Sen. Alana DiMario

Prohibits an educational institution or school district from accessing or using location data for tracking a student's institutional device or personal device, except in limited circumstances.

Prohibits a person to sell, offer for sale, display for sale or otherwise distribute a farmed animal fur product within the state and provides graduated civil penalties for violations.

Maddy summarySB 648 requires veterinarians to provide a consultation to pet owners whenever they prescribe or dispense medication for an animal patient during an outpatient visit. The consultation must cover the drug's name, dosage, administration instructions, storage, actions for missed doses, and serious side effects, including manufacturer warnings when available. Veterinarians may delegate this task to vet technicians or assistants and must document whether the consultation was offered or declined in the animal's medical record. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, and directly affects veterinarians and their clients by standardizing medication communication.

Authorizes veterinarians to establish a client-patient relationship through electronic means, subject to limitations and requirements such as Vet making a good faith effort to determine if care should be provided through telemedicine instead of in person.

Maddy summarySB 633 requires schools in Rhode Island to report the names and reasons for terminating noncredentialled staff (like cafeteria workers or aides without teaching licenses) for valid cause to the state education department within 60 days. The department will maintain a confidential list of these terminations, updated monthly, which only school hiring authorities (not the public) can access. This applies to terminations for cause - not nonrenewals or budget cuts - and excludes licensed staff like teachers, coaches, and administrators. The list is not a public record, and the bill takes effect upon passage.

Restricts application of pesticides and rodenticides at schools and child care centers and requires schools to provide copies of notice to parents and guardians.

Includes the definition of "primary care services" and requires that all biennial reports shall include a review and recommendation of rates for primary care services on and after September 1, 2025.

Requires homeowner’s insurance providers to provide two months’ notice before increasing any policy more that 20%. Also caps rate increases for policy holders that are 65 years of age or older and meet certain income limits.

Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person’s transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.

Maddy summarySB 53, the "Rhode Island Prior Authorization Reform Act of 2025," would prohibit insurers from requiring prior authorization for healthcare services ordered by in-network primary care providers. This directly affects patients receiving routine care from their primary doctors and the providers themselves, as it removes an administrative barrier for common treatments. The key mechanism eliminates a requirement where insurers typically must approve services before they are provided, streamlining access to care. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee after being referred in January 2025.