Increases the imprisonment penalty for animal fighting from 2 to 5 yrs for a subsequent conviction under § 4-1-9 and would also require mandatory community service
Amends the administration requirements a zoning ordinance must provide and/or designate and would require that zoning certificates be issued within 20 days of the written request.
Prohibits the declawing of cats by any surgical procedure to amputate or modify a portion of a cat's paw in order to remove the cat's claws. Does not apply to any procedure performed for a therapeutic purpose.
Provide protection for the rights of professional, administrative and secretarial employees of the department of education to collectively bargain over all terms and conditions of employment.
Maddy summaryHB 6242 updates Rhode Island's firearm exemption law to replace "Rhode Island state marshals capitol police" with "capitol police" in two sections of the General Laws. This change directly affects Capitol Police officers, ensuring they are explicitly listed as exempt from certain firearm restrictions while on duty. The bill makes a technical correction to the legal language defining which law enforcement personnel can carry concealed weapons without restriction. It does not alter the actual firearm rules or expand exemptions - it only updates the agency name in the statute. The bill became effective June 26, 2025, without requiring governor approval.
Requires the employers of unionized public school teachers, municipal employees and state employees, to provide the union, at least once every 120 days, a list of all their employees in their union, as well as their personal and demographic information.
Maddy summaryHB 5322 extends a temporary allowance for retired teachers in Rhode Island to substitute teach up to 180 days per school year (instead of the standard 90-day limit) through July 1, 2026. School districts must first prove they couldn't fill positions with non-retired teachers and report their total certified teaching positions to the state retirement board, while also limiting retired teacher hires to no more than 5% of their total certified positions. This change applies retroactively to June 20, 2025, and directly affects retired teachers seeking substitute roles and school districts facing staffing shortages. The bill does not provide additional retirement credits or require contributions from retired teachers for this work.
Maddy summaryHB 5421 requires all school buses in the state to be equipped with live digital video monitoring systems that record license plates, location, time, and date of traffic violations. School districts must install these systems on new buses starting July 1, 2027, and on all buses by July 1, 2032. The systems enable remote monitoring of drivers passing stopped school buses, with violations documented through video evidence and processed via traffic tribunals. This directly affects school bus operators, drivers who violate stop-arm laws, and local governments handling enforcement and fines.
Prohibits an individual who is licensed as both a Rhode Island real estate agent and mortgage loan originator to be compensated for both the sale of the property and the origination or referral of the loan in securing the property.
Creates process for condominium associations to give notice to and obtain approval from unit mortgage holders for certain association actions by mailing a written request for approval to the unit mortgagees via regular and certified mail.
