Requires all major hospitals within the state constructed or substantially renovated or expanded on or after 1/1/2028 to use renewable energy sources for power.
Maddy summaryHB 7808 exempts energy storage systems (as defined in § 39-33-1) from Rhode Island's sales and use taxes. This change directly affects businesses that manufacture, install, or purchase these systems, removing a tax burden on their transactions. The bill amends Section 44-18-30 of the General Laws to add energy storage systems as a new category of exempt gross receipts. The exemption applies to sales, storage, use, or consumption of these systems within the state, aligning them with existing tax-exempt categories like school meals or newspapers. The bill is currently in the introduction stage (referred to House Finance on 2/12/2026).
Maddy summaryHB 7721 establishes Rhode Island's first statewide ban on the corporate practice of medicine, prohibiting non-licensed entities (like corporations or management services organizations) from owning medical practices or interfering with physicians' clinical decisions. It requires that medical practices be majority-owned and controlled by licensed physicians, with physicians holding the majority of voting shares, board seats, and key leadership roles. The law also bans restrictive contracts, noncompete agreements, and advertising by non-physician entities that could undermine physician autonomy over patient care. This directly affects medical practices partnering with corporate management entities, ensuring doctors maintain control over clinical operations, staffing, and patient care standards.
Requires a healthcare entity to submit written notice to the attorney general and the department of health of any material change transaction at least 180 days prior to that transaction.
Requires the disclosure of the transfer of certain assets of healthcare facilities and provides penalties for failing to file healthcare facility ownership information.
Maddy summaryHB 8124, titled the "Rhode Island Veterans Home Staffing Support Act of 2026," creates a new legislative framework for supporting staffing at Rhode Island Veterans Homes. The bill, introduced on February 27, 2026, and referred to the House Veterans Affairs committee, directly affects state-operated veterans homes and their staffing needs. The provided context does not specify the exact mechanisms or provisions of the bill (e.g., funding methods, staffing ratios, or eligibility criteria), only its title and introduction date. Further details about its concrete policy changes would require access to the full bill text or committee summaries.
Maddy summaryHB 7505 ends Rhode Island's Jobs Development Act tax incentive program by July 1, 2026. It stops all new rate reductions for companies after June 30, 2026, and requires existing beneficiaries who qualified before July 1, 2015, to maintain their current tax rate until the program's end date. The bill does not affect companies that already secured benefits before the 2015 cutoff date, but no new companies can qualify for the tax rate reductions after 2026. This is a straightforward sunset provision for the state's job creation tax incentive program.
Maddy summaryHB 7557, the Rhode Island Firearm Industry Accountability Act of 2026, requires firearm manufacturers, distributors, and retailers ("firearm industry members") to implement safety measures preventing sales to prohibited buyers, straw purchasers, or firearm traffickers. It mandates "reasonable controls" to ensure compliance with existing firearm laws, prohibits advertising that promotes illegal use, and bans sales to entities violating these rules. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $10,000 per offense, injunctions, or loss of business permits. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to civil cases filed after that date.
Requires that any covered entity that develops/provides online services, products, or features that children are reasonably likely to access shall consider the best interest of children when designing/developing such online service, product, or feature.
Provides protections to children using online platforms by requiring platforms to turn off open chats by default for young users, and requires parent to approve children's financial transactions on gaming and social media sites.
