Rep. Julie Casimiro

Creates a special legislative commission to study/provide recommendations for water supply planning for new housing developments in rural communities, whose findings/recommendations to the House of Representatives on or before 6/15/27 and expires 7/1/27.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special legislative commission to study the need for establishing an Office of the Elder Advocate in Rhode Island. The commission will consist of thirteen members, including representatives from the legislature, legal organizations, senior advocacy groups, and older adults, who will meet to examine unmet needs and existing systems for protecting older residents. The group will provide recommendations on the structure, powers, and funding for such an office and must submit its final report to the House of Representatives by March 15, 2027.

Mandates health insurance coverage for medically necessary hormonal/non-hormonal therapy to treat symptoms of peri-menopause/menopause, if therapy is recommended by qualified healthcare provider licensed in RI and has proven safe and effective.

Eliminates mandated housing densities/density bonuses for public drinking water supply watersheds/groundwater. Requires densities not exceed water availability, introduce pollution, stay within public water or sewer system capacity limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special legislative commission to study and offer recommendations on how to support primary care medicine in Rhode Island. The commission will consist of fourteen members, including legislators, state officials, medical society leaders, and healthcare professionals, who will meet for approximately two years without receiving compensation. Their main tasks include reviewing current primary care practices, exploring ways to improve revenue and reduce financial burdens for doctors, and examining successful strategies from other states. The group is required to submit their final findings and recommendations to the House by April 28, 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 7910 creates a program requiring companies that produce packaging and paper products (like food containers, boxes, and paper goods) to manage their recycling. It directly affects manufacturers and brands by shifting the financial and operational responsibility for recycling these materials from taxpayers and local governments to the producers themselves. Key provisions mandate that producers fund, organize, and oversee the recycling system for their packaging and paper waste, rather than relying on public recycling programs. This policy change aims to increase recycling rates and reduce landfill waste by making producers accountable for the end-of-life management of their products.

Establishes sales and use tax exemptions for commercial forest product operations and creates a new motor vehicle registration for "forestry vehicles".

Expands foster care academic youth reports to include information regarding 504 eligibility, graduation progress and surrogate parents. The act would require implementation of additional strategies to improve performance and additional progress reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally congratulates the Wheeler School team and their coach, Dayna Cueva Alegria, for winning first place at the 2026 Rhode Island Academic Decathlon. The resolution recognizes the team's success in a ten-subject competition covering areas like science, math, and literature, as well as individual achievements at the national finals. It directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to the coach as an official acknowledgment of their accomplishment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Rhode Island's Healthcare Services Funding Plan Act to require health insurers to contribute an additional $30 million annually starting in 2026 to support the MomsPRN and PediPRN teleconsultation lines. These programs provide mental health consultation and referral services to pediatric, perinatal, and primary care providers through telephone hotlines. The funding is collected from insurers based on their number of enrollees and deposited into a restricted account managed by the Department of Health. The bill also mandates that the Department of Health submit annual reports on program costs and provides insurers with access to detailed cost information upon request.