Updates the description of the early intervention program and the agency responsible for the program under Part C of the federal Individuals with disabilities education act.
Establishes a twenty-seven (27) member joint commission to study ways to maximize revenue for child welfare and children’s behavioral health services.
Creates the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivor Services Fund in Rhode Island to provide state funding for nonprofit organizations that deliver direct services to survivors of domestic violence.
Requires DCYF to establish segregated savings account for foster care child receiving SS, SSI, veterans benefits or railroad retirement benefits to manage the accounts and keep child eligible for future benefits.
Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $200,000 to fund Rhode Island's Farm Fresh Bonus Bucks Program. It provides low-income SNAP recipients with double the value of their benefits when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at participating local farmers markets and farmstands. The funds directly support both low-income families accessing nutritious food and small-scale Rhode Island farms selling produce. The money will be administered by Farm Fresh RI to sustain this existing program, which has distributed over $1.7 million since 2009.
Maddy summaryHB 7241 establishes a state tax credit for Rhode Island residents who provide unpaid care to qualifying family members. It allows eligible caregivers (earning under $50,000 individually or $100,000 jointly) to claim a 50% credit on out-of-pocket expenses for caregiving, capped at $1,000 annually. Eligible expenses include home modifications, medical equipment, hiring aides, or respite care, but exclude insurance-covered costs or general home maintenance. The credit applies to expenses incurred after 2026 for family members aged 65+ or with disability benefits who live with the caregiver and need help with at least two basic self-care tasks (like bathing or dressing).
Removes the requirement that families consent to, and cooperate with the department of human services in establishing paternity and enforcing child and medical support orders as a condition of eligibility for child care assistance.
Eliminates the sunset on the provision of funding, modify eligibility requirement to 85% of state median income and expand funding to at least 20 hours per week.
Codifies child care copayments in law, expand zero copays to families under 125% FPL, lower costs for working families, and cap most copayments at 6% while preserving a 7% statutory maximum.
Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes school bus transportation zones in Rhode Island by moving the towns of Warren and Bristol from Region III to Region V. The change affects students in these towns who rely on public school buses, as their designated service area will shift to align with neighboring communities in the new region. Effective July 1, 2026, the legislation updates the official list of towns assigned to each transportation district without altering the rules for how bus services are provided or paid for.
