Expands the definition of "educational program" for purposes of the abused and neglected children general law to include charter schools, parochial schools, after school programs, camps and various other programs involving children.
Requires landlords of residential properties built before 1978 to register lead hazard mitigation information with the department of health and the information would remain private and only accessible by specific entities.
Substitutes "housing resources commission" with "department of health" for lead hazard mitigation purposes. It also makes it easier for a property owner to release funds put into an escrow account, if needed to make required repairs or improvements.
Grants an affirmative defense for certain privileged communications, including communications made by an individual, without malice, regarding an incident of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination.
Maddy summarySB 2536 modifies Rhode Island's personal income tax code to exclude up to $25,000 of social security income from taxable income for residents. This change applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, directly affecting Rhode Island residents receiving social security benefits. The bill amends Section 44-30-12 to add this exclusion as a modification reducing federal adjusted gross income. It does not change other tax provisions but specifically lowers taxable income for qualifying social security recipients. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Finance Committee after introduction on February 13, 2026.
Maddy summarySB 2026 amends Rhode Island's personal income tax code to allow residents to subtract contributions to the state's tuition savings program from their federal adjusted gross income. This deduction is capped at $500 per individual or $1,000 for joint filers, and only applies to contributions made directly by the account participant. The bill specifically excludes transfers, rollovers, or changes of beneficiary from counting toward this deduction. It directly affects Rhode Island residents who contribute to the state's tuition savings program (Section 16-57-6.1), providing a limited tax benefit for education savings. The policy change would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.
Allows a landlord that did not obtain a lead certificate pursuant to the lead mitigation laws of chapter 128.1 of title 42 due to the fact that the state lacks the adequate resources to conduct inspections.
Makes sexual contact or penetration between any law enforcement officer that is on duty and a person that is a detainee, arrestee, in custody or a suspect a felony.
Maddy summarySB 2238 creates a new 3% tax rate on Rhode Island taxable income exceeding $640,000 (in 2026 dollars) for tax years beginning in 2027 and later. This additional tax applies only to high-income earners - specifically, individuals with taxable income above this threshold - and does not affect prior tax years. The bill does not change existing tax rates for lower income levels, targeting only the highest earners in the state. It is a concrete policy change that increases tax liability for a specific income bracket starting in 2027.
Maddy summarySB 2251 eliminates Rhode Island's estate tax by repealing Chapter 44-22 of the General Laws, which previously imposed taxes on decedents' estates. This bill directly affects Rhode Island residents whose estates would have been subject to state estate tax upon death, removing their obligation to pay this tax. The key mechanism is the complete repeal of the existing estate tax code, including all tax rate brackets (ranging from 2% to 9%) and specific deductions outlined in the repealed chapter. As a result, estates passing through Rhode Island will no longer face state-level taxation on transfers following a death.
