Sen. Linda Ujifusa

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Sandra Lake for her significant contributions to women and communities in Rhode Island. It recognizes her work founding the Extraordinary Woman Award and developing the Woman Development Institute, a nonprofit organization that has provided leadership training and educational support for over 25 years. The resolution acknowledges her efforts to create inclusive, bilingual programs that remove financial barriers for women, youth, and families. It directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to Sandra Lake as formal recognition of her leadership and advocacy.

Requires the producer of artificial turf and turf infill sold or distributed in RI to report its chain of custody, from installation to use, repurposing, recycling and disposal to the department of environmental management.

Takes several measures to lead by example by banning state purchases of plastic bottles, and requires state funds to be used to lease or purchase electric vehicles and renewable energy efficient technologies for use on state property.

Maddy summaryThis bill would prohibit corporations and non-licensed entities from owning medical practices or controlling clinical decisions. It requires doctors licensed in Rhode Island to hold majority ownership (shares and board control) in medical practices, while banning management companies from interfering with clinical judgment or restricting doctors’ non-compete agreements. The law also prohibits management organizations from advertising clinics under their own names or entering contracts that would let them dictate staffing, billing, or patient care decisions. These provisions directly affect medical practices using management services organizations and doctors working within them. The bill has been referred to committee but is currently held for further study.

Allows advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and physicians who are and are not licensed in Rhode Island to provide telemedicine services to patients who are in the state when those services are rendered.

Requires Rhode Island Medicaid to cover services provided by licensed certified professional midwives and to collect utilization and cost data, while allowing limits consistent with Medicaid rules.

Maddy summarySB 2696 proposes changes to the state's low and moderate income housing act, which governs how towns and cities provide affordable housing options. The bill would modify existing rules and requirements for affordable housing programs, though specific details of the amendments are not yet available in the official abstract. This legislation directly affects local municipalities and housing authorities that administer affordable housing initiatives. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process, having been introduced and referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government committee.

Requires Medicaid to provide coverage for fertility medication, care, and services, for at least 3 cycles of fertility treatment, and intrauterine insemination.

Requires Medicaid to cover services by licensed certified lactation counselors and EOHHS to oversee and implement the program and track related costs and use. It also ensures reimbursement consistent with similar providers.

Maddy summarySB 2600 requires the public records administrator to create a single, standardized form for requesting public records across all state and local government entities. This directly affects all public bodies (including state agencies, cities, and towns) that handle public record requests. The bill mandates consistent statewide rules for using this form, replacing varying local processes. It does not change access rights or fees but simplifies the request process for the public. The uniform form must be adopted and implemented by the administrator under existing public records laws.