Amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to clarify housing-status enforcement, ban discriminatory housing notices, aligns state law with federal standards and removes a ban on public discussion of fair housing cases.
Maddy summaryHB 7769 sets the minimum wage for 2027 at $20.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2027. This bill directly affects all employers and hourly workers in the state who must pay at least this rate. The key provision amends existing law to establish this specific hourly rate for 2027, building on previously scheduled annual increases listed in the bill. The change takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage.
Creates the division of civil representation within the department of housing and require civil representation by a Designated Legal Organization to provide legal representation to all tenants who qualify in eviction proceedings.
Permits students diagnosed with asthma, a condition that may lead to bronchospasm or anaphylaxis, or both, to carry and self-administer asthma medication or auto-injectable or intranasal epinephrine, or both.
Designates the month of May, annually, as "Rhode Island Native Plant Month," with appropriate ceremonies and activities to recognize and educate people about Rhode Island's native plants.
Provides that original equipment manufacturers, implemented by/with surrogate distributors, of agricultural equipment, provide to independent service providers repair information and tools to maintain and repair electronics-enabled agricultural equipment.
Maddy summaryHB 7518, the Rhode Island Kratom Act, regulates the sale of kratom products by requiring retailers to store all such products behind the sales counter in a locked case until purchased. It prohibits sales to anyone under 21 years old and mandates that buyers show valid government-issued photo ID (like a driver’s license or passport) to verify age. The law applies directly to businesses selling kratom products in Rhode Island and takes effect on April 1, 2026. These provisions aim to restrict access to kratom products while ensuring age verification at point-of-sale.
Requires the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals to publish a statewide guide to the youth behavioral health system.
Provides that for treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, payors would rely upon criteria which reflect generally accepted standards of care when developing coverage.
Maddy summaryHB 7943 prohibits health insurers from requiring preauthorization for in-network mental health or substance use disorder services, directly affecting insured patients seeking these treatments within their plan's network. The bill mandates that coverage for mental health and substance use disorders must meet the same terms as medical care, eliminating annual/lifetime dollar limits and ensuring cost-sharing parity with primary care visits. Key provisions include banning non-quantitative treatment restrictions that are stricter than those for medical conditions and requiring insurers to use American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria for substance use disorder coverage. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies specifically to in-network services as defined in the bill.
