Sen. Lori Urso

Maddy summarySB 943 requires landlords of "large multi-family dwellings" (buildings with more than 12 units) to obtain insurance. This insurance must cover temporary housing and storage costs for tenants displaced for at least 30 days due to events like fire, flood, or natural disaster that render the building uninhabitable. The bill outlines tenant rights, including prompt notification and suitable temporary housing, and establishes penalties for non-compliant landlords, with enforcement by the Department of Business Regulation.

Maddy summarySB 271 prohibits health benefit plans from requiring or conducting prospective or concurrent utilization reviews for certain prescription medications used to treat alcohol or opioid use disorder. This applies to medicines containing Methadone, Buprenorphine, or Naltrexone, or those FDA-approved for opioid withdrawal symptoms. The bill directly affects individuals seeking these treatments and the health insurers providing their plans. Additionally, it requires Medicaid managed care organizations to use specific medical necessity criteria for their utilization reviews, as selected by the executive office of health and human services. This act takes effect upon passage.

Maddy summarySB 824, titled the "Reproductive Freedom and Gender Affirming Care Health Data Privacy Act," establishes a new framework to protect sensitive health data. It applies to consumer health data related to reproductive or sexual health and gender-affirming care for Rhode Island residents. The bill defines what constitutes this protected "consumer health data" and "gender-affirming care information." It sets strict requirements for obtaining explicit, informed consent before collecting, processing, or transferring such data, disallowing consent through general terms or deceptive designs. This act aims to regulate how entities handle specific personal health information to ensure consumer privacy.

Requires a review by the department of elementary and secondary education of the formula components used to compute the aid needed to support high need students.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 991, known as the "Price Tags Act," aims to establish fair pricing practices for grocery items sold to retailers and wholesalers in Rhode Island. It requires large suppliers to offer the same sales terms for identical goods to all covered retailers and wholesalers purchasing similar volumes. The bill also mandates suppliers to provide anonymized sales terms from dominant retailers upon request and prohibits them from refusing sales to non-dominant retailers without commercially reasonable justification. This legislation seeks to ensure a more equitable competitive environment among grocery businesses in the state.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1069 reaffirms the friendship between the State of Rhode Island and Taiwan. It encourages the Rhode Island State Government to strengthen bilateral trade relations, including considering the possible opening of a trade office in Taiwan. The resolution also expresses support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations and agreements, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Increases the LLC organization fee to $500. Exempts the LLC from filing an annual tax return, paying the minimum tax and obtaining a letter of good standing from the division of taxation in order to dissolve.

Maddy summaryThis resolution commemorates May 11 through May 17, 2025, as "National Police Week" in the State of Rhode Island. It honors police and law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, acknowledging their sacrifice.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1064 congratulates the Brown University Women's Rugby Team for winning the Women's Rugby College National Championship for the third consecutive year. It also directs the Secretary of State to transmit a copy of the resolution to the team's Head Coach, Rosalind Chou.

Authorizes emergency medical service agencies to transport individuals to alternative facilities for treatment and permits licensed providers for mental health disorders to treat patients within the community.