Rep. Matthew Dawson

Maddy summaryHB 7549 makes assaulting a sports official (such as an umpire, referee, or coach) during their duties a felony, directly affecting anyone who commits such violence at any athletic event - from school games to professional leagues. The bill establishes two penalty tiers: a standard assault carries up to 3 years in prison or a $3,000 fine, while assault causing serious bodily injury (like permanent disfigurement or life-threatening harm) results in 3-20 years in prison or a $10,000 fine. It also mandates that offenders pay restitution to victims or complete up to 500 hours of community service, in addition to any fines or prison time. This law applies to assaults occurring before, during, or after any sporting event.

Maddy summaryHB 7575 allows Rhode Island residents with disabilities to obtain up to two motor vehicle disability parking placards instead of just one. This directly affects individuals with qualifying disabilities who need parking privileges for their vehicles or when being transported. The bill specifies that placards must display the international symbol of access and be displayed visibly on the dashboard, with blue placards for permanent/long-term disabilities and red for temporary ones. Renewal occurs every six years with physician certification, and the division of motor vehicles must provide clear denial reasons with appeal options if applications are rejected.

Maddy summaryHB 7336 expands existing uninsured motorist coverage to include property damage (like vehicle damage) alongside bodily injury, which was previously only covered for bodily harm. It requires insurers to offer property damage coverage unless a driver with collision coverage specifically rejects it in writing. The bill mandates insurers to inform policyholders about this coverage option during renewals and sets a $200 deductible for property damage claims. This change directly affects drivers in Rhode Island who need to file claims for property damage caused by underinsured or uninsured drivers.

Creates a 9-member commission to study and provide recommendations to reduce the forty-hour workweek to a thirty-two-hour workweek, and would report back to the House by March 15, 2027, and would expire on June 15, 2027.

Expands the obligations of employers to create, maintain and retain their employees' personnel records, it requires that records be retained for at least 3 years after employee's termination. It also increases the financial penalties for each violation.

Maddy summaryHB 7194 expands the definition of domestic violence to include animal cruelty committed by a family or household member against another household member. It specifically adds three offenses to the list: unnecessary cruelty to an animal (§ 4-1-3), malicious injury or killing of an animal (§ 4-1-5), and abandonment of an animal (§ 4-1-26). This change directly affects victims who share household animals with an abuser and allows courts to address animal cruelty as part of domestic violence cases. The bill amends the Domestic Violence Prevention Act to explicitly include these animal-related offenses under the same legal framework as other domestic violence crimes.

Mandates the workweek be reduced to 32 hrs. Rate of pay for a 32 hr workweek remains the same as the rate of pay for 40 hrs. Work in excess of 32 hrs in any one workweek qualify for overtime pay. Does not apply to employers with less than 500 employees.

Maddy summaryHB 7497 provides state agencies with a specific definition of antisemitism - adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016 - to evaluate potential discrimination cases. The bill requires state agencies to use this definition when reviewing, investigating, or determining violations of anti-discrimination laws, including those based on religion or country of origin. It also mandates that state personnel use this definition in anti-bias training and ensures the law does not infringe on First Amendment rights or conflict with existing federal or state discrimination laws. The bill applies directly to state government operations, not private individuals or businesses. It takes effect upon passage.

Allows social gaming in private residences and in public taverns or private clubs as long as the gambling is incidental to a bona fide social relationship between the participants and no person other than the participants receive anything of value.

Allows a pregnant member or member that has given birth in the past six (6) months to appear remotely and permits any member that participates in a meeting remotely to vote at that meeting, provided that the meeting is held in person.