Rep. Mary Messier

Prohibits participation in federal school voucher tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations unless both the general assembly and the governor approve such participation.

Bars the council from granting approval to create or expand a charter school beginning operations in 26-27 school year and bars the state from approving or appropriating funds to a new charter school not approved before July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors Representative Patricia A. Serpa for her nineteen years of service to the people of Rhode Island. It recognizes her legislative work, community leadership, and recent announcement that she will not seek reelection. The House formally thanks her for her dedication to public service and directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to her.

Expands the requirement that all high schools and middle schools, whether they are publicly or privately run to maintain on site a functional AED while establishing and implementing a cardiac emergency response plan in these schools.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that formally thanks and honors the groundskeepers, maintenance staff, and cemetery specialists at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter. It recognizes these employees for their dedicated work in maintaining the 280-acre site, which serves as the final resting place for over 30,000 veterans and their families. The resolution specifically acknowledges the professionalism and respect shown by the staff, noting that some are veterans themselves and that they are state employees under the Office of Veterans Services. Finally, it directs the Secretary of State to send certified copies of the resolution to the Office of Veterans Services and the cemetery staff as a gesture of appreciation.

Adds a new category to the eligibility of childcare assistance to include a "protective services category" which would include foster or kinship children served through DCYF.

Establishes a fund and the operations necessary for a hotline for suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis management. Also instates a monthly surcharge on telephone lines to fund the 988 call center.

Entitles correctional officers with twenty-five (25) years of service and who are at least fifty-five (55) years of age to a non-Medicare-eligible retiree health care insurance benefit.

Maddy summaryHB 7594 increases Rhode Island's earned-income tax credit (EITC) rate to 30% for tax years beginning in 2027 and later. This change directly benefits low-to-moderate income workers who qualify for the EITC, providing them with a larger refundable tax credit. The bill amends the state's tax code to adjust the credit percentage while maintaining the existing eligibility rules for qualifying individuals and families. This is a concrete policy change that will increase tax refunds for eligible working residents starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 7695 creates tax exemptions for property, tangible personal property, sales, and use taxes to incentivize the establishment of qualified data centers in Rhode Island. It directly affects developers and operators of data centers that meet specific criteria defined in the bill. The key mechanism is granting these tax exemptions for eligible costs related to constructing or operating qualifying facilities, including equipment and infrastructure. This policy change reduces financial barriers for data center projects by lowering their operational tax burden.