Establishes, encourages and supports the establishment of family councils and resident councils in managed residential communities providing assisted living services.
Supports the role of independent family council and makes the waiting list transparent by requiring nursing facilities with more than thirty percent (30%) self-pay residents to admit applicants on a first-come-first-served basis for non-private rooms.
Maddy summaryHB 5257 establishes the Rhode Island Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board to set industry-wide standards for nursing home care. The 13-member board - representing employers, workers, community organizations, and health agencies - will advise state leaders on wages, benefits, working conditions, and training requirements for nursing home staff. It will recommend minimum statewide compensation standards and help ensure nursing home operators follow these guidelines. This bill directly affects nursing home workers, their employers, and residents by aiming to improve care quality through standardized workforce conditions. The board will operate under the Department of Labor and Training and begins work upon the bill's passage.
Directs the commissioner of postsecondary education to prepare a strategic plan for public higher education which is aligned with the goals of the board of education's strategic plan.
Maddy summaryHB 5712 establishes fusion voting in Rhode Island, allowing candidates to run under multiple political parties for the same office. It directly affects candidates, political parties, and voters by enabling a single candidate to appear on the ballot under multiple party lines. Key provisions require candidates to formally accept all nominations in writing within 10 days, mandate ballots to display the candidate under each nominating party, and combine all votes for that candidate across party lines into a single total while preventing duplicate voting. The bill also requires ballot design and voting equipment to clearly support this process, including voter instructions and accessibility compliance.
Makes it easier to vote for people eligible to vote who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island adult correctional institute and creates the position of "voting coordinator," within the department of corrections.
Amends the uniform controlled substances act and reclassifies simple possession of 28 grams or less of certain controlled substances as a misdemeanor.
Maddy summaryHB 5416 prohibits Rhode Island auto insurance companies from using race, ethnicity, zip code, credit scores, gender, education level, or occupation to set rates or classify drivers. The bill also bans penalizing drivers solely for being widowed (vs. married) or for being 65+ years old with a clean driving record (no accidents or violations in three years). Additionally, it prevents insurers from refusing policy renewals based solely on age (65+), low-value claims under $3,000, or minor fault (50% or less) in accidents. The law applies to all private passenger auto insurance policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.
Authorizes municipalities to make an emergency declaration under limited circumstances to allow for the construction and use of SAVE Units on a temporary basis which have specialized requirements and exemptions from the state fire and building codes.
Maddy summaryHB 5245 creates a new income-sensitive energy assistance program to help low-income households afford home energy costs. It establishes a capped annual charge of up to $10 per customer (electric or gas) to fund credits for households enrolled in LIHEAP or Medicaid, targeting those with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The program requires electric and gas companies to apply these credits to eligible customers' bills, with discounts designed to limit energy costs to 3-6% of household income based on heating source. Annual funding is restricted to $6.5-$7.5 million, and the Public Utilities Commission must approve the charge rates each year.
