Rep. Julie Casimiro

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 17-member commission to study educational outcomes for children in Rhode Island state care (including foster youth). The commission includes representatives from education, foster care advocacy, social work, and former foster youth, with a mandate to evaluate current systems and propose improvements by July 2026. It does not change laws or funding but requires state agencies to provide information to support the study.

Maddy summaryHB 6365 imposes a 50-cent fee per transaction on retailers (including marketplace facilitators) delivering taxable tangible goods to Rhode Island customers, effective October 1, 2025. It exempts retailers with under $500,000 in annual delivery sales in the state and all food-related deliveries (including prepared food and food service establishments). The fee is charged per transaction regardless of shipment size, must be listed separately from sales price on receipts, and is nonrefundable for returned items. Retailers may choose to collect the fee from customers but are not required to do so.

Requires every school bus, including buses used exclusively for to transport students receiving special education, to be equipped with a live digital video school bus violation detection monitoring system and retractable stop sign.

Provides that minor subdivisions would include oversized lot subdivisions under certain circumstances and relative to zoning ordinances, permit a modification to allow "neighborhood character-based modifications" under certain circumstances.

Requires every school district to render assistance and cooperation within its jurisdictional power to further the objects of this chapter, to wit, providing the courts with any information concerning a child as the court may require.

Establishes a core state behavioral health crisis services system, to be administered by the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals.

Maddy summaryHB 5196 eliminates the sunset date for child care funding specifically for Rhode Island child care educators and staff. The bill extends permanent eligibility for this program, which previously would have expired on July 31, 2025. It directly affects licensed childcare workers who provide care in centers or family homes for at least 20 hours weekly, as well as staff offering early intervention services to infants and toddlers. The provision ensures these workers continue to receive child care assistance to support their own employment, removing a temporary expiration. This is a policy change that makes an existing benefit permanent for this specific workforce group.

Creates the Rhode Island Childcare Assistance Program that governs both family eligibility for the state’s childcare subsidy program and expands eligibility for the program to meet the federal eligibility benchmark.

Removes the requirement that families consent to, and cooperate with the department of human services in establishing paternity and enforcing child and medical support orders as a condition of eligibility for child care assistance.

Provides a three thousand dollar ($3,000) stipend to a qualified applicant who successfully completes the job training program of the department of human services or department of children, youth and families.