Sen. Jonathon Acosta

Maddy summarySB 2212 automatically extends teaching licenses for 3 or 5 years without fees or penalties for all teachers certified as of July 1, 2026. It also waives all application and Praxis exam fees for new teacher certifications through June 30, 2029, to support recruitment. The bill requires the Rhode Island Department of Education to revise certification rules to create flexible pathways, including credit for work experience or competency demonstrations, for both initial and additional teaching credentials.

Mandates private equity companies or real estate investment trusts (REIT) seeking to invest in healthcare providers or provider-sponsored organizations in this state, submit a notice of material change with the AG and deposit a bond with the DOH.

Requires a healthcare entity to submit written notice to the attorney general and the department of health of any material change transaction at least 180 days prior to that transaction.

Establishes an opportunity for employee ownership where the owner notifies all current full-time and part-time employees and provides them with a 30-day window in which to initiate a process to potentially purchase the business as a workers' cooperative.

Establishes a program within the adult correctional institution to permit medication assisted treatment approved by the FDA to be provided for the treatment of opioid use disorder to any incarcerated individual.

Establishes the process to provide a legal mechanism whereby a terminally ill patient may choose to end their life using medications prescribed by a physician.

Establishes a revolving fund to assist first-time home buyers and veterans to purchase a home in Rhode Island by issuing grants of up to forty thousand dollars ($40,000).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new minimum wage of $24.00 per hour for all employers in the state, effective January 1, 2027. It directly affects all employers and employees by setting a mandatory hourly pay floor that must be met or exceeded. The legislation amends existing minimum wage laws to replace the current $16.00 hourly rate with the higher standard. Employers will need to adjust payroll systems and wage policies to comply with this new requirement once it takes effect.

Increases the minimum wage amount for any person committed to the adult correctional institution from $3.00 to $5.00 a day for every day the person shall labor.

Maddy summarySB 2620 sets the state's minimum wage at $20.00 per hour effective January 1, 2027, as part of a scheduled annual increase. This bill directly affects all covered hourly workers and employers subject to the state's minimum wage law. The legislation amends existing law by adding the 2027 rate to the established schedule, which previously set lower rates for prior years (e.g., $16.00 effective January 1, 2026). It does not include additional provisions beyond establishing this specific wage rate.