Rep. Jennifer Stewart

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution expressing condolences to the O'Loughlin family following the deaths of six-year-old Hudson and eighty-four-year-old Elisabeth O'Loughlin. It does not create new laws or change policy but serves as a formal statement of respect and mourning from the Rhode Island House of Representatives. The resolution also includes a commitment to improve street safety for children and public transportation access for seniors. Copies of the resolution will be sent to the family by the Secretary of State.

Enables employees to no longer have to utilize sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave or other paid time off as a condition to their maternity leave.

Establishes a statewide broadband community outreach coordinator to assist state residents interested in learning more and/or applying for, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.

Maddy summaryHB 7440 allows workers who are on strike or locked out during a labor dispute to receive unemployment benefits, which they were previously denied. It directly affects employees involved in strikes or employer lockouts, removing the prior bar to benefits unless specific exceptions apply. Key provisions state workers qualify if the lockout aims to resist collective bargaining or gain concessions, but not if it responds to a strike at another company in a multi-employer group or if the employer offered a 3-day extension of current terms that was refused. The bill takes effect upon passage and clarifies that benefits continue if unemployment lasts more than a week after the dispute ends.

Prohibit denial of an opportunity to apply for employment as a law enforcement officer or firefighter solely on the basis of a person's country of citizenship.

Creates an 11-member task force to track and oversee immigration enforcement and support actions in Rhode Island, and who would report back to the General Assembly House no later than January 5, 2027, and whose life would expire on March 5, 2027.

Maddy summaryHouse Resolution 7131 expresses the Rhode Island House of Representatives' deepest condolences for the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, poet, and community member who died in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The resolution extends sympathies to her family and directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to them. As a memorial resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges her life and loss.

Maddy summaryHB 7352, the Rhode Island Civil Rights Enforcement Act, creates a legal remedy for individuals whose constitutional rights are violated by state or local government entities (including cities, counties, or state agencies). It allows residents or individuals within Rhode Island to sue the government directly for compensation when rights are deprived under color of law, without needing to first sue individual employees. Key provisions include a $500,000 cap on compensatory damages for most claims (adjustable annually for inflation), no punitive damages against the state, and the attorney general’s authority to enforce the law. The law applies immediately upon passage, with claims needing to be filed within three years of the violation.

Prohibits state and municipal officials or body from entering into and renewing any agreements that will be used to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations.

Prohibits law enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who was hired as a sworn officer of the US Immigration and Customs enforcement Agency on or after January 20, 2025 and would apply prospectively to an individual hired on or after October 1, 2026.