Amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to clarify housing-status enforcement, ban discriminatory housing notices, align state law with federal standards and remove a ban on public discussion of fair housing cases.
Directs the general assembly to fund ten full time equivalent positions in FY 2027 to support DEM's efforts in the areas of forestry and forestry projects.
Authorizes an increase in resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term-care needs who reside at home and requires semi-annual reports from Medicaid certified assisted living facilities and adult day service providers to the EOHHS.
Maddy summarySB 2356 transfers management of the Big River Reservoir from the Water Resources Board to Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management (DEM). Effective July 1, 2026, DEM will assume responsibility for all land use planning and rule-making related to the reservoir, while existing management rules remain in effect until DEM establishes new regulations. This bill directly affects DEM (which gains new administrative authority) and the Water Resources Board (which loses this specific responsibility). The key mechanism is the formal transfer of management duties, streamlining oversight under DEM’s existing environmental authority without altering the reservoir’s legal status or public access.
Precludes a legal entity from owning property whose value is over $25,000,000. If the property value exceeds $25,000,000, then the entity must divest a graduated yearly amount over the next 10 years, until value is less than $25,000,000.
Addresses any single-family construction, townhouse construction, and multi-family construction complying with the Standards for Visitable Units of the ANSI' Standards for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.
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.
Establishes a universal, comprehensive, affordable single-payer health care insurance program and help control health care costs, which would be referred to as, "the Rhode Island Comprehensive Health Insurance Program" (RICHIP).
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.
