Rep. Karen Alzate

Maddy summaryHB 5858 clarifies and expands the prescribing authority of certified midwives (CNMs/CMs) in maternal and child health care. It authorizes licensed midwives to prescribe specific medications directly related to their practice, including prenatal vitamins, emergency drugs like epinephrine for anaphylaxis, magnesium sulfate for seizures, and common treatments like antibiotics for infections. The bill directly affects certified midwives and their patients, particularly in settings involving prenatal care, labor, delivery, and postpartum care. It does not create new programs but formalizes existing midwifery scope under state health department oversight, requiring midwives to prescribe within their training and department guidelines. The bill would take effect upon passage.

Sets a clear and enforceable standard for reducing the presence of harmful metals in personal care products, prioritizing public health through testing, labeling, and the development of safer alternatives.

Maddy summaryHB 5166 prohibits Rhode Island from licensing any new high-heat waste facilities, including incinerators, gasifiers, and advanced recycling plants that process waste at temperatures above 400°F. The bill defines such facilities broadly to cover processes like pyrolysis, depolymerization, and gasification used for converting waste, plastics, or recovered materials into fuels or chemicals. It directly affects developers and companies seeking to build new facilities of this type in the state. The prohibition would take effect immediately upon the bill's passage, applying to all new construction and operation permits.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic resolution formally recognizes March 8, 2025, as "International Women's Day" in Rhode Island. It has no legal effect or policy changes - it serves only as a ceremonial acknowledgment of the day. The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the resolution on March 11, 2025, directing the Secretary of State to notify the Governor. It does not impact any specific groups or create new laws.

Provides that an agreement resolving a patent infringement claim, in connection with the sale of a pharmaceutical product, is to be presumed to have anticompetitive effects if a nonreference drug filer receives anything of value.

Limits the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to $3,000 retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2025, and prohibits the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases.

Exempts recovery claims for damages due to a town's neglect in maintaining highways or bridges from the provisions of chapter 31 of title 9 on governmental tort liability.

Caps damages at $100,000 in tort actions against Rhode Island, cities, towns, or fire districts, except for willful misconduct or extreme recklessness. It also exempts them from § 9-21-10.

Maddy summaryHB 5952 creates a Home Ownership Assistance Account within Rhode Island's Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation to expand homeownership opportunities for low-income residents. The account, funded by 25% of monies from a specific state revenue source, directly assists households at or below the area median income, with priority for seniors, veterans, people of color, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, and agricultural workers. Funds will provide down payment grants, support homeownership programs, and offer technical assistance to organizations focused on increasing homeownership - especially for people of color - while requiring long-term affordability measures like shared equity. The Corporation must distribute funds statewide but prioritize areas with the greatest need, aiming to reverse declining homeownership rates among marginalized groups.

Maddy summaryHB 5452 designates the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) as the lead state agency responsible for all children's behavioral health services, including contracting for necessary programs. It requires DCYF and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop a full range of behavioral health services that prioritize alternatives to hospitalization, with a report due by February 1, 2006, detailing implementation plans and metrics. The bill also mandates that DCYF manage psychiatric hospitalizations for all children, requiring crisis intervention services before admission for Medicaid-eligible children not enrolled in RIte Care health plans. This directly affects children needing behavioral health care and the agencies managing their services.