Removes the requirement that 5% of the hotel tax generated from the South County tourism district be paid to the Greater Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Redefines dyslexia to mean a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography.
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.
Maddy summarySB 2639 would allow customers at restaurants and food service businesses to take single-use plastic straws directly from a dispenser instead of needing to request them from staff. This change would directly affect customers seeking straws and food service establishments that currently provide straws only upon request. The bill modifies the default practice for straw distribution without banning plastic straws or imposing new fees. It focuses on streamlining customer access to straws at the point of service.
Maddy summarySB 2184 removes the registration and plate transfer fee for vehicles displaying a Distinguished Service Cross license plate. This change directly affects veterans who have received the Distinguished Service Cross, the military's second-highest decoration for extraordinary heroism. The bill modifies the state's vehicle registration system by eliminating the standard fee that would otherwise apply when registering a vehicle or transferring this specific plate. This is a targeted administrative adjustment to reduce costs for eligible veterans using the special license plate.
Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.
Effective January 1, 2028, Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the previous four (4) fiscal years.
Designates the month of May, annually, as "Rhode Island Native Plant Month," with appropriate ceremonies and activities to recognize and educate people about Rhode Island's native plants.
Promotes fiscal integrity, transparency, and accountability in the state’s healthcare system by mandating that certain reporting covered health entities submit quarterly financial reports to the secretary.
Provides that services provided by graduate student interns who work under a supervisory protocol would be eligible to be paid from Medicaid reimbursement.
