Permits those individuals convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanors to have their records expunged and provide criteria for the court to consider in determining whether the person is of good moral character.
Maddy summarySB 1113 requires contractors working on Rhode Island public projects (like construction or school transportation) to provide actual healthcare and pension benefits to employees instead of paying cash equivalents. Specifically, starting July 1, 2024, contractors cannot pay employees cash for healthcare benefits (except for those employed 90 days or less), and starting July 1, 2025, they cannot pay cash for pension benefits (again, except for short-term employees). Contractors must provide proof of actual benefit purchases to employees and their bargaining agents, and violations carry $1,000-$3,000 penalties per incident. The bill directly affects public works contractors and their employees, ensuring benefits are delivered as intended rather than replaced with cash.
Requires every individual or group health insurance contract effective on or after January 1, 2026, to provide coverage to the insured and the insured's spouse and dependents for all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices and other products.
Provides for warming center and cooling center alerts to trigger certain procedures municipalities shall follow during extreme heat or cold to help at-risk individuals with resources including, but not limited to, warming and cooling centers.
Maddy summarySB 952 amends the state's "Credit Card Crime Act" to explicitly include "debit cards" under the definition of cards subject to fraud penalties. This change directly affects individuals who commit fraud using stolen or counterfeit debit cards, ensuring such acts are covered under the same legal provisions previously applied only to credit cards. The bill modifies existing law to state that fraudulent use of "credit or debit cards" violates the statute, maintaining the same penalty structure based on the value obtained (e.g., $100 threshold over six months). It does not create new offenses or penalties but clarifies that debit card fraud is now explicitly prohibited under the current law.
Maddy summarySB 118 creates the Rhode Island Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board to address staffing and care quality in nursing homes. The board, composed of 13 members representing employers, workers, community organizations, and state agencies, will advise the legislature and labor department on wages, working conditions, and training standards for nursing home staff. It will recommend statewide minimum compensation and workplace standards but cannot enforce them directly. The bill directly affects nursing home workers, employers, and residents by aiming to improve staffing stability and care quality through data-driven recommendations. (SB 118, "Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act," focuses on advisory recommendations, not direct regulation.)
Maddy summarySB 1141 clarifies the tax treatment for qualifying low-income housing properties in Rhode Island. It requires new qualifying housing units to meet federal definitions (26 U.S.C. §42) for low-income housing, while allowing existing units meeting the state's affordable housing definition (as of December 31, 2024) to retain their tax benefits. The bill mandates that these properties pay a tax equal to 8% of their previous year's gross rental income (or a lower rate set by the municipality). This applies to residential properties with rent or income restrictions recorded in land records, directly affecting housing developers and property owners managing such units.
Clarifies the role of a corporation electing to be governed as a workers' cooperative to allow it to operate as a hiring hall under certain circumstances.
Authorizes the Providence city council to set the veterans tax exemption limit to an amount determined by the city council via ordinance or resolution.
Allows the city of Providence to adopt higher rates for the marginal value of residential property in excess of $1,000,000 per dwelling. Taxpayers below a certain income level may be exempt and additional revenue would be exempt.
