Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith

Maddy summaryThis bill designates March 3, 2026, as "Reach Out and Read Rhode Island Day" to honor the nonprofit organization that promotes early childhood literacy through shared reading. The resolution recognizes the program's work with pediatricians and family medicine providers to distribute free books to families with young children during medical visits. By officially commemorating this date, the state aims to raise public awareness about the importance of early literacy and acknowledge the organization's contributions to child development. The Secretary of State is authorized to send a certified copy of the resolution to the organization's executive director.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally acknowledges the Taíno heritage and contributions of Taíno-descended residents in Rhode Island. It recognizes the cultural community's presence, history, and ongoing role in education and community engagement within the state. The resolution authorizes the Secretary of State to send a certified copy to Taíno community representatives and acknowledges the partnership with the Rhode Island American Indian Heritage Commission and the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas. This measure serves as a symbolic recognition rather than establishing new legal requirements or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally recognizes and commends Rhode Island Energy and its workforce for their efforts during recent extreme winter weather events. It highlights the utility company's role in maintaining energy systems and restoring power after Winter Storm Fern and Winter Storm Hernando caused widespread outages and damage. The resolution acknowledges the contributions of over 1,300 union and non-union employees who worked to keep gas flowing and restore electricity to more than 99% of affected customers within 48 hours. The document directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to Greg Cornett, President of Rhode Island Energy, as an official acknowledgment of their service.

Mandates insurance coverage for scalp cooling treatments for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy treatments.

Maddy summaryHB 7607 prohibits payment networks from charging swipe fees (interchange and assessment fees) on state or local taxes and separately listed gratuities (tips) in electronic payment transactions. It requires payment networks to either deduct these amounts from swipe fee calculations at settlement or rebate merchants within 180 days if tax/tip details aren't captured at checkout. This directly affects merchants (businesses accepting card payments) and payment networks like Visa or Mastercard. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and includes penalties for violations, such as civil fines up to $1,000 per incident.

Maddy summaryHB 7534 allows licensed pharmacists to prescribe and dispense FDA-approved tobacco cessation drugs under specific conditions. Pharmacists must complete state-approved education, verify patients meet criteria (age 18+, participation in a structured program, and nicotine safety education), and refer high-risk cases to primary care providers. The bill also mandates that health insurance plans cover these pharmacist-provided cessation services starting January 1, 2027, without requiring supervision or referrals from other providers. This policy directly affects pharmacists, patients seeking smoking cessation support, and health insurers by expanding access to tobacco cessation care through pharmacists' existing scope of practice.

Maddy summaryHB 7841 requires veterinarians to discuss treatment options with pet owners when prescribing and dispensing drugs for an animal's annual veterinary care. This applies specifically to routine prescriptions during standard annual check-ups, not one-time treatments. The bill directly affects veterinarians who dispense medications and the pet owners receiving those prescriptions. It creates a new requirement for veterinarians to provide this consultation as part of the prescription process, aiming to improve communication about medication use. (Note: The bill is currently under review by the House Corporations committee as of March 2026.)

Maddy summaryHB 7514, titled the "Price Tags Act," creates new rules to prevent grocery suppliers from using unfair pricing tactics against smaller retailers in Rhode Island. It requires suppliers to offer identical pricing terms for the same grocery products (like packaged foods) to all retailers buying in similar quantities, and to share anonymized pricing data with non-dominant retailers upon request. The law specifically targets large suppliers (annual sales over $6 billion) and dominant retailers (annual sales over $18 billion across 20+ states), prohibiting them from refusing sales or offering different terms without valid justification. Covered goods exclude gasoline, prescription drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, focusing on everyday grocery items sold in stores.

Maddy summaryHB 7190 requires health insurers in Rhode Island to disclose how they use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage healthcare claims and coverage decisions. Insurers must report AI models, training data, performance metrics, and documentation of AI-influenced decisions to state regulators, and maintain records for five years. Crucially, the bill mandates that any AI-driven denial of medically necessary care must be reviewed and approved by a licensed healthcare provider with the same specialty as the ordering provider before finalization. This directly affects insurers, enrollees (patients), and healthcare providers by adding human oversight to AI decisions on coverage. The law aims to ensure transparency and accountability in AI use for non-administrative coverage decisions, such as denials of medically necessary treatments.

Establishes the Rhode Island Maternal Health Improvement and Equity Act of 2026, to establish permanent statewide support for maternal health and to implement the maternal health strategic plan improving maternal health care and access.