Sen. Meghan Kallman

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the "Bed Bugs in Residential Premises Act," establishes clear responsibilities for both landlords and tenants regarding bed bug infestations. Tenants are required to promptly notify their landlord of suspected bed bugs, prompting the landlord to arrange for an inspection by a pest control agent within 96 hours. If bed bugs are confirmed, the landlord must commence treatment within five business days, covering the costs for inspection and treatment in the affected and contiguous dwelling units. Tenants must allow access for inspection and treatment and are responsible for costs associated with preparing their unit. The bill also prohibits landlords from renting out units they know or reasonably suspect to contain bed bugs.

Maddy summarySB 389 amends existing law regarding the establishment of charter public schools. This bill prohibits the approval of any new application for a network charter school. It also prevents the expansion of an existing charter school if that expansion would create a network charter school. This directly impacts entities that might seek to establish or grow this specific type of charter school within the public education system.

Allows for a special RI license plate to raise awareness for colon cancer. The plate would be designed by the partnership to reduce cancer in RI. The fees for the plate would be divided equally between the general fund and the partnership not-for-profit.

Provides that the prescription label for medication abortion prescription drugs shall include the name of the dispensing health care practice instead of the name of the dispenser.

Provides that stores offering food product discounts must provide the same discounts to in store customers that are offered to customers using electronic digital coupons.

Creates the position of dementia services coordinator within the department of health to coordinate the departments approach to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Requires the courts to consider the parental status of the defendant at the time of sentencing and allows the defendant to present a family impact statement, including testimony, videos and documents relative to their parental status.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends existing law on inclusionary zoning, requiring towns and cities to ensure some developments include affordable housing. It mandates that developments exceeding ten dwelling units must allocate at least fifteen percent (15%) of their units as affordable housing, which must be comparable to market-rate units and remain affordable for at least thirty years. Municipalities can allow developers to meet this requirement through on-site construction, off-site building, land donation, or by paying a fee-in-lieu. The bill also provides a density bonus for on-site affordable housing and specifies how fee-in-lieu payments are calculated, used, and overseen by local authorities or transferred to the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation (RIHMFC).

Municipalities required to amend zoning ordinances, to include special listed provisions, to authorize development incentives to increase development density or dimensional flexibility, identify provisions to promote and regulate commercial developments.

Requires cities and towns to permit attached single-family dwellings in any residential zoning districts and each such dwelling would be entitled to its own parcel thorough subdivision regardless lot size or base zone standards.