Rep. Mary Messier

Amends the current law on teacher’s creditable service so that a teacher who takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the year would be given credit for a year of service for that school year if they served a minimum of 135 school days.

Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire when they have at least twenty-eight (28) years of active service and their retirement age, when combined with the number of their years of service reaches, the number eighty-five (85).

Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire upon the earlier of reaching age sixty (60) with thirty (30) years of service or the employee's retirement eligibility date under present state statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 7958 requires that all contracts for capital improvements (such as new construction or major renovations) at healthcare facilities must comply with the fair employment practices standards outlined in chapter 13 of title 37. This directly affects healthcare facilities and their construction contractors by mandating adherence to existing non-discrimination and equal opportunity rules in hiring and employment. The key mechanism is applying these established labor standards to capital improvement contracts, ensuring they include protections against employment discrimination. The bill does not create new requirements but extends current fair employment practices to this specific contracting context. It was introduced on February 27, 2026, and referred to the House Labor committee.

Permits Johnston to require 2 parking spaces for each studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom low- or moderate-income housing unit upon the determination that limited or no local public transportation or off-street parking is available near these units.

Repeals the law that prevents a collective bargaining agreement covering state employees, public school teachers and municipal employees from specifying a particular healthcare provider in it.

Provides for the right to strike for public sector workers in Rhode Island, including teachers, with exceptions for police officers, firefighters, 911 employees, and correctional officers.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House resolution that honors Leanne Barrett for her twenty-one years of work advancing early childhood policies in Rhode Island. It recognizes her specific contributions to programs like prekindergarten education, child care assistance, and infant mental health initiatives. The resolution formally congratulates her on her new role as Executive Director of the Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health and directs the Secretary of State to send her a certified copy of the document.

Increases and reallocates the fees collected for motor vehicle inspections, including motorcycle inspections, with an allocation of ten dollars ($10.00) to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).

Effective July 1, 2026, annually allocates twenty percent (20%) of available proceeds in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account to RIPTA for operating expenses.