Rep. Earl Read

Maddy summaryHB 6399 extends a temporary rule allowing nonprofit groups that sponsor special vehicle license plates to reduce their minimum initial order from 600 to 150 sets per plate type. This change, which was set to expire December 31, 2025, will now continue indefinitely. The bill directly affects nonprofit organizations that create cause-related or charity license plates by lowering their upfront financial commitment. It does not change the $30 per plate fee or the requirement for nonprofits to pay a nonrefundable fee for orders below 600 sets.

Expands the definition of "employee," and clarifies that the board may defer a pending unfair labor practice charge to allow for the grievance and arbitration process to move forward pursuant to the charging parties collective bargaining agreement.

Requires the school board or committees of cities and towns to establish a safety and behavioral health committee and also lays out the representation requirements committee responsibilities to ensure a stable learning environment for all students.

Allows the school building administration or teachers in all grades to provide the opportunity for students to observe a brief moment of silence on every September 11.

Allows the town council of Coventry to make exemptions from taxation on real and personal property that has undergone environmental remediation. This act is subject to conditions as provided in this section.

Requires that the basic education program data collection information for students that attend career and technical education schools be charged to the receiving school district and not the sending school district.

Provide protection for the rights of professional, administrative and secretarial employees of the department of education to collectively bargain over all terms and conditions of employment.

Allows for the enactment of the dietitian licensure compact permitting a licensed dietitian from another state to become licensed within the state, and also permitting a dietitian licensed by the state to become licensed in another compact state.

Maddy summaryHB 5235 caps interest rates on medical debt owed to healthcare providers. It limits interest to the weekly average one-year Treasury yield (with a minimum of 1.5% and maximum of 4% annually), as reported by the Federal Reserve. This applies only to new medical debt incurred after the bill takes effect, directly affecting consumers with unpaid medical bills. The law aims to prevent excessive interest charges on healthcare costs without altering existing debt.

Maddy summaryHB 5421 requires all school buses in the state to be equipped with live digital video monitoring systems that record license plates, location, time, and date of traffic violations. School districts must install these systems on new buses starting July 1, 2027, and on all buses by July 1, 2032. The systems enable remote monitoring of drivers passing stopped school buses, with violations documented through video evidence and processed via traffic tribunals. This directly affects school bus operators, drivers who violate stop-arm laws, and local governments handling enforcement and fines.