Rep. Michelle McGaw

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a substantive bill) designating March 13, 2025, as "North Kingstown Day" in Rhode Island. It formally celebrates the town's 350th anniversary, its WWII heritage, military connections, and economic contributions to Rhode Island. The resolution urges citizens to honor North Kingstown's service and contributions, with no new laws, funding, or policy changes. It directly affects the Town of North Kingstown and its residents, recognizing their historical and civic role. The resolution passed the House on March 13, 2025.

Amends the definition of the ”practice of pharmacy” to include the administration of immunizations vaccines for persons three years of age and older.

Requires health insurance policies to cover licensed certified lactation counselor services for childbearing families. It also prohibits requiring supervision or duplicate payments for services and mandates annual reporting.

Maddy summaryHB 5627 requires health insurance plans in the state to cover specific pharmacist services starting January 1, 2026. It mandates coverage for services like medication management, immunizations, medication administration, and lab test ordering - provided these would be covered if performed by a physician or advanced provider. The law prohibits insurers from requiring physician supervision for pharmacist services and requires health plans to include pharmacists in their medical provider networks (separate from pharmacy drug benefits). Coverage must also extend outside networks when necessary services aren't available locally, with the law set to expire on January 1, 2030, unless renewed.

Modifies the real estate sales disclosure form to include the disclosure of “blower door diagnostic air leakage testing” and advises that air leakage testing is recommended prior to purchasing a residential unit.

Requires a person selling real property to provide disclosures as it relates to flooding on the property which occurred either through natural events or mechanical failures.

Maddy summaryHB 5817 establishes the "2025 Rhode Island Broadband Transparency and Consumer Protection Act" by repealing state regulations on VoIP and internet protocol services while creating a statewide broadband mapping requirement. The bill requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to submit data on service speeds, technology types, and coverage to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, which must maintain an updated public map showing broadband availability across all areas. This map will identify underserved regions and guide infrastructure planning, with state agencies obligated to provide supporting data. The law directly affects ISPs (through data reporting), state agencies (through data sharing), and Rhode Island residents (by targeting broadband expansion to unconnected communities).

Maddy summaryHB 5858 clarifies and expands the prescribing authority of certified midwives (CNMs/CMs) in maternal and child health care. It authorizes licensed midwives to prescribe specific medications directly related to their practice, including prenatal vitamins, emergency drugs like epinephrine for anaphylaxis, magnesium sulfate for seizures, and common treatments like antibiotics for infections. The bill directly affects certified midwives and their patients, particularly in settings involving prenatal care, labor, delivery, and postpartum care. It does not create new programs but formalizes existing midwifery scope under state health department oversight, requiring midwives to prescribe within their training and department guidelines. The bill would take effect upon passage.

Requires that the division of planning create a checklist of environmental and energy issues that state construction projects which cost in excess of $10,000,000 would need to consider.

Maddy summaryHB 5166 prohibits Rhode Island from licensing any new high-heat waste facilities, including incinerators, gasifiers, and advanced recycling plants that process waste at temperatures above 400°F. The bill defines such facilities broadly to cover processes like pyrolysis, depolymerization, and gasification used for converting waste, plastics, or recovered materials into fuels or chemicals. It directly affects developers and companies seeking to build new facilities of this type in the state. The prohibition would take effect immediately upon the bill's passage, applying to all new construction and operation permits.