Prohibits any city, town, quasi-municipal corporation or public corporation from assessing any existing agricultural operation or agricultural land for the extension of any water utilities past the property and from imposing any connection fee.
Maddy summarySB 757 allows Rhode Island National Guard members in good standing to allocate their state tuition assistance benefits to their dependents. Dependents must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and enrolled in Rhode Island state colleges or universities. The bill requires members to commit to one additional year of service for every 12 course credits covered for themselves or their dependents, with repayment required if obligations aren't met. This expands existing tuition benefits for National Guard members to include family members, subject to specific eligibility and service requirements.
Ensures public access to lead service lines to determine the existence of lead within the water connection. This act also ensures mitigation measures and replacement lines are consistent with the current version of 40 C.C.R. 141 Subpart I.
Maddy summarySR 327 is a proposed constitutional amendment (the "Green Amendment") that would add a new section to Rhode Island's Constitution, granting all residents a fundamental right to clean air, water, healthy soil, a stable climate, and preserved natural environments. It requires the state to act as a trustee for natural resources, protecting these rights for both current and future generations without discrimination. If approved by voters, this amendment would become effective January 1, 2027, and would be submitted to voters at the next statewide general election. The bill passed the Senate on June 3, 2025, and now awaits voter approval.
Establishes Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates set by the general assembly as the rate floor for Medicaid managed care by home care, home nursing care and hospice providers licensed by the DOH and continue the EEOHH.
Allows a modification to federal adjusted gross income of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) of social security income for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
Provides that a school district could elect and choose to not spend money on any mandate that is not fully funded through the state education aid formula.
Maddy summarySB 895 suspends the gross earnings tax on electric and gas utility companies from January 1, 2026, through January 1, 2035. Specifically, it stops the 4% tax on electricity corporations (as defined in subsection 2) and the 3% tax on gas corporations (as defined in subsection 6) during this period. The bill does not permanently repeal the tax but delays its collection for a decade. This directly affects utility companies that generate electricity or distribute gas to the public. The suspension takes effect on January 1, 2026, as specified in the bill text.
Creates the Old Growth Forest Protection Act to provide protection for state-owned forestland in their natural state prohibiting extractive logging and clearcutting in any forest on state-owned land.
Maddy summarySB 1121 modifies net metering rules for solar and renewable energy systems by allowing development on "preferred sites" within protected forest areas without triggering standard capacity caps or rate reductions. This specifically exempts projects on these designated sites from the 10-megawatt (MW) system size limit and other restrictions that apply to typical installations. The bill directly affects property owners and developers installing solar/wind systems on preferred sites in core forests, enabling them to bypass certain regulatory limits. It maintains existing net metering policies while creating a streamlined path for renewable projects on these specific locations.
