Changes the teacher and state employees' retirement benefit calculations' cutoff date from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2012, for all retirement members eligible to and who retire on or after the new July 1, 2012, cutoff date.
Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire upon the earlier of reaching age sixty (60) with thirty (30) years of service or the employee's retirement eligibility date under present state statutes.
Effective January 1, 2025, an annual cost-of-living increase, based upon the yearly Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U), to the retirement allowance for all state employees and all beneficiaries to be reinstated.
Exempts teachers and state employees who have been retired for more than three (3) full calendar years, from having their retirement benefit adjustment reduced based upon the funded ratio of the employees' retirement system of Rhode Island.
Allows mobile salons to visit the houses of individuals with special needs or sensory-related disorders or differences in order to provide haircuts or hairdressing services.
Maddy summaryThis House Resolution designates April 2025 as "Organ Donation Month" in Rhode Island. It encourages residents to register as organ, eye, or tissue donors through the Rhode Island Donor Registry - primarily by adding the "Heart" symbol to driver's licenses, IDs, or real IDs at the Division of Motor Vehicles, or online at RegisterMe.org. The resolution highlights that 99% of Rhode Island donors register at the DMV and notes the state's goal of increasing donor registration to 50% of the driving population. It directs the Secretary of State to share the resolution with the DMV and New England Donor Services. (Note: This is a symbolic resolution, not a law with new requirements.)
Mandates insurance coverage for scalp cooling treatments for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy treatments.
Maddy summaryHB 5431 guarantees that Medicare beneficiaries under 65 and over 65 who are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B can enroll in standardized Medicare Supplement Plan A during a one-month annual enrollment period without being denied coverage due to health conditions. To qualify, applicants must have been enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) and remain enrolled at the time of application. The bill also standardizes Medicare supplement policies by prohibiting exclusions for preexisting conditions and requiring clear minimum standards for benefits, rates, and insurer practices. This change aims to simplify access to supplemental coverage while removing health-based barriers for Medicare recipients.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits retailers from charging sales tax on refundable deposits for batteries or core charges when customers return used vehicle parts (like batteries or auto components). It directly affects retailers selling batteries and motor vehicle parts, requiring them to hold these deposits in trust for the state and not include them in taxable sales. The tax department must notify retailers about this exemption and post clear notices at their stores. The policy change takes effect immediately upon passage, removing tax from these specific refundable fees.
Maddy summaryHB 6059 creates an exemption for consumer products containing PFAS that have been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe for food contact, such as certain cookware. It applies directly to manufacturers and sellers of these FDA-approved products, allowing them to continue selling items with PFAS without violating the Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024. The exemption takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage and does not alter the main ban on PFAS in other products, which prohibits manufacturing, selling, or distributing PFAS-containing items starting in 2027 (or 2029 for specific products like artificial turf). This provision ensures FDA-approved food-contact products remain exempt from the ban.
