Permits students at failing schools to enroll in any public school and also established the Rhode Island education revitalization fund to provide funding to the school choice program.
SB 2563 mandates an independent study by Rhode Island's auditor general to evaluate whether consolidating Medicaid prescription drug management would save costs and improve transparency. The study must compare four models used by other states, including single statewide drug lists (like Connecticut) or direct state contracting (like Kentucky), and assess impacts on state spending, pharmacy rebates, and beneficiary access. It requires full data access from pharmacy benefit managers and related entities - bypassing contractual confidentiality - to ensure the analysis uses complete information on drug expenditures and rebates. This bill directly affects Rhode Island's Medicaid program, which covers children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, by setting the stage for potential future changes to drug management.
This bill authorizes a $200,000 funding allocation to the Housing Network of Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization that supports housing developers across the state. It directly provides financial resources to help the Housing Network carry out its work assisting nonprofit housing developers in Rhode Island. The resolution is a straightforward budgetary action, not a policy change, and would be used to support the organization's existing programs. It was introduced to the House Finance committee on February 27, 2026.
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.
Establishes the first-time home buyer savings program act. Allows modifications to federal adjusted gross income for $50,000 in contributions and $150,000 of interest and dividends included in federal adjusted gross income.
SB 2452 allocates $100,000 in the 2026-2027 budget to support mental health and emotional well-being for children in out-of-school time (OST) programs serving K-12 students across Rhode Island. The bill provides funds for staff training in trauma-informed practices, peer support groups, culturally responsive materials, and wellness-focused activities within community-based after-school and summer programs. Eligible programs must use funds flexibly to address local needs while prioritizing high-need communities and geographic diversity. The Rhode Island Afterschool Network will administer the grants through a competitive process and submit annual reports on program reach and outcomes.
Provides the general assembly make an annual appropriation of not less than eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) to the Rhode Island emergency management agency to assist with emergency communications during major or multiple emergency incidents.
Affords an option for police and firefighters to receive retirement allowances, without reduction, who seek retirement after twenty (20) years of service, upon reaching age fifty-seven (57).
HB 8153 requires the state to reimburse Exeter Fire and Rescue for 75% of the costs incurred during fire calls made to state property. This bill directly affects Exeter Fire and Rescue by covering a portion of their expenses for emergency responses on state-owned land. The key provision establishes a fixed 75% reimbursement rate for all such calls, shifting a portion of the financial burden from the fire department to the state. The policy change specifically targets costs associated with state property responses, not general firefighting operations.
HB 7803 establishes a state-funded rental subsidy program in Rhode Island to help extremely low, very low, and low-income households experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It allocates $25 million from the state general fund (starting July 2026) to provide project-based rental assistance, meaning the subsidy is tied to specific housing units rather than individual tenants. The program requires that tenants pay no more than 30% of their gross income toward rent (after utility allowances), regardless of area median income thresholds, and prioritizes households referred through Rhode Island’s Continuum of Care or Olmstead Plan. The program will be administered by the state’s executive office of housing, ensuring units meet federal safety standards and comply with fair housing laws.
