Rep. Jason Knight

Maddy summaryThis bill formally designates April as Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Month in Rhode Island. It encourages educators to include lessons on past and current genocides in their classrooms to promote understanding and prevent future atrocities. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the proclamation to the Commissioner of Education and the state's Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission.

Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a $25 million bond referendum to the Rhode Island voters for approval at the November 2026 election to fund a statewide bicycle infrastructure network. If approved, the state would issue bonds to finance planning, design, and construction of priority projects outlined in the Rhode Island Statewide Bicycle Mobility Plan. The funding would support building safe, connected bicycle facilities across the state to improve transportation options, reduce emissions, and promote public health. The bill requires voter approval before any bonds can be issued, ensuring public consent for the capital investment.

Requires that every insurer providing health coverage insurance provide every physician or physician group with a complete fee schedule seeing for the maximum allowable reimbursement for each covered service.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Primary Care Contracting Good Faith Act, which would require commercial insurers, managed care organizations, and Medicare Advantage plans to negotiate in good faith with primary care physician practices at least once every 24 months. The negotiations must explicitly consider factors such as operating costs, inflation, staff wages, malpractice premiums, and other overhead expenses. Additionally, the law prohibits payers from refusing to negotiate or renew contracts solely based on a practice's size, ownership structure, patient panel size, or Medicaid volume. The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner would maintain a log of negotiation requests and issue annual reports, while complaints would be reviewed under existing authority. The act would take effect 90 days after passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare entities and health plans to process provider credentialing applications within 30 calendar days for new applications and 10 business days for providers already credentialed with Medicare. It also mandates that minor demographic updates, such as address changes, be completed within 5 business days. The bill includes provisions for automated status updates every 15 days, written explanations for denials, and retroactive reimbursement if payers miss deadlines. Additionally, it establishes a conditional approval process for resident graduates and requires the health insurance commissioner to enforce timelines through quarterly reporting.

Expands the definition of "educational program" for purposes of the abused and neglected children general law to include charter schools, parochial schools, after school programs, camps and various other programs involving children.

Provides that the statute of limitations for second-degree sexual assault shall be 10 years from the date of the offense, or, in the case of a victim who is under the age of 18, ten years from the victim’s eighteenth birthday, whichever is later.

Maddy summaryHB 7005 authorizes the town of Barrington to create a tax credit reduction of $16,000 for legally blind residents through local ordinance. This policy directly affects legally blind individuals who reside in Barrington and own real property, providing them with a reduction in their property tax bill. The bill requires Barrington to establish this credit via town ordinance, specifying it applies to real property and is separate from other existing exemptions. It does not change the current exemption amounts for other towns but grants Barrington the specific authority to implement this tax credit.

Authorizes the Superior Court to place a hospital into receivership upon action by the attorney general or department of health when a hospital is mismanaged, financially distressed, acting illegally, or endangering patient health and safety.