Establishes a prekindergarten seat finder to support families in accessing high quality early childhood education programs for three (3) and four (4) year old children.
Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person’s transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharrassment.
Expands meaning of bomb threats and false reports to include any warning or threat of the existence of an explosive device and allows judge to impose conditions of bail to include extreme risk protection orders, no trespass orders and counseling.
Maddy summaryHR 6115 is a ceremonial resolution designating March 20, 2025, as "Alzheimer's Awareness Day" in Rhode Island. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but formally recognizes the impact of Alzheimer's disease through symbolic acknowledgment. The resolution highlights statewide statistics, including over 24,000 Rhode Islanders living with Alzheimer's and significant caregiver and economic burdens. It directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy to the Alzheimer's Association, Rhode Island Chapter. This is a procedural resolution focused solely on raising awareness, not implementing policy changes.
Requires the state building commissioner to implement electronic permitting for any category of state or local permit authorized under state law to significantly impact the expediency of construction and development.
Provides that no city or town may issue a permit for the construction of new buildings, that are not an all-electric building, if the initial application for a permit was submitted after December 31, 2026, unless certain circumstances apply.
Maddy summaryThis resolution creates a 15-member commission to study whether Rhode Island should publicly own its electricity and natural gas utilities. The commission includes legislators, utility representatives, consumer advocates, and labor leaders, and will examine models like Nebraska’s "Neighbor’s First" approach, compare public versus private utility performance, and assess costs, renewable energy transition, and governance structures. It will specifically evaluate potential benefits such as lower consumer costs, access to low-cost debt, and cross-subsidization for public services. The commission must report its findings to the legislature by April 16, 2026, before dissolving on May 27, 2026.
Creates 12-member commission to study and provide recommendations for the creation of a statewide whole-home repairs program, and who would report back to the General Assembly by January 5, 2026, and would expire on March 5, 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 5577, the "2025 Utility Company Billing Transparency Act," requires large electric and gas distribution companies (with over 100,000 customers) to provide clear explanations of charges on consumer bills, addressing confusion about costs like fees and taxes. It mandates that these companies file proposals with the Public Utilities Commission detailing how they will implement revenue decoupling - ensuring they aren’t incentivized to increase sales to boost profits - and includes annual reconciliation for revenue over- or under-recovery. The bill also requires companies to submit annual infrastructure and safety spending plans for commission review, aiming to align costs with service reliability. These changes directly affect major utility providers like Rhode Island Energy and aim to help residential customers better understand and manage their energy costs.
Provides that effective July 1, 2025, the profit margin of any electric distribution company gas distribution company, would not exceed four percent (4%), in any given calendar year.
