Amends certain signature requirements and deadlines regarding primaries for election of delegates to national conventions for presidential preference.
Prohibits health insurance companies or other payors from including in physician participation agreements any provisions that restrict or prevent a physician from charging patients reasonable administrative or operational fees to support overhead.
Requires any licensed lab performing blood lead analyses of a child under 6 to be certified by the director and said laboratory must perform this test regardless of the child or child’s parent’s ability to pay and at no cost.
Creates a new class of retirement status license for retirees that had possessed a professional license issued by the department of labor and training.
Maddy summaryHB 7114 permits schools to assign special community service as a disciplinary measure for students who bully others based on religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. This policy directly affects students who commit such bullying and school administrators implementing disciplinary actions. The key provision replaces traditional punishments (like suspension) with community service for these specific types of bullying incidents. The bill does not define bullying but offers an alternative consequence for violations targeting these protected characteristics. It is currently under review by the House Education committee.
Establishes the Rhode Island education funding and accountability act, which would include a totally revised and revamped formula for funding all levels of public education in Rhode Island.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates June 2026 as "Men's Mental Health Month" in Rhode Island to raise awareness about the mental health challenges faced by men. It encourages residents, organizations, and state agencies to promote open conversations, reduce stigma, and support access to care during this month. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send certified copies to relevant health departments and advocacy groups to help coordinate these efforts.
Maddy summaryHB 7703 suspends the 4% gross earnings tax on electric and gas utility companies until January 1, 2036. This directly affects corporations primarily engaged in electricity generation/sale or gas distribution, reducing their tax burden during this period. The bill amends tax law to temporarily halt this specific 4% tax rate (previously applied to electricity/gas companies) starting January 1, 2027. The suspension covers all gross earnings from these core utility services, excluding related deductions for wholesale sales. The policy change provides a fixed tax relief period without altering other tax rates for telecommunications or other sectors.
Maddy summaryHB 7055 changes how longevity payments (extra pay for years of service) are handled for certain state employees in Rhode Island. Starting July 1, 2026, non-classified state employees under grade 19 (excluding faculty) will be able to negotiate these payments through collective bargaining agreements, reversing a 2011 ban. The bill specifies payments cannot be counted toward base salary and clarifies rules for employees with existing agreements. It applies to employees of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, Board of Regents for Elementary/Secondary Education, and other state departments. This is a policy change to allow future negotiations, not a new benefit.
Maddy summaryHB 8581 amends the Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act to remove a cap that previously limited how much local funding for charter schools could be reduced starting in fiscal year 2026. Under the current law, local districts pay charter schools a reduced per-pupil amount, but this bill would eliminate the restriction that keeps that reduction at no more than 14%. The legislation directly affects local school districts and charter public schools, including specific career and technical centers, by altering the calculation of local financial contributions. If passed, the change would allow local districts to apply a larger reduction to the per-pupil funding they provide to these schools, though the specific reduction formula remains unchanged.
