Maddy summarySB 118 creates the Rhode Island Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board to address staffing and care quality in nursing homes. The board, composed of 13 members representing employers, workers, community organizations, and state agencies, will advise the legislature and labor department on wages, working conditions, and training standards for nursing home staff. It will recommend statewide minimum compensation and workplace standards but cannot enforce them directly. The bill directly affects nursing home workers, employers, and residents by aiming to improve staffing stability and care quality through data-driven recommendations. (SB 118, "Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act," focuses on advisory recommendations, not direct regulation.)
Sen. Bridget Valverde
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Establishes a restricted receipt account at the DLT for hospitality industry workforce training grants, funded by an annual $50 dollar fee to be charged by RIDOH to food service establishments.
Requires EOHHS to provide self-measured blood pressure monitoring for eligible pregnant and postpartum individuals, covering home monitors, training, data transmission, and co-interventions, with state funds if federal aid is unavailable.
Creates rodent integrated pest management pilot programs for municipalities. That choose to participate. Reports would be approved by the municipality's mayor or administrator and would be submitted to the department of environmental management.
Establishes Children's Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund to provide finance assistance to families for medical expenses not covered by state or federal programs or insurance contract.
Makes all causes of action based on sexual abuse or exploitation of a child not subject to any statute of limitations whether the claim has lapsed or was previously time-barred.
Requires the department of human services to provide childcare assistance to families, including those served through DCYF, who meet the requirements of a protective services category as defined in CFR 98.20 (a)(3)(ii).
Establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for all” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
Mandates public schools (K-12) have one full-time certified social worker for every 250 students and allocates $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for school districts and municipalities to hire additional social workers.
Provides $4,000,000 to support comprehensive and effective afterschool, school vacation, summer learning and workforce development programs for students in grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12).