Directs the departments of human services and education to work together to sustain and strengthen existing workforce development and compensation programs for educators working in licensed child care and early learning programs statewide.
Establishes a process whereby large drug manufacturers, may be penalized for prescription drug price increases where there is no, or inadequate, new evidence to support the price increase.
Requires that one of the seven (7) directors of the Rhode Island airport corporation be appointed by the governor after the governor gives due consideration to a list of individuals submitted by the mayor of the city of Warwick.
Maddy summarySB 521 establishes a clear process for filling vacancies in municipal election boards (called "local canvassing authorities") in Rhode Island cities and towns. It requires political party chairpersons to submit lists of eligible voters within 30 days of a vacancy, and mandates that mayors or council presidents nominate replacements from those lists within another 30 days. The bill also clarifies that board members serve staggered six-year terms expiring on March 1 in odd-numbered years, and directs city/town clerks to correct any term date errors immediately. This affects local election offices directly by ensuring consistent staffing for handling election results and voter registration.
Maddy summarySB 522 requires the state board of elections to publish all write-in votes for every office on its website, regardless of whether the candidate was qualified or if the votes affected the election outcome. This applies to every write-in vote cast in federal, state, and local races, including those reviewed by local election boards. The bill mandates that the state board report these votes in full detail, including any write-in votes that received fewer than five votes in a race. This change increases transparency around write-in voting by making all such votes publicly accessible, directly affecting voters who cast write-ins and election officials responsible for reporting.
Prohibits an educational institution or school district from accessing or using location data for tracking a student's institutional device or personal device, except in limited circumstances.
Develops standards of civics education in grades K-12 teaching history in the state of Rhode Island, representative government, the rights and duties of actively engaged citizenship, principals of democracy, and media literacy.
Maddy summarySB 207 updates the legal terminology in a state law prohibiting child sexual abuse material by replacing "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" throughout the statute. The bill does not change the legal definitions, penalties, or prohibited activities - such as producing, distributing, or possessing such material - or the affirmative defenses available to defendants. It specifically clarifies that the law covers visual depictions of minors in sexually explicit conduct, with penalties remaining unchanged (up to 15 years in prison for production/distribution, up to 5 years for possession). The bill focuses solely on terminology to align with current legal and advocacy standards, without altering any policy or enforcement mechanisms.
Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person’s transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.
Extends the repayment period for toll violations, and requires the RI transit and bridge authority to notify frequent violators by certified mail that their driver's license may be in jeopardy for failure to pay toll violations.
