Raises the minimum fee per barrel of petroleum products or crude oil from five cents ($0.05) to twelve cents ($0.12) per barrel as part of the uniform oil spill response and prevention fee.
Maddy summarySB 2472 increases maximum fines for repeated violations of local dog ordinances in 11 Rhode Island towns, including Barrington. For example, Barrington raises first-offense fines from $25 to $50, second offenses from $50 to $100, and third+ offenses from $75 to $150. The bill establishes tiered penalties based on offense count (first, second, third+) for each town and permits mail payment of citations. It directly affects dog owners who violate local leash laws, licensing rules, or other animal control ordinances. The bill does not create new violations but adjusts existing penalty structures for enforcement.
Maddy summarySB 2470 permits the town of Barrington to charge an annual $7.00 fee for dog licenses. This bill directly affects dog owners in Barrington, who must pay this fee each year to legally keep their dogs. The bill amends existing law to specify Barrington's maximum fee at $7.00 per dog, aligning with how other towns set their own license fees under the same statute. It does not change rabies vaccination requirements or other licensing rules, only establishing Barrington's specific fee amount.
Limits copays, coinsurance or office deductibles for services of a physical therapist to the amount authorized for the services of a primary care physician or osteopath on or after January 1, 2027.
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.
Requires health insurers to comply with federal mental health parity laws, prevent discriminatory treatment limits, and ensures meaningful mental health and substance use coverage in all benefit classifications.
Maddy summarySB 2685 increases the reimbursement rates that individual and group health insurance plans must pay for ambulance services. This directly affects ambulance providers (who receive higher payments) and insurance companies (which must cover these increased costs). The bill changes how insurance companies compensate emergency medical transportation services, ensuring higher payments for covered ambulance trips under existing health plans. It does not alter coverage eligibility or create new benefit requirements.
Authorizes the department of environmental management to issue and enforce rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of the food waste ban.
Maddy summarySB 2628 establishes statewide limits on minimum off-street parking requirements for new housing and commercial developments. It prohibits municipalities from requiring more than one parking space per single-family home, half a space per multi-family unit, or two spaces per 1,000 square feet of commercial space. The bill exempts certain projects from parking mandates, including small homes under 1,200 square feet, commercial spaces under 3,000 square feet, affordable housing, historic district buildings, and child daycare centers. Municipalities must update their zoning codes by December 31, 2026, to comply, while retaining authority over bicycle parking, loading zones, and traffic studies.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution requests the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to consider creating a seasonal heat pump rate within Docket 25-45-GE. The proposed rate would lower electricity costs for heat pump users during winter months by reducing grid usage fees, similar to Massachusetts' existing approach. It aligns with Rhode Island's climate goals to increase electric heating adoption by 2030, as noted in the state's 2025 Climate Action Strategy. The resolution does not create the rate but formally asks the PUC to evaluate it as part of an ongoing rate adjustment process.
