Requires the school board or committees of cities and towns to establish a safety and behavioral health committee and also lays out the representation requirements committee responsibilities to ensure a stable learning environment for all students.
Maddy summarySB 238, the "Freedom to Read Act," prohibits public libraries and school libraries from removing or restricting materials based on the creator's identity (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) or viewpoint. It defines censorship narrowly, excluding only obscene material (per legal standards) or content deemed developmentally inappropriate by recognized authorities like the ALA. The law requires libraries to adopt policies ensuring challenged materials remain available during review, establish formal reconsideration processes with 30-day timelines, and mandate written justifications for removals. These rules apply directly to public library boards, school committees, and librarians managing collections across the state.
This pilot program would create a $3,000 trust for each Rhode Island child ages zero to one year born to a family enrolled in the Rhode Island Works Program (“RI Works”) during the preceding calendar year.
Maddy summarySB 932 extends a temporary rule allowing nonprofit organizations that sponsor special license plates to order as few as 150 plates per design (instead of the standard 600) without needing full prepayment. This change, originally set to expire December 31, 2025, is made permanent by the bill. It directly affects nonprofits that create custom plates for causes like charities or community groups, reducing their financial barrier to launching new designs. The bill repeals the expiration date, ensuring the lower minimum order requirement continues indefinitely.
Criminalizes the unauthorized dissemination of sexually explicit images of another person that are created by digital devices or created without the consent of the person depicted.
Maddy summarySB 712 requires the New Shoreham Water District to limit its water service exclusively to customers residing within its officially defined service area, rather than the entire municipal land area. This provision, added to water resources law, gives the district's board of commissioners the authority to enforce this boundary restriction. The bill directly affects New Shoreham's water utility operations and its customers within the designated zone. It took effect immediately on July 1, 2025, without requiring gubernatorial action.
Maddy summarySB 229 repeals the legal authorization for "deferred-deposit transactions," commonly known as payday loans, by removing the specific definition that allowed these services in the state. This directly affects payday lenders operating within the state, ending their ability to legally offer short-term cash advances secured by personal checks or future account debits. The bill eliminates the regulatory framework enabling these transactions, which were previously defined under "deferred-deposit transactions" and "payday loans" in the licensing statutes. The law was signed by the governor on July 1, 2025, making it effective immediately.
Grants Rhode Island's family court jurisdiction to make findings for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions, including determinations about dependency, parental reunification, and the child’s best interest, for minors under twenty-one (21) years.
Maddy summarySB 487 prohibits all licensed healthcare facilities (such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes) from asking patients about their legal immigration status or requiring proof of U.S. residency. This applies to every patient regardless of their immigration status, ensuring that facilities cannot deny care or ask for such information during treatment. The bill amends existing licensing rules to add a clear standard (section 19) explicitly banning these questions, with no exceptions for facility staff or billing processes. It takes effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, which occurred on July 1, 2025. This policy change directly protects patients’ privacy and access to care without altering other healthcare services or billing requirements.
Restricts audits of pharmacists conducted by insurers and their intermediaries, limiting audits to one per year unless fraud or misrepresentation is reasonably suspected. The RI attorney general has the authority to impose sanctions for violations.
