Rep. Paul Santucci

Maddy summaryHB 5690 would repeal Chapter 45-53 of Rhode Island's General Laws, titled "Low and Moderate Income Housing." This repeal would eliminate the existing legal framework requiring cities and towns to plan for and provide affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. The law previously mandated municipalities to adopt housing plans meeting specific affordability targets and included detailed definitions for terms like "affordable housing" and "local review board." This bill directly affects all Rhode Island cities and towns that previously operated under this housing chapter.

Requires the public utilities commission to produce a report each January containing an analysis of the electric grid and its ability to supply the electricity needs to power cars, buildings and heat homes within the state.

Mandates all health insurance contracts, plans, or policies provide the same reimbursement to independent healthcare facilities as that of hospital affiliated facilities where the same healthcare service is provided.

Requires a municipality or quasi-public agency to file a report with the department of municipal finance if it has not made its payment to its other post-employment benefits trust fund or if it is less than thirty-five percent (35%) funded.

Repeals the certificate of need process statutes which are used by the department of health to determine the need for new health care equipment and new institutional health services.

Maddy summaryHB 5356 caps application fees for healthcare facilities seeking certificates of need for new or expanded tertiary/specialty care services at $25,000 total. This directly affects hospitals or health systems applying for major facility expansions or specialized services, as their current fee structure (a base $10,000 plus 0.25% of capital costs) is now limited. The bill amends fee rules under Rhode Island’s certificate of need program, ensuring no applicant pays more than $25,000 regardless of project size. All other applications (non-tertiary/specialty) retain their existing $500-$750 base fees plus 0.25% of costs, with no cap applied.

Expands firearm rights to recognize out of state carry permits, authorizes weapons carried during emergency evacuation and establishes an appeal process for permit denied.

Maddy summaryThis resolution commemorates "Medal of Honor Day" on March 25, 2025, in Rhode Island, honoring the state's 35 Medal of Honor recipients. It directs the Secretary of State to send certified copies of the resolution to the governor, the state Veterans Affairs director, and the Adjutant General. The resolution has no binding legal effect and does not create new laws or impact any individuals or programs. It is a symbolic gesture recognizing military heroes from Rhode Island's history.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment granting the governor a line-item veto specifically on state budget and appropriation bills. If passed, the governor could reject individual budget items (like specific funding amounts or program conditions) while approving the rest of the bill, rather than vetoing the entire budget. The legislature would then need to separately reconsider each rejected item with a three-fifths vote to override. This change would shift budget approval power between the governor and legislature, directly affecting how state spending bills are processed. The amendment requires voter approval at the next statewide election before taking effect.

Requires homeowner’s insurance providers to provide two months’ notice before increasing any policy more that 20%. Also caps rate increases for policy holders that are 65 years of age or older and meet certain income limits.