Allows municipalities to enact ordinances that would permit municipalities and water suppliers to enter properties to perform lead service line replacements and permit tenants to request and schedule private side lead service line replacements.
Provides for the operation and duties of natural organic reduction for the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil. A disposition facility would be used for either cremation or natural organic reduction.
Creates the Rhode Island Childcare Assistance Program that governs both family eligibility for the state’s childcare subsidy program and expands eligibility for the program to meet the federal eligibility benchmark.
Maddy summarySB 872 changes how Rhode Island distributes hotel tax revenue collected after December 2015. It redirects 75% of tax revenue from statewide hotel stays to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (up from 70%), while reducing local tourism district shares. The bill requires the Commerce Corporation to spend all received funds on promoting Rhode Island as a tourism destination. This directly affects local governments (which receive less) and the Commerce Corporation (which gains significant new funding for tourism marketing). The change applies to tax payments received after December 31, 2015, with specific percentages adjusted for different regions.
Restricts application of pesticides and rodenticides at schools and child care centers and requires schools to provide copies of notice to parents and guardians.
Requires superior court clerk to automatically seal cases/individual counts of a criminal complaint/indictment that were dismissed, upon request of the defendant and serve it upon bureau of criminal identification, police department and counsel of record.
Requires the electronic filing of domestic violence/sexual assault forms by law enforcement agencies, and enhances the information to be included on the reporting forms.
Limits the use by insurers of step therapy, a protocol that establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs for a specified medical condition are covered by an insurer, by allowing medical providers to request step therapy exceptions.
Maddy summarySB 121 requires Rhode Island's health insurance commissioner to produce a report by January 1, 2026, examining how health insurance plans handle prior authorization for prescription drugs. The report will analyze insurers' processes for approving or denying coverage of medications before they are dispensed. This directly affects health insurers, the commissioner, and patients who rely on prescription medications. The goal is to increase transparency around drug access and inform future policy decisions without advocating for specific changes.
Maddy summarySR 759 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating March 2025 as "Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month" in Rhode Island. It does not create new laws or policies but formally recognizes the importance of colorectal cancer prevention and early detection through public awareness. The resolution cites state cancer statistics, emphasizes that early screening improves survival rates from 90% to 10% when undetected, and references Senator Maryellen Goodwin's advocacy work. It directs the Secretary of State to send certified copies to the American Cancer Society and a medical professional. This is a commemorative resolution, not a legislative mandate.
