Rep. Raymond Hull

Maddy summaryHB 5695 allows municipalities to hold local tax amnesty events once every three years, enabling residents to avoid late fees on overdue real estate, property, and vehicle taxes. The bill permits cities to create two separate 60-day periods annually (during 2024-2025) where taxpayers can submit written requests to waive interest and penalties. It excludes taxes owed for the current tax year during amnesty periods and requires tax officials to provide written decisions, with appeals to city councils within 10 days if denied. This directly affects taxpayers with overdue local tax payments and gives municipalities a structured process to encourage payment without penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 5158 removes the requirement for applicants to pass a standardized written exam to become a licensed clinical social worker in Rhode Island, effective until August 15, 2030. This change directly affects social workers seeking clinical licensure in the state, eliminating a key barrier to entry. The bill also directs the licensing board to consider accommodations for non-English speakers and explore alternative qualification paths to better serve Rhode Island's diverse communities. The law aims to increase access to licensure while maintaining other qualification standards like education and experience.

Prohibits credit reporting, executions, attachments against a principal residence for judgments based on medical debt. Defines medical debt as an amount for the receipt of health care services, products, or devices.

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 5306 repeals the law establishing the Capital Center Commission, a special development district commission for downtown Providence. This bill removes the legal framework that allowed the commission to manage development projects, collect special assessments from property owners, and oversee improvements like parking, landscaping, and public services within the downtown district. The repeal eliminates the commission's authority without creating new policies or affecting current development activities. As a procedural bill, it directly affects the governance structure for downtown Providence's development efforts.

Requires any state agency that prints more than fifty (50) copies of a contract, publication, brochure, notice, or promotional material to use state-owned or operated print shop capable of processing the material.

Makes technical amendments to the RI life science hub regarding the terms of the directors, advisory committees, powers, disposition of hub assets upon termination, and tax status as a governmental unit which is a separate legal entity from the state.

Maddy summaryHB 5698 changes how property taxes are calculated for owner-occupied low- and moderate-income housing. It requires assessors to use a property’s most recent sales price - not standard market value - as the tax assessment basis for qualifying housing units. This directly affects homeowners in designated low- and moderate-income housing that serves as owner-occupied residences. The change prevents tax increases tied to rising market values, maintaining affordability for eligible homeowners.

Maddy summaryHB 5460 updates legal definitions in Rhode Island's aeronautics law to include the U.S. Space Force as a military branch. It amends Section 1-4-2 of the Uniform Aeronautical Regulatory Act to add "space force" to the definition of "military aircraft" (Section 14), ensuring the term appears consistently throughout the law. The bill makes no substantive changes to aviation regulations or operations - it solely adjusts terminology to reflect the Space Force's status as a separate military service. This is a procedural update affecting how military aircraft are legally categorized in state statutes.

Exempts from taxation the real and tangible personal property of Codac, Inc., a Rhode Island nonprofit domestic corporation, located at 45 Royal Little Drive in Providence, Rhode Island.