Limits the facility's ability to charge rent and fees for a maximum of seven (7) days or until removal of the personal property from the room, whichever occurs first. A violation would constitute a deceptive trade practice.
Extends the sunset provision of the four (4) year pilot program to prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of harm reduction centers for two (2) years to March 1, 2028.
Imposes a seventy-five cent (0.75) surcharge on fares charged by rideshare companies as well as an account to benefit RIPTA from the payment of sales taxes collected from rideshares.
Maddy summaryHB 6368 prohibits insurance discrimination in Rhode Island health plans by expanding protections to cover race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), age, disability, and other categories. It bans insurers from denying coverage, limiting benefits, or imposing extra costs for specific services like gender-affirming care or reproductive health based on these protected characteristics. The law requires coverage decisions to be based on medical necessity, not discrimination, and applies to all health-benefit plans offered by insurance companies, hospitals, and healthcare entities in the state. This directly affects both insurance consumers and healthcare providers who must comply with these non-discrimination standards.
Requires the executive office of health and human services to increase Medicaid payment rates for primary care services furnished by primary care providers to be commensurate with Medicare rates.
Maddy summaryHB 5250 adds Juneteenth National Freedom Day to the list of holidays requiring retail businesses to close in this state. The bill amends the definition of "holiday" in retail business law to include Juneteenth, meaning retail establishments (but not food service businesses) must close on this day starting January 1, 2026. This change directly affects businesses operating under the state's retail holiday regulations. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, aligning Juneteenth with other established legal holidays like New Year's Day and Independence Day.
Requires a natural gas and electric utility company to read the meters of all ratepayers on a quarterly basis. The utility would be required to provide a formula, used to create estimated bills, to the PUC in order to send estimated bills.
Authorizes municipalities to impose a ticket tax on ticket sales for venues large enough to hold at least eight hundred (800) patrons, seated, of two dollars ($2) per ticket. The tax shall be redistributed to the locality where the venue is located.
Maddy summaryHB 6348 exempts the real and tangible personal property (like buildings and physical assets) of the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center in Pawtucket from local property taxes. This targeted exemption directly affects only this specific nonprofit organization, adding it to Rhode Island’s existing list of tax-exempt entities. The bill amends the property taxation law by inserting the center as a new category under the "property exempt" section. It does not change general tax rules but creates a specific exception for this organization’s property.
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.
