Rep. Tom Noret

Maddy summaryHB 7856, the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, would ban advertising of cannabis and cannabis products on any medium that might be visible to minors. This bill directly affects cannabis businesses, requiring them to avoid advertising in locations or formats accessible to children, such as digital platforms, billboards, or print media in youth-oriented areas. The key provision prohibits all advertising that could be seen by minors, regardless of the medium used. The bill was introduced on February 27, 2026, and referred to the House Corporations committee.

Maddy summaryHB 7669 limits early voting to a total of ten nonconsecutive days before an election, specifically including the two weekend days immediately preceding the election plus eight weekdays. This applies to all elections covered under the relevant election laws and directly affects voters seeking to cast ballots early. The bill specifies that early voting periods must not include consecutive days, creating a defined window for early voting. It takes effect upon passage, with no further details provided on implementation or specific election types affected.

Requires every elementary and secondary school within the State of Rhode Island to provide and maintain clearly visible and easily accessible trauma kits within the school. It also provides immunity if assistance is rendered.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to study how wake boats - specialized vessels creating large waves - impact the state's freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. It specifically requests DEM to analyze environmental effects (like sediment disturbance and algae blooms), shoreline erosion, public safety risks, and invasive species transport, while reviewing regulations from other states. If the study finds significant harm, DEM would then develop regulations to limit wake boat operations, such as setting minimum lake sizes, depth requirements, or shoreline setbacks. The resolution directly affects Rhode Island's 237+ freshwater bodies (covering 18,845 acres), which are vulnerable due to their small size and ecological sensitivity.

Maddy summaryHB 7417 requires every public school in Rhode Island (including charter and vocational schools) to have a dedicated library space and a certified school librarian. It mandates specific library resources like book collections, technology, and daily student access, with staffing requirements phased in: full-time librarians for schools of 250+ students immediately, high schools by 2026-27, and all K-12 schools by 2030-31. The bill directs the education commissioner to enforce these standards, ensuring consistent library access and qualified staff. This legislation applies to all public schools and is pending passage.

Maddy summaryHB 8024 exempts Project Hand Up's property in West Warwick from local property taxes. This includes land, buildings, and physical assets owned by the nonprofit organization. The bill directly removes Project Hand Up's property tax obligations in West Warwick. It was introduced in February 2026 and is pending committee review.

Provides that stores offering food product discounts must provide the same discounts to in-store customers that are offered to customers using electronic digital coupons.

Maddy summaryHB 7422, the Rhode Island Clean Air Preservation Act, bans specific atmospheric experiments including solar radiation modification (SRM), cloud seeding, and other weather engineering activities that release pollutants like PFAS ("forever chemicals"). The bill prohibits entities - such as government agencies, corporations, or research organizations - from conducting these experiments, citing risks of harmful pollutants, drought, and increased wildfire hazards. Key provisions define "atmospheric activity" broadly to cover AI-driven or machine-learning systems involved in such experiments, and list banned methods like stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. The law directly affects any organization conducting atmospheric interventions in Rhode Island, requiring compliance with the new prohibition.

Maddy summaryHB 7699 eliminates Rhode Island's estate tax by repealing Chapter 44-22 of the General Laws, which previously imposed a progressive tax on inherited property. This affects heirs who would have paid taxes on estates valued above $25,000, removing a state-level tax on property transferred after a person's death. The bill removes all tax rates (ranging from 2% to 9% depending on estate size) and related deductions described in the repealed chapter. As a result, estates passing to heirs in Rhode Island will no longer be subject to this specific state tax.

Establishes an office of inspector general as an independent administrative agency, charged with preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.