Rep. Carol McEntee

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution expressing condolences for the passing of Michael J. Murphy, a resident of Warwick, Rhode Island. It does not create new laws or change policies but serves as a formal tribute to honor his life and contributions to his community. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send certified copies of the document to Murphy's family, acknowledging his legacy as a basketball coach, insurance agent, and community leader.

Creates the position of dementia services coordinator within the department of health to coordinate the departments' approach to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Creates a 9-member Joint Commission to review and provide recommendations to strengthen coordination between state and local government and who would report back to the General Assembly by December 31, 2026, and would expire on January 31, 2027.

Requires a nursing and assisted living facility to allow its residents to connect their electronic monitoring devices to its internet service without incurring any extra cost or charges.

Makes construction contractors civilly liable and/or jointly civilly liable for any claims of wage theft or nonpayment from an employee against the contractor, its subcontractors and any subcontractor.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates March 18, 2026, as Transit Employee Appreciation Day in Rhode Island to recognize the work of public transportation workers. It directly affects employees of the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA), who operate bus routes and paratransit services across the state. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy to RIPTA's CEO, Christopher Durand, as a formal acknowledgment of the workforce. The legislation serves as a commemorative measure rather than establishing new operational requirements or funding.

Creates the home-fit dwelling units act to apply to all new construction of covered dwelling units to incorporate design features that provide safe and convenient use of to the greatest extent feasible, regardless of age or physical ability.

Maddy summaryHB 7728 allows Rhode Island to issue emergency teaching certificates without requiring an exam for up to five total school years. It permits an initial one-year certificate, renewable annually up to four more years (for a total of five), for individuals needing to teach while completing certification requirements. This change modifies existing rules by extending the maximum duration for emergency certification under the state's teacher certification framework. The bill would apply directly to educators seeking temporary teaching authorization in urgent staffing situations. The bill was introduced to the House Education Committee on February 12, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 7485 increases reimbursement rates for ambulance services under both individual and group health insurance plans. It creates a Mobile Integrated Healthcare Community Paramedicine Program administered by the Department of Health, allowing approved ambulance services to provide community-based healthcare. The bill requires all out-of-network ambulance services participating in the program to follow state and federal rules prohibiting surprise medical billing. This directly affects ambulance service agencies, health insurers, and patients receiving emergency transportation services in Rhode Island.

Maddy summaryHB 8078 allows county grand juries to formally issue reports about their investigations and creates a process for superior courts to review and approve these reports before they are shared publicly. This bill directly affects county grand juries, which would now have the authority to produce reports, and superior courts, which would handle the review and approval. The key mechanism requires courts to evaluate the reports for completeness and appropriateness before authorizing public dissemination. If passed, this would standardize how grand jury findings are made available to the public, though the bill is currently in the early introduction stage (referred to House Judiciary on 2/27/2026).