonment over one year or a fine over $1,000, a misdemeanor involves 6 months to 1 year imprisonment or a fine up to $1,000, a petty misdemeanor involves up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine up to $500, and a violation is punishable only by a fine under $500. The bill also explicitly states that any reference to "one year" in sentencing laws means 364 days, not 365. This definition change directly affects courts, prosecutors, and defendants when classifying criminal charges and determining penalties. The bill is currently pending further study after a committee hearing.
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.
Maddy summaryHB 5862 requires insurance companies to prove that a healthcare service or procedure is not medically necessary before denying coverage. This directly affects patients seeking care and insurers who must justify denials of services authorized by their healthcare providers. The bill creates a presumption that any service a provider authorizes is medically necessary, shifting the burden of proof from patients to insurers. If passed, insurers would need to provide specific justification for denials rather than relying on general policy reasons.
Permits those individuals convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanors to have their records expunged and provide criteria for the court to consider in determining whether the person is of good moral character.
Requires applications for energy facilities to take into consideration the 2021 Act on Climate and how the facility may advance or delay the greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
