Sen. Gordon Rogers

Maddy summarySB 2485, the Parents' Bill of Rights Act, requires written parental consent for most healthcare services provided to minors in Rhode Island, including medical procedures and prescriptions, with exceptions for abortions and certain clinical lab services. It mandates that schools and healthcare providers notify parents about their children's health and well-being information, grant parents access to school and medical records (except in limited circumstances like ongoing investigations), and prohibit institutions from withholding such information without justification. The bill also establishes parental rights to direct education, moral training, school enrollment choices, and consent for biometric data, DNA collection, or recordings of minors. It applies directly to parents, public and private schools, healthcare providers, and government entities handling minors' affairs. The legislation does not override court orders in child welfare cases or permit unlawful parental conduct.

Establishes the E-Verify compliance program which would require all non-governmental employers within the state with 3 or more employees to apply to participate in the federal E-Verify program and to agree to participate in the program, if accepted.

Enables parents to review public school learning materials/object if the parent decides that the material is harmful. Also a parent may withdraw their student from the activity or class where the material is used and request an alternative assignment.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment granting the governor a line item veto specifically on budget and money-related bills. It would allow the governor to reduce or disapprove individual spending items within appropriations while approving the rest of the bill, rather than vetoing entire bills. The legislature would then need to separately reconsider each rejected item to override the veto, with specific rules preventing the governor from altering wording or creating new sentences through partial vetoes. If approved by voters, this change would replace the current constitutional language governing gubernatorial vetoes.

Exempts from the sales tax eligible school supplies, costing less than $30.00, purchased within one week prior to the commencement of the academic year.

Requires the department of transportation, in consultation with the department of environmental management also to conduct an environmental impact study of motor vehicle non-exhaust particle emissions.

Requires the executive climate change coordinating council to evaluate and make recommendations for the use of carbon emissions removal technology as an alternative to reducing carbon emissions and meeting climate goals.

Requires healthcare facilities that perform abortions meet the license requirements of similar healthcare facilities and allows the department of health to conduct unannounced inspections.

Maddy summarySB 2219 requires the state's climate council to study whether climate policies shift environmental impacts of carbon-free energy technologies (like solar panels and EV batteries) onto developing countries, including labor conditions, mining effects, and supply chain transparency. It mandates that solar permit applicants set aside funds for panel recycling at end-of-life and requires wind turbine blades to be disposed of or recycled within the state unless approved for off-site recycling. The bill also creates a renewable energy credit program allowing utilities to use tradable credits for clean energy goals, but prohibits credits for energy made with slave/child labor or certain hazardous materials. These provisions directly affect state agencies, energy developers, and manufacturers of carbon-free technology products.

Requires as part of the solar permit application an assessment on carbon-neutral, a solar permit would only be approved if it was carbon neutral based on the assessment.