Rep. Lauren Carson

Charges a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each battery powered elective motor vehicle safety inspection. It would also require any vehicle, regardless of gross vehicle weight rating, to be subject to emissions inspection.

Maddy summaryHB 7190 requires health insurers in Rhode Island to disclose how they use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage healthcare claims and coverage decisions. Insurers must report AI models, training data, performance metrics, and documentation of AI-influenced decisions to state regulators, and maintain records for five years. Crucially, the bill mandates that any AI-driven denial of medically necessary care must be reviewed and approved by a licensed healthcare provider with the same specialty as the ordering provider before finalization. This directly affects insurers, enrollees (patients), and healthcare providers by adding human oversight to AI decisions on coverage. The law aims to ensure transparency and accountability in AI use for non-administrative coverage decisions, such as denials of medically necessary treatments.

Maddy summaryThis is a non-binding House resolution (not a bill) introduced by the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It expresses concerns about Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which are private insurance options replacing traditional Medicare, noting issues like higher costs for patients during serious illness, narrower provider networks, and practices that allegedly prioritize insurer profits over patient care. The resolution urges federal lawmakers and agencies to take specific actions, including increasing transparency, auditing MA plans, regulating marketing, and prohibiting profit-driven practices like "cherry-picking" healthy enrollees. It does not create new laws but calls for administrative changes to protect Medicare beneficiaries.

Authorizes the appropriation of the sum of $10,000,000 to the Rhode Island Foundation, to generate funds to support public education through distributions to local education agency foundations. The funds would be disbursed over 5 years.

Establishes the Rhode Island Maternal Health Improvement and Equity Act of 2026, to establish permanent statewide support for maternal health and to implement the maternal health strategic plan improving maternal health care and access.

Maddy summaryHR 7533 is a House Resolution requesting a waste audit at the Rhode Island State House to analyze what materials (like paper, plastic, and food) are discarded, recycled, or composted. It directs the State House operations team to develop a waste reduction strategy based on the audit findings and to investigate installing water filling stations (to reduce plastic bottles) and electric car chargers (to meet climate goals). The resolution requires a report on these recommendations by January 5, 2027, to the House. This affects only the State House’s internal operations, not broader public policy.

Creates the "Organics Diversion at Catered Events Act" to require caterers to submit an annual diversion plan for food and organic waste to the department of environmental management for approval prior to permitting for covered events.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Rhode Island landfills from using artificial turf to cover compacted solid waste after July 1, 2026, except for existing installations installed before that date. It requires the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRC) to track artificial turf disposal volumes and include annual reports on this data. The bill also establishes a pilot program testing native plants and pollinator-friendly grass mixes as landfill cover, with results due by January 1, 2028. These changes apply to all sanitary landfills operated under RIRC's oversight.

Authorizes the department of environmental management to issue and enforce rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of the food waste ban.

Creates legal cause of action for persons/insurers to recover losses resulting from climate disaster against petroleum product producers based upon strict liability for deceptive/false statements as to climate impacts.