Sen. Jessica de la Cruz

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1030 is a commemorative resolution that celebrates Rhode Island Independence Day on May 4, 2025. It recognizes the historical significance of Rhode Island's early renunciation of allegiance to the British crown and directs a copy of the resolution to be sent to the Nathanael Greene Homestead Association, Inc.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1029 congratulates Burrillville Police Chief Colonel Stephen J. Lynch on his induction into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame. This resolution honors Chief Lynch for his distinguished career and contributions to criminal justice in Rhode Island.

Establishes office of inspector general which would be charged with preventing fraud and mismanagement of public funds, regardless of their source and would oversee all state programs and operations.

Establishes the office of inspector general as an independent administrative agency charged with the responsibility to investigate, detect, and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.

Maddy summarySB 112, "The Bright Today Scholarship and Open Enrollment Education Act," aims to provide K-12 students and their parents in Rhode Island with expanded educational choices. It establishes open enrollment, allowing students to attend public schools in their own or other districts. The bill also creates Bright Today Scholarships, or Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which allow public funds to be used by parents for tuition, fees, textbooks, and other approved educational expenses at participating private schools or for private curriculum programs. Unused scholarship funds can roll over to future years.

Maddy summaryThis bill, SB 101, proposes to repeal the state's corporation minimum tax. It directly affects all corporations, including small business corporations (S-corps), that are currently subject to the state's business corporation tax. Specifically, it eliminates the requirement for these businesses to pay a minimum tax amount, which is currently $400 for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2017. If enacted, corporations would no longer be subject to this minimum payment, regardless of their net income tax calculation.

Maddy summarySB 886 amends Rhode Island's Renewable Energy Standard, which sets requirements for electricity providers (obligated entities) to source power from renewable resources for their Rhode Island customers. The bill extends the target year for achieving 100% of Rhode Island's electricity demand from renewable energy from 2033 to 2043. It revises the annual percentage increases for renewable energy procurement to align with this new timeline. The bill also details methods for compliance, including the use of NE-GIS certificates or alternative compliance payments, and provides specific exemptions for certain existing power supply contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill primarily revises the geographical boundaries of school bus districts across the state, affecting kindergarten through 12th-grade students attending public, vocational, special education, and nonpublic nonprofit schools. It redefines nine specific regions and clarifies that the school committee of the student's resident city or town is responsible for providing bus transportation within that region. The bill also details state funding for various education programs, including excess costs for special education, career and technical education, and pre-kindergarten. Additionally, it establishes a stabilization fund to provide financial support for Central Falls, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, covering costs such as transportation and facility maintenance. Students currently receiving transportation under the old district system will transition to the new regions starting July 1, 2029.

Maddy summarySB 503, "AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING," seeks to amend existing definitions related to low and moderate-income housing. The bill modifies criteria for what qualifies as "low- or moderate-income housing" and how units are counted towards a municipality's affordable housing inventory. It specifies that certain mobile or manufactured homes can count as one-half of a unit, and rental properties secured with federal assistance vouchers can count as one whole unit, provided specific conditions are met. This legislation aims to refine the framework for establishing and tracking affordable housing in cities and towns.

Provides that water utility companies be responsible for all costs associated with maintenance, operation and delivery of water pumping stations to individual parcels of land and schools with no pumping stations on the property.