Sen. Gordon Rogers

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Rhode Island Business Climate Reform Act, modifies the state's Business Corporation Act to regulate how shareholders can file lawsuits on behalf of corporations. It primarily affects corporate shareholders and directors by establishing stricter rules for derivative proceedings, which are legal actions where shareholders sue to protect corporate interests. The bill requires shareholders to make a written demand to the corporation before filing suit, mandates a 90-day waiting period unless immediate harm is shown, and creates a process for independent directors or a court-appointed panel to determine if lawsuits are in the corporation's best interests. Additionally, it allows certain large corporations to set a minimum ownership threshold of up to 5% for shareholders to initiate derivative actions starting in 2026, and limits attorney fee awards in cases that result only in disclosure settlements.

Maddy summarySB 2076 allows Rhode Island cities, towns, school districts, and water/fire districts to jointly create nonprofit insurance corporations. These corporations would pool insurance risks (like property, casualty, and health coverage) for their member local governments, handle claims processing, and operate as public entities without being regulated by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. The bill specifies that these corporations cannot be treated as standard insurance companies, their bonds won’t count as state debt, and they’ll maintain tax-exempt status for their assets and income. This directly affects local government units seeking cost-effective, shared risk management solutions for their insurance needs.

Maddy summarySB 2302 makes it a minor criminal offense (misdemeanor) to knowingly file a false complaint about misconduct involving law enforcement, public safety personnel, or hospital staff. The bill specifically targets individuals who falsely report misconduct to authorities with the intent of causing harm, such as falsely accusing an officer of wrongdoing. Penalties include up to one year in jail, a $500 fine, and mandatory compensation to the falsely accused person for damages. This bill directly affects anyone who files such false reports, aiming to prevent misuse of complaint systems. The bill was introduced in the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 23, 2026, and is pending further action.

Maddy summarySB 2398 upgrades penalties for filing false police reports about serious crimes. It makes it a felony to falsely report a crime that carries a 5- to 20-year prison sentence (with 1-5 years in prison for conviction) or a 20+ year sentence (with 5-20 years in prison). The bill directly affects individuals who knowingly submit false reports about violent or severe offenses, such as aggravated assault or homicide. It replaces the current misdemeanor penalty with stricter felony charges based on the severity of the underlying crime falsely reported.

Expands the duties of the small business ombudsman, by also having the ombudsman serve as the Rhode Island commerce corporation's small business advocate.

Requires health insurance commissioner to conduct a review of health insurance benefit mandates, including an analysis of the impact on premium costs, conducted every 5 yrs and report findings and recommendations to governor, senate president and speaker.

Provides local agencies with a mechanism to opt-out of statewide transportation upon a showing of a cost-effective alternative to the current fee-for-service model.

Mandates that athletic teams that are sponsored by a public school or a private school whose teams compete against a public school, be designated as (1) "males", "men" or "boys"; (2) "females", "women" or "girls"; or (3) "coed" or "mixed".

Maddy summaryThis bill would temporarily halt several renewable energy programs in Rhode Island starting January 1, 2027. It stops new net metering agreements that allow customers to sell excess solar or wind power back to the grid, prohibits the state from signing long-term contracts over five years for purchasing solar or wind energy, and bars state funds from subsidizing heat pump purchases or installation. These changes directly affect utility customers, energy providers, and state agencies that currently participate in or administer these programs. The legislation does not prevent existing contracts from continuing but blocks new enrollments in these specific renewable energy initiatives.

Redefines what constitutes a farm by reducing the amount of revenue from farm products required to be sold from $10,000 to $2500. It also expands the farm to include all agricultural operations, including forestry.