Sen. David Tikoian

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed alcohol retailers to provide drink lids to customers upon request to help prevent drink spiking. The law mandates that businesses post a specific notice informing patrons about the availability of lids and instructs them to ask staff for details. Retailers may charge a reasonable fee for the lids based on wholesale costs, though they are also allowed to offer them for free. For the first violation of this requirement, including failure to post the notice, the penalty is limited to a warning from the regulatory department.

Under the emergency fund for victims, increases the share of a victim’s total award that may be used for relocation related expenses but not increase total compensation available to a victim.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes definitions and a regulatory framework for public-private partnerships in state procurement, allowing state agencies to enter into long-term contracts with private entities for developing, financing, constructing, or maintaining public assets. The legislation requires agencies to conduct value-for-money analyses comparing partnership options against traditional methods and mandates competitive procurement processes with detailed evaluation criteria. Key provisions include requirements for prevailing wages, labor harmony plans, oversight responsibilities, and a study on project labor agreements for contracts exceeding $25 million, while maintaining state accountability for delegated functions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program and task force focused on using food as medicine, managed by the executive office of health and human services. The program would explore how dietary interventions can support health outcomes, though specific details like funding levels and participant criteria are not yet defined in the abstract. The measure is currently in the early stages of review and has been held for further study by the Senate committee. It does not yet establish any permanent regulations or mandate specific actions for healthcare providers or the public.

Ensures that more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care they need and want, by incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Rhode Island's state education department and high school sports league to create a statewide anti-hazing policy for student athletics. It mandates clear definitions of hazing, zero-tolerance sanctions (including team suspensions or season cancellations), and education components to prevent hazing. All schools in the state participating in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League must follow this policy, which also requires student-athletes to sign an acknowledgment of the rules before joining teams. The policy explicitly states that consent is never a defense for hazing and ensures consistent discipline across all schools. The bill takes effect upon passage.

Maddy summarySB 2453 allows cities and towns to create programs waiving interest on overdue property taxes for commercial properties. To qualify, taxpayers must own the commercial property for five years, provide written proof of timely tax payments for five years, and request the waiver within two years of the overdue bill. The waiver is capped at $500 per request, and local tax collectors must issue written decisions with appeal options to city councils. This bill enables local governments to adopt ordinances implementing this relief, directly affecting commercial property owners who fall behind on quarterly tax payments.

Maddy summarySB 2491 changes the date for selecting delegates to national political conventions and presidential preference primaries from the fourth Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday in March, starting in 2028. This affects voters in this state who participate in presidential primaries and the state election administration. The bill specifically amends the law to set the new date for 2028 and all subsequent presidential election years, while keeping the 2024 primary on April 2, 2024. The change takes effect upon passage and does not alter other primary procedures.

Maddy summarySB 2735 amends the process for creating and governing project labor agreements (PLAs) used in state public construction projects. It directly affects state contractors and labor unions working on public property and infrastructure projects by changing how these agreements are established and managed. The bill modifies the procedures for developing PLAs, which set wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers on state-funded construction sites. This change aims to streamline the PLA process for state projects without altering the core requirements of the agreements themselves. The bill was introduced to the Senate Labor and Gaming committee on February 27, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2130 requires the state board of elections to publish all write-in votes online, regardless of whether the candidate is qualified or if the votes could affect election results. It mandates that local election boards adjudicate write-in votes in races where the total could impact outcomes, and the state board must publish these adjudicated votes along with all write-in votes cast, including those with fewer than five votes. This applies to all federal, state, and local races, ensuring transparency in how write-in votes are processed and reported. The bill changes existing rules by requiring mandatory public disclosure of all write-in ballots, not just those affecting election margins.