Sen. Alana DiMario

Maddy summarySenate Bill 184 amends the rules for individuals receiving state retirement benefits who wish to work after retirement. It expands the part-time employment options available to retired state employees and teachers at state colleges and universities. The bill allows these retirees to take on roles such as classroom instruction, academic advising, or coaching, and permits retired nurses to serve as nursing faculty. They can do so without losing their retirement benefits, provided their gross pay for such work does not exceed specified annual limits, such as $18,000 for general instruction. No additional service credits are granted for this post-retirement employment.

Permit but not mandate, a municipality to allow certain requirements as exceptions to statewide treatment of ADUs to max of 800 sq. ft., owner, family member and caretaker occupation.

Maddy summarySB 480 mandates that health insurance plans delivered or renewed in the state must provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and related services. This includes emergency contraception, voluntary female sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling. Health insurers must cover at least one therapeutic equivalent of a contraceptive without cost-sharing. If an individual's provider recommends a specific FDA-approved contraceptive for medical reasons, it must be covered without cost-sharing. These benefits extend to covered individuals, their spouses, and dependents, and generally cannot be subject to deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance.

Requires individual and group health insurance policies that provide pregnancy-related benefits to cover medically necessary expenses for diagnosis and treatment of infertility and standard fertility-preservation services.

Amends Rhode Island’s existing healthcare services funding plan act by adding an account relating to a new psychiatry resource network to fund Rhode Island’s present PediPRN and MomsPRN.

Includes any costs paid by an enrollee or on behalf of the enrollee by a third party when calculating an enrollee’s overall contribution to any out-of-pocket maximum or cost sharing requirement under a health plan as of January 1, 2026.

Expands council on elementary and secondary education and board of education and makes teacher of year and student advisory chair voting members on each.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1024 recognizes May of 2025 as "Mental Health Awareness Month" in the State of Rhode Island. This resolution calls upon citizens, organizations, healthcare providers, and schools to raise mental health awareness and provide age-appropriate education and training.

Maddy summarySB 129 amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to expand protections against discrimination in housing. The bill adds "housing status," "lawful source of income," and "military status" (for veterans and servicemembers) as protected characteristics. It also clarifies the definition of "domestic abuse" within the act and defines "assistance animal" and "service animal." This means housing owners and agents are prohibited from inquiring about or discriminating against individuals based on these expanded categories when selling, renting, or leasing housing accommodations.

Allows advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and physicians who are and are not licensed in Rhode Island to provide telemedicine services to patients who are in the state when those services are rendered.