Sen. Alana DiMario

Maddy summarySB 193 requires health insurance plans (including group plans and individual policies) to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment on the same terms as physical health care. Key provisions include banning annual or lifetime dollar limits, ensuring cost-sharing (like copays) matches primary care, and prohibiting stricter restrictions (such as prior authorizations) for mental health services. The bill mandates insurers to use established clinical standards - like those from the American Society of Addiction Medicine - to determine coverage levels. This directly affects all insured individuals seeking mental health or addiction treatment, ensuring parity in coverage with medical conditions.

Allows an individual, who is a first-time homebuyer, to contribute funds to a first- time homebuyers saving account with Rhode Island Housing to pay for eligible costs to purchase a home.

Allows a municipality to set its own conveyance tax rate for residential properties sold in excess of $900,000.00 at $10 per $500. Provides collected taxes to be in a restricted account and distributed within 2 years for affordable housing.

Requires that the state's share to public libraries be fixed at twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount appropriated by the city or town in their budgets for fiscal year 2026.

Imposes a non-owner occupied property tax on residential properties assessed in excess of eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) at variable rates dependent on values assessed by local tax assessors.

Maddy summarySB 260 amends tax laws to clarify that houseboats used as primary or temporary residences must be taxed as personal property by local assessors. It expands the definition of "houseboat" to include motorized/non-motorized vessels, platforms, and waterborne hotels/restaurants designed for habitation (not primarily for transport), regardless of registration. This directly affects residents living full-time on houseboats in coastal towns like Bristol, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, and Tiverton. Local tax assessors will now apply personal property tax to qualifying houseboats, while the bill also updates harbor regulations in those towns to include specific houseboat management rules.

Requires all state licensed healthcare facilities to convert the powering of their operations from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. DOH promulgates rules and regulations to implement the requirements.

Establishes a digital electronics right to repair, which allows for digital electronic equipment and parts that are sold in this state on or after January 1, 2026, to be repaired at an independent repair provider.

Maddy summarySB 153 establishes rules to protect minors under 18 who appear in compensated vlogs on social media. It requires vloggers featuring minors (meeting criteria like 30% screen time in content or $0.10/view compensation) to track detailed records and deposit 10-50% of earnings into a trust fund for the minor. The trust funds, held until the minor turns 18, must be managed by specific financial institutions and are enforceable through civil lawsuits by parents or guardians. This bill directly affects vloggers, families, and platforms hosting content featuring minors in Rhode Island.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 160) symbolically designates February 2025 as "Children's Dental Health Month" in Rhode Island. It does not create new laws or policies but formally urges citizens and organizations to observe the month to raise awareness about children's oral health. The resolution highlights that tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S., often causing school absences, and emphasizes the need for dental workforce development in the state. It affects all Rhode Island residents by promoting public awareness of dental health for children.