Sen. Lou Raptakis

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution officially designates March 8, 2026, as International Women's Day and the entire month of March as Women's History Month within the State of Rhode Island. The measure recognizes the historical contributions of women to Rhode Island's development and encourages citizens to learn about their achievements and support future equality initiatives. It directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to the Governor for formal acknowledgment. The resolution serves as a commemorative observance rather than establishing new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Sandra Lake for her significant contributions to women and communities in Rhode Island. It recognizes her work founding the Extraordinary Woman Award and developing the Woman Development Institute, a nonprofit organization that has provided leadership training and educational support for over 25 years. The resolution acknowledges her efforts to create inclusive, bilingual programs that remove financial barriers for women, youth, and families. It directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the resolution to Sandra Lake as formal recognition of her leadership and advocacy.

Mandates that athletic teams that are sponsored by a public school or a private school whose teams compete against a public school, be designated as (1) "males", "men" or "boys"; (2) "females", "women" or "girls"; or (3) "coed" or "mixed".

Maddy summaryThis bill would temporarily halt several renewable energy programs in Rhode Island starting January 1, 2027. It stops new net metering agreements that allow customers to sell excess solar or wind power back to the grid, prohibits the state from signing long-term contracts over five years for purchasing solar or wind energy, and bars state funds from subsidizing heat pump purchases or installation. These changes directly affect utility customers, energy providers, and state agencies that currently participate in or administer these programs. The legislation does not prevent existing contracts from continuing but blocks new enrollments in these specific renewable energy initiatives.

Provides that the school year for all public schools, including traditional public and public charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academies, would start on the same date of each calendar year.

Maddy summarySB 2293, the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," requires public schools and colleges to designate athletic teams for students based on biological sex at birth (not gender identity), with teams for females, women, or girls open only to students assigned female at birth. It mandates verification of biological sex through a physician's statement documenting reproductive anatomy, natural testosterone levels, and genetic makeup, and prohibits male-identified students from joining female-designated teams. The bill protects schools from complaints or investigations for maintaining separate sex-based teams and allows students to sue if denied athletic opportunities due to violations. This directly affects public school athletic programs, college sports teams, and transgender student-athletes in the state.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution from Rhode Island formally condemns assaults on police officers in New York during a recent blizzard and expresses support for law enforcement personnel. It urges New York City officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents and pursue accountability for those responsible. The resolution authorizes the Rhode Island Secretary of State to send certified copies of the document to the New York City Mayor and Police Department.

Maddy summarySB 2390 reclassifies certain gift card fraud offenses as theft (larceny), directly affecting gift card holders and those who commit fraud against them. It makes it a crime to steal or alter gift cards or their redemption information with intent to defraud, imposing fines up to $1,000 or one year in jail for amounts under $1,500. For offenses exceeding $1,500 or recurring within six months, standard larceny penalties apply. The bill defines key terms like "cardholder" and "forgery" to clarify these offenses. This changes penalties from civil fines to criminal charges for significant fraud.

Requires agencies preparing economic impact statements for small businesses contain findings that the anticipated compliance costs of a proposed rule scale proportionally with the business size, and do not impose fixed costs that favor larger businesses.

Increases the fines for certain traffic offenses to one hundred dollars ($100) and adds fines of one hundred dollars ($100) for offenses required by law but omitted from the schedule.