Requires employers to protect employees from extreme temperatures through rest breaks, PPE, training, and equipment, and mandates quarterly supervisor training, to recognize and mitigate heat- and cold-related risks.
Prescriptions for testosterone not allowed to be transmitted or reported within the prescription drug monitoring database and removes from the records all existing information concerning prior testosterone prescriptions.
Expands the DCYF powers by overseeing and administer comprehensive behavioral health services for children with serious emotional disturbances and children with developmental or functional disabilities.
Maddy summaryHB 7863 requires all auto insurance policies issued or renewed in the state after January 1, 2027, to include mandatory uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury or death, with minimum limits set by law. This directly affects drivers purchasing auto insurance, as insurers must provide this coverage unless the policyholder formally declines it in writing (with specific exceptions for minimum coverage policies). The bill mandates coverage limits equal to the policyholder's bodily injury liability limits, prohibits reducing these limits below statutory minimums without proper disclosure, and clarifies that coverage also applies to underinsured motorists. It does not require mandatory property damage coverage for uninsured vehicles, though property damage claims would have a $200 deductible.
Maddy summaryHB 8047 adds the doctrine of "assumption of risk" to the state's comparative negligence law. This means defendants in civil negligence cases could argue that a plaintiff knowingly and voluntarily accepted a specific risk of harm. The bill would directly affect individuals filing or defending against personal injury lawsuits by changing how fault is assessed in cases involving known dangers. It is a substantive legal change to civil procedure, not a procedural or commemorative measure. The bill was introduced on February 27, 2026, and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
Maddy summaryHB 7267 establishes insurance requirements for peer-to-peer car sharing programs, where individuals rent their personal vehicles through apps. It mandates that during the entire sharing period (from pickup to return), vehicles must have insurance meeting state minimums, and the car sharing platform must cover third-party injuries or property damage unless fraud or failure to return the vehicle occurred. If the owner or driver’s insurance lapses, the platform must provide coverage starting from the first dollar of a claim. This directly affects car sharing platforms, vehicle owners, and drivers using these services.
Maddy summaryHB 7556 requires all campus police officers at Rhode Island state colleges and universities to wear ballistic body armor meeting the same standard as state police. This mandate directly affects campus law enforcement officers who patrol college properties and enforce campus rules. The bill amends existing law to specify that officers must be equipped with this protective gear while performing their duties, without changing their arrest powers or other responsibilities. The requirement would take effect immediately upon the bill's passage.
Expands the definition of peace officers to include juvenile program workers and shift coordinators at the department of youth, children and families.
Limits the use by insurers of step therapy, a protocol that establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs for a specified medical condition are covered by an insurer, by allowing medical providers to request step therapy exceptions.
Affords an option for police and firefighters to receive retirement allowances, without reduction, who seek retirement after twenty (20) years of service, upon reaching age fifty-seven (57).
