Sen. Sue Sosnowski

Maddy summarySB 842 prohibits payment networks, banks, and processors from charging interchange fees (fees between banks for card transactions) on the tax or gratuity portion of a customer's payment. It directly affects merchants who process credit/debit card payments, requiring them to report tax and gratuity amounts during transaction authorization or settlement to avoid these fees. If merchants don’t report upfront, they can submit documentation within 180 days to receive refunds for improperly charged fees. Violations carry $1,000 penalties per transaction and require fee refunds to merchants. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.

Changes the community service requirements of a sentence related to the violation of § 11-44-21.1 relating to defacing private residences, offices, businesses or commercial property.

Establishes a process whereby large drug manufacturers, may be penalized for prescription drug price increases where there is no, or inadequate, new evidence to support the price increase.

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 summaryThis Senate resolution urges Rhode Island's federal delegation (Senators Reed and Whitehouse, and Representatives Magaziner and Amo) to demand reversal of policies harming health programs. It specifically calls for restoring U.S. foreign aid (including PEPFAR for HIV care), ending the Mexico City Policy, unfreezing Medicaid funding, and resuming CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The resolution has no legal force but aims to influence federal policy by advocating for reinstating global health cooperation and domestic health protections. It directly targets the federal delegation's role in addressing these specific policy changes.

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.

Maddy summarySB 604 amends Rhode Island's Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association law to clarify claim payment limits and assessment rules for insurers facing insolvency. It sets specific caps: $10,000 per policy for unearned premiums, $1 million for property losses (after 2025), and lower limits for older claims. The bill directly affects policyholders filing claims when insurers become insolvent and requires member insurers to pay assessments (capped at 2% of premiums) to cover these claims. The abstract's mention of a "home hardening program" appears inconsistent with the bill text, which focuses solely on adjusting the Guaranty Association's operational framework for handling insolvency claims.

Creates commercial dock space for businesses subject to being reviewed by the DEM. Would also include commercial fishers to be eligible for a grant program.

Maddy summarySB 326 establishes the Rhode Island Climate Superfund Act of 2025, requiring large fossil fuel corporations (defined as entities responsible for over one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2024) to pay for climate change response work already funded by the state and municipalities. The bill mandates the Department of Environmental Management to calculate each company's share based on emissions data and issue payment demands for costs incurred since 2009, including projects like coastal protection, infrastructure upgrades, and emergency planning. Funds collected will be deposited into a dedicated account and used solely for future climate adaptation efforts. This directly affects major fossil fuel companies that contributed significantly to climate change, shifting costs from taxpayers to those most responsible.