Rep. Pat Serpa

Maddy summaryHB 5715 requires the state retirement board to post all archived and future video or audio recordings of its meetings online on the employees' retirement system website. This applies to the main retirement board and any subsidiary boards focused on state investments. The bill mandates that all recordings, both historical and future, be made publicly accessible in this manner starting January 1, 2026. It does not change retirement benefits or eligibility but increases public access to board meeting proceedings.

Requires nonprofit, as a condition for requesting state funds from the general assembly, to submit & post on their website, a list of10 of their highest paid director, officer & employee salaries & any forms of compensation provided to those individuals.

Provides that commercial driver instruction would include industry-specific training on the recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking.

Maddy summaryHB 5049 removes a $5 registration fee and transfer charge for applicants seeking a special license plate honoring Bronze Star Medal recipients. The bill directly affects veterans who have received the U.S. Bronze Star Medal and wish to display the special plate on their vehicles. It amends existing law to eliminate the mandatory $5 fee while keeping all other plate design and eligibility rules unchanged. The change takes effect on January 1, 2026, after the bill was signed into law by the governor on June 13, 2025.

Mandates the use of a soft-shell helmet cover that adds a padded, soft-shell layer to the outside of a traditional football helmet, for students participating in Rhode Island interscholastic league football.

Maddy summaryHB 5637 updates the state's Credit Card Crime Act to explicitly include "debit cards" under the definition of cards covered by fraud statutes. This change means individuals who fraudulently use, forge, or obtain goods/services with stolen or expired debit cards will now face the same criminal penalties as those committing credit card fraud. The law expands the scope of existing penalties (including a $100 six-month threshold for misdemeanor charges) to cover debit card fraud, which was previously not explicitly addressed. This directly affects individuals committing debit card fraud and ensures consistent legal treatment for both debit and credit card fraud.

Maddy summaryHB 5083, the "David Casey Act," requires all public and private golf courses to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site. This law directly affects golf course operators, mandating they maintain an AED for emergency cardiac care. The key provision specifies that AEDs must be readily accessible at every golf course facility, aligning with broader requirements for "public places" defined in state law. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage, without additional implementation timelines.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Pawtucket's property tax system by creating new classifications for residential properties. It expands Class 1 to include buildings with up to six dwelling units if at least one is owner-occupied (previously five units), and establishes Class 5 for buildings with five or fewer units where no units are owner-occupied. The bill also limits Class 5 tax rates to no more than 175% of Class 1 rates. These changes directly affect Pawtucket property owners, particularly landlords of multi-unit residential buildings, by altering how their properties are taxed based on occupancy and unit count.

Maddy summaryHB 5052 changes the service requirement for admission to Rhode Island's Veterans' Home from 90 days to two years of honorable service. It specifically prioritizes veterans who served in declared or undeclared wars and earned campaign medals (as documented on their DD-214), placing them on a separate waiting list ahead of other eligible veterans. The bill requires the Veterans' Services Office to maintain two distinct waiting lists - one for "war veterans" and one for others - and prohibits admitting non-war veterans until the war veterans' list is exhausted. This policy directly affects veterans who previously qualified under the 90-day rule but now must meet the longer service standard to access the facility.

Maddy summaryHB 5084 extends an existing 50-foot buffer zone prohibition around polling places to include early voting periods. The bill prevents political materials (posters, literature, buttons) from being distributed or displayed within 50 feet of polling locations during both early voting and election day. This directly affects voters, poll workers, and political campaigns by restricting where they can engage in political activity near voting sites. The change applies to all primary and election day voting, maintaining the same rules for early voting that already existed for election day. The bill does not alter voting procedures or eligibility but adjusts where political influence can occur near polling places.