Sen. Jake Bissaillon

Maddy summarySB 829 expands Rhode Island's temporary caregiver insurance program to include bone marrow transplant donors and living organ donors as eligible beneficiaries. This means employees taking time off work to donate bone marrow or an organ can now receive wage replacement benefits under the state's temporary disability insurance program. The bill amends existing eligibility criteria to add these donors as a covered category, alongside caregivers for seriously ill family members. Benefit limits gradually increase over time, reaching up to eight weeks per year starting in 2026. The law directly affects workers who are organ or bone marrow donors needing time off for this purpose.

Maddy summarySB 1091 adjusts property tax growth limits for cities and towns, gradually reducing the allowable annual increase from 5.5% (through 2007) to 4% (starting in 2013). It permits exceptions for emergencies, revenue losses, debt service increases, or substantial tax base growth from new construction. Crucially, it allows cities to exceed the 4% cap for taxes on new housing units added to the tax base, including newly built homes and converted properties, starting in 2025. The bill also requires cities to report tax levies to the state and sets annual compliance monitoring. This law, signed by the governor on July 1, 2025, directly affects local governments' budgeting for property taxes.

Maddy summarySB 1088 amends Rhode Island's definitions and approval procedures for low- and moderate-income housing, directly affecting cities and towns required to meet housing quotas. Key provisions include clarifying how housing units count toward municipal requirements: federal rental assistance voucher units now count as full units (not half) starting July 2024, and mobile homes without subsidies count as half-units if monitored. The bill also defines "affordable housing plan" and refines terms like "infeasible" development conditions for subsidized projects. These changes streamline compliance for local governments while expanding eligibility for housing units counted toward state-mandated affordable housing targets.

Maddy summarySB 1092 requires Rhode Island towns and cities to allow residential options beyond single-family homes in areas with available public water and sewer capacity, specifically within designated urban service boundaries on state planning maps. The bill amends zoning ordinance standards to explicitly include "non-single-family residential use" as a required consideration for municipalities. This change applies only to neighborhoods meeting infrastructure conditions, aiming to expand housing diversity without mandating new construction. Municipalities must integrate this requirement into their zoning plans for eligible areas.

Maddy summarySB 1087 creates a statewide electronic permitting platform for all building-related applications, including construction permits, zoning reviews, and environmental permits managed by state and local agencies. It requires municipalities and state departments (like environmental management and transportation) to use this unified digital system for processing applications, inspections, and fee collection. The bill establishes new permit fees (0.1% for commercial, 0.2% for residential projects) with 50% of residential fees funding contractor training programs for minority businesses and local officials. These fees will fund the platform's development and operation, replacing paper-based processes and standardizing building code enforcement across Rhode Island.

Adds a definition for "co-living housing" to the zoning ordinance provisions of the general laws and would include such housing as a special provision to be included in a zoning ordinance.

Maddy summarySB 945 establishes Rhode Island's Anti-Bid-Rigging Act to prevent collusion in public procurement. It prohibits coordinated schemes like identical bids, rotating winners, or price fixing among bidders or government officials influencing contract awards. Violations carry felony penalties of up to three years in prison, fines up to $1 million or three times the contract value, and debarment from state contracts for up to five years. The law specifically excludes simultaneous bids as prime and subcontractor, and standard public disclosures of contract details. This act applies to all state and local government contracts governed by Rhode Island's procurement laws.

Amends the definition of “hobby breeder” to limit the sale or offering for sale to no more than two (2) litters of dogs or cats, or a combination thereof, in a three hundred and sixty-five (365) day period.

Amends the definition of affordable housing to create separate categories for housing using private or state financing as opposed to financing from the federal government.

Maddy summarySB 1086 clarifies and updates procedures for local planning boards and commissions in Rhode Island towns and cities regarding land use planning. It requires planning board members to complete floodplain and sea-level rise training biennially, mandates that public access requests be filed simultaneously with project documents, and specifies how comprehensive plans must be adopted and reviewed. The bill directly affects municipal planning boards, their staff, and developers submitting land development or subdivision projects, ensuring consistent processes for plan adoption, public input, and compliance with state review requirements.