Extends the forbearance of utility terminations for customers with serious illness certifications and would amend various provisions related to the termination of utility services for persons who are disabled, seriously ill, or in arrears.
Requires a housing code enforcement officer to give a copy of any housing code violation notice to all tenants of the building affected by a housing code violation along with any hearing dates scheduled for the violation.
Maddy summaryThis resolution creates a 15-member commission to study whether Rhode Island should publicly own its electricity and natural gas utilities. The commission includes legislators, utility representatives, consumer advocates, and labor leaders, and will examine models like Nebraska’s "Neighbor’s First" approach, compare public versus private utility performance, and assess costs, renewable energy transition, and governance structures. It will specifically evaluate potential benefits such as lower consumer costs, access to low-cost debt, and cross-subsidization for public services. The commission must report its findings to the legislature by April 16, 2026, before dissolving on May 27, 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 5682 clarifies that worker cooperatives can operate as hiring halls for skilled labor by allowing them to specify in their founding documents that members provide labor as independent contractors. This directly affects worker cooperatives seeking to function as hiring halls, ensuring members maintain independent contractor status when performing contract work for other entities. The key provision requires cooperatives to formally declare this structure in their articles of incorporation or bylaws. The bill would take effect immediately upon passage, enabling clearer legal operation without changing worker classification.
Increases the minimum required awarded to minority business enterprises from 15% to 20% and of that, requires a minimum of 10% be awarded to minority owned businesses and a minimum of 10% be awarded to women owned businesses.
Allows citizens of a city or town who are at least sixteen (16) years of age to register to vote and to vote in school committee elections in municipalities where school committees are elected entities.
Maddy summaryHB 5916 amends Rhode Island's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to increase notice periods for rent increases and tenancy terminations, directly affecting month-to-month tenants and their landlords. The bill raises the required notice period for landlords or tenants to terminate month-to-month tenancies from 30 to 60 days, and extends it to 120 days for tenants aged 62 or older. It also specifies standardized notice forms for terminations, ensuring consistent communication about lease end dates. These changes aim to provide tenants with more time to plan for housing transitions while maintaining clear legal procedures.
Maddy summaryHB 6061 requires insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment under the same terms as physical health conditions, eliminating annual or lifetime dollar limits. It mandates that financial requirements (like copays) and treatment limitations for these conditions cannot be stricter than those for medical care, and insurers must follow established clinical guidelines for coverage decisions. The bill directly affects insurance companies, health plans, and patients with mental health or substance use disorders by ensuring equitable access to care. It applies to all group and individual health insurance plans, excluding limited-benefit policies like accident-only coverage.
Maddy summaryHB 5503 would require landlords to have "good cause" to evict tenants in most residential rental properties, directly affecting renters and landlords covered by the law. The bill specifies that landlords can only remove tenants for defined reasons like nonpayment of rent (with limits on unreasonable rent increases) or serious lease violations, and must go through court to enforce evictions. It excludes certain properties, such as owner-occupied buildings with fewer than five units or housing tied to employment. The bill is currently under review by a committee and has not yet become law.
Limits rent increases to no more than 4% annually unless the landlord is granted an exemption by the secretary of housing and provides tenants with a civil action to recover damages, including an award of attorneys' fees/punitive damages, for violations.
