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Rhode Island Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress
All 25,118 Active 5 In committee 20,549 Passed 5,917 Signed 4,510 Failed 6,972
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HB 7587: AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE -- PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Prohibits the Rhode Island medical assistance program from requiring prior authorization or a step therapy protocol for the coverage of a medication classified as an anticonvulsant or antipsychotic.
Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves prior authorization barriers for anticonvulsant/antipsychotic meds, improving patient access to essential treatments under medical assistance program.95% confidence
Mike Chippendale (R) Stephen Casey (D) Pat Serpa (D) Chris Paplauskas (R) Brandon Potter (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HB 7586: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

Updates the description of the early intervention program and the agency responsible for the program under Part C of the federal Individuals with disabilities education act.
Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareUpdates early intervention program for children with special health care needs under federal IDEA, maintaining maternal and child health services access.90% confidence
Mike Chippendale (R) Susan Donovan (D) Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith (D) Megan Cotter (D) Kathleen Fogarty (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HB 7690: AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM

HB 7690 increases the cash support pass-through under Rhode Island Works, allowing families receiving cash assistance to keep more child support payments. Specifically, it raises the amount from $50 to $100 for one child and from $100 to $200 for multiple children (or the full payment if less than these amounts), provided the child support is paid on time and collected by the Department of Human Services. This pass-through payment must be sent to the family within two business days of being due. The bill applies to families with children receiving Rhode Island Works cash assistance and takes effect July 1, 2026.
Karen Alzate (D) Scott Slater (D) Justine Caldwell (D) Arthur Handy (D) Joshua Giraldo (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HR 7706: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $500,000 TO THE UNITED WAY OF RHODE ISLAND FOR THE 2-1-1 HUMAN SERVICES HOTLINE

This joint resolution appropriates $500,000 from state funds to the United Way of Rhode Island for operational support of its 2-1-1 human services hotline. The 2-1-1 system provides Rhode Islanders with free, 24/7 access to confidential assistance - covering housing, healthcare, food, disaster response, and other critical services - in nearly 200 languages. The funding directly supports the hotline’s existing operations, which handled over 190,000 requests in 2023-2024. It does not create new services or policy changes but ensures continued access to an established resource for residents seeking immediate help.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $500k from state funds to fund 2-1-1 hotline operations, directly increasing public service funding under state budget.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds 2-1-1 hotline providing direct access to healthcare services, expanding patient access to critical health resources through existing infrastructure.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationFunds 2-1-1 hotline providing multilingual access to housing, healthcare, and immigrant services, directly supporting immigrant access to critical resources.85% confidence
Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith (D) Deb Fellela (D) Grace Diaz (D) Kathleen Fogarty (D) Brandon Potter (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HR 7708: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $2,700,000 TO BE USED FOR MATERNAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND EQUITY

This bill appropriates $2.7 million annually starting in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the state department of health for maternal health initiatives. The funds are allocated to four specific programs: $750,000 for maternal health data tracking, $1.2 million for workplace health programs, $600,000 for community health access grants, and $150,000 for advisory council operations. These funds directly support state-level maternal health efforts, including data collection, workplace wellness, community access, and community engagement. The appropriation requires no new policy changes but provides dedicated funding for existing maternal health programs.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates $2.7M annually for maternal health programs, increasing state funding for public health services under budget management.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAppropriates $2.7M for maternal health programs including data tracking, workplace health, and community access grants, directly advancing public health initiatives.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAllocates $1.2M to workplace health programs, directly advancing workplace safety and health standards under Labor & Employment policies.90% confidence
Lauren Carson (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HB 7807: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION

HB 7807 exempts meals served in licensed childcare centers from Rhode Island's sales and use taxes. This bill amends the state tax code to explicitly include licensed childcare centers alongside schools and educational institutions in the existing exemption for meals served to students or teachers. The change directly affects licensed childcare centers by removing a sales tax burden on meals provided to their enrolled children or staff. This policy update clarifies and expands current tax exemptions without altering tax rates or creating new administrative requirements.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts childcare meals from sales tax, providing tax relief to families and childcare centers per existing educational exemption, aligning with tax relief indicators.95% confidence
Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith (D) Jennifer Boylan (D) Deb Fellela (D) Kathleen Fogarty (D) George Nardone (R)
died · Rhode Island · Senate May 14, 2026

SB 2537: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS RETIREMENT

Gives teachers who takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the year credit for a year of service for that school year if they served a minimum of 135 days.
Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationGrants teachers retirement credit during unpaid leaves, supporting educator retention and job security without restricting benefits.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides service credit during unpaid parental/medical leave, protecting retirement benefits for teachers without requiring full-time service.90% confidence
Matt LaMountain (D) David Tikoian (D) Lou DiPalma (D) Hanna Gallo (D) John Burke (D)
died · Rhode Island · Senate May 14, 2026

SB 2538: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT

Changes the teacher and state employees' retirement benefit calculations' cutoff date from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2009, for all retirement members eligible to and who retire on or after the new July 1, 2009, cutoff date.
Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationChanges retirement cutoff to 2009, likely reducing teacher benefits, opposing educator support.85% confidence
Bob Britto (D) Matt LaMountain (D) Mark McKenney (D) David Tikoian (D) Melissa Murray (D)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HB 7796: AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- JOINT COMMISSION TO STUDY WAYS TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE FOR CHILD WELFARE AND CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Establishes a twenty-seven (27) member joint commission to study ways to maximize revenue for child welfare and children’s behavioral health services.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes commission to maximize revenue for child welfare services, directly advancing public funding for essential programs.95% confidence
Susan Donovan (D) Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith (D) Tina Spears (D) Megan Cotter (D) Kathleen Fogarty (D)
died · Rhode Island · Senate May 14, 2026

SB 2545: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM -- CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS

SB 2545 adds the positions of administrator of community confinement and home confinement coordinator to the state retirement system. This change means employees in these correctional roles will now qualify for retirement benefits previously available only to other state correctional staff. The bill amends existing retirement law to explicitly include these two job titles in the eligibility list. The change takes effect upon the bill's passage and does not alter retirement rules for other positions.
Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAdds correctional staff positions to retirement system, expanding worker benefits per bill's explicit amendment to include these roles in retirement eligibility.90% confidence
Jessica de la Cruz (R) Thomas Paolino (R) Gordon Rogers (R)
died · Rhode Island · House May 14, 2026

HR 8205: JOINT RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE MEDICAID SECTION 1115 DEMONSTRATION WAIVER REQUESTS AND RENEWALS

The provided context does not include specific details about the changes made by HR 8205 to Medicaid Section 1115 waiver requests or renewals. While the bill's title and abstract identify it as amending this process, the summary lacks concrete information about the policy modifications, affected parties, or key mechanisms. Without details on what the amendment actually alters (e.g., eligibility criteria, funding rules, or application procedures), a factual summary cannot be generated. The context only states the bill was introduced to the House Finance committee on February 27, 2026.
Stephen Casey (D)
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