Creates a shellfish hatchery program established by the department of environmental management to foster sustainable development and resiliency of the state's shellfish industry.
Maddy summarySB 642 establishes a $0.15 fee per 10,000 gallons of wastewater effluent discharged by treatment facilities across Rhode Island. This fee applies to all wastewater treatment facilities (not individual households) and begins July 1, 2025. Revenue from the fee will fund the Bays, Rivers and Watersheds Fund, which supports environmental projects like watershed management, marine monitoring, and climate resilience initiatives. The bill expands the fund's revenue sources beyond previous septage-specific fees to include wastewater disposal.
This act would require that a super majority of three-fifths (3/5) of the duly appointed council is required to override a recommendation by the CRMC staff.
Maddy summarySB 842 prohibits payment networks, banks, and processors from charging interchange fees (fees between banks for card transactions) on the tax or gratuity portion of a customer's payment. It directly affects merchants who process credit/debit card payments, requiring them to report tax and gratuity amounts during transaction authorization or settlement to avoid these fees. If merchants don’t report upfront, they can submit documentation within 180 days to receive refunds for improperly charged fees. Violations carry $1,000 penalties per transaction and require fee refunds to merchants. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.
Changes the community service requirements of a sentence related to the violation of § 11-44-21.1 relating to defacing private residences, offices, businesses or commercial property.
Permits non-sworn public safety officers/security guards at private colleges/universities to detain individuals for no longer than 30 minutes within the campus’s jurisdiction if the officer or guard believes the person committed a criminal offense.
Maddy summarySB 872 changes how Rhode Island distributes hotel tax revenue collected after December 2015. It redirects 75% of tax revenue from statewide hotel stays to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (up from 70%), while reducing local tourism district shares. The bill requires the Commerce Corporation to spend all received funds on promoting Rhode Island as a tourism destination. This directly affects local governments (which receive less) and the Commerce Corporation (which gains significant new funding for tourism marketing). The change applies to tax payments received after December 31, 2015, with specific percentages adjusted for different regions.
Authorizes municipalities to make an emergency declaration under limited circumstances to allow for the construction and use of SAVE Units on a temporary basis which have specialized requirements and exemptions from the state fire and building codes.
Prohibits force-feeding to create a force-fed poultry product or the hiring of another to engage in force-feeding of a poultry product. Violations would be subject to a civil penalty of $500 per violation.
Prohibits a person to sell, offer for sale, display for sale or otherwise distribute a farmed animal fur product within the state and provides graduated civil penalties for violations.
