Sen. Victoria Gu

Maddy summarySB 534 establishes the "Third-Party Litigation Financing Consumer Protection Act" to regulate companies that fund lawsuits for individuals in Rhode Island. It requires these financiers to register with the state, post a $50,000 bond, and provide full written contracts with clear disclosures to consumers. The law bans practices like paying referral fees to lawyers or medical providers, prevents financiers from directing legal strategy or waiving jury trials, and prohibits reporting consumers to credit agencies for unpaid fees. This directly affects individuals filing lawsuits (consumers), their attorneys (legal representatives), and medical providers involved in cases. The bill aims to protect consumers from exploitative financing terms while ensuring transparency in litigation funding arrangements.

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.

Requires every public school in Rhode Island to have a school library or library media center in a permanent and dedicated space available to students in grades K-12 with a librarian available.

Expands the deinstitutionalization subsidy aid program in the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals to include adoptive parent(s) or siblings(s).

Establishes the commuter transportation benefit chapter. Employers with five hundred (500) or more employees would be required to establish a pre-tax commuter transportation fringe benefit program.

Allows for a qualified abandonment of public town roads which grants a public easement over said road allowing it to be converted to walking, biking, and hiking trails and access to parks, nature preserves and other recreational facilities.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SR 595) that formally congratulates Matunuck Oyster Bar in Rhode Island for winning USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year and Wine Spectator's two-glass Best of Award of Excellence. It recognizes the restaurant's "pond-to-plate philosophy," wine selection, and owner Perry Raso's aquaculture background, but contains no policy changes or funding. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send a certified copy of the congratulatory statement to the restaurant owner. As a purely ceremonial measure, it does not affect any laws, regulations, or stakeholders.

Includes "hosting platform" under the definition of "room-seller" and imposes a tax of 5% on the rental of a house or condominium with the tax used exclusively for infrastructure improvements, riverine and coastal resiliency and housing.

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.