Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 23, 2026

HB 7625: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Commencing January 1, 2027, mandates insurers provide health insurance coverage without cost-share requirements for vaccinations recommended by the DOH and mandates the coverage for the medical assistance program and managed care organizations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no-cost vaccination coverage for insurers and public programs, expanding access to preventive care without cost barriers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 23, 2026

SB 2379: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Commencing January 1, 2027, mandates insurers provide health insurance coverage without cost-share requirements for vaccinations recommended by the DOH and mandates the coverage for the medical assistance program and managed care organizations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no-cost vaccination coverage for insurers and medical programs, expanding access to preventive care per DOH recommendations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 22, 2026

SB 2570: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NOTIFICATION ACT

SB 2570 requires healthcare providers and facilities to inform patients when artificial intelligence (AI) is used to document in-person or telehealth visits. It applies to all licensed healthcare professionals (like doctors, nurses, and dentists) and facilities that use AI for this specific purpose - recording visit details, not for making medical decisions. The law mandates clear notification to patients before or during their visit, defining AI broadly to include technologies like language models and machine learning systems. This notification requirement takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires patient notification when AI documents visits, enhancing transparency and protecting patient rights in healthcare documentation.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates patient notification when AI documents healthcare visits, enhancing data privacy transparency per bill's core requirement.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 7538: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NOTIFICATION ACT

HB 7538 requires healthcare providers and facilities to inform patients when artificial intelligence (AI) is used to document their in-person or telehealth visits. It directly affects patients receiving care and all licensed healthcare professionals (including doctors, nurses, and dentists) and healthcare facilities covered under the law. The bill mandates clear notification about AI’s specific role in recording visit details, defining AI broadly to include technologies like natural language processing and machine learning. This law focuses solely on transparency about documentation practices, not on regulating AI's medical decision-making or other uses.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates patient notification about AI use in care, protecting informed consent rights and transparency in healthcare documentation.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates patient notification when AI documents healthcare visits, enhancing transparency and data privacy protections in AI use.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 7349: AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- OVERSIGHT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACT

This bill establishes new rules for using artificial intelligence in mental health care. It requires licensed mental health professionals (like therapists and counselors) to get specific written consent from clients before using AI tools in therapy sessions, and prohibits AI from simulating emotional bonds or making therapeutic decisions. The law allows AI only for administrative tasks (e.g., scheduling) or supplementary support (e.g., analyzing anonymized data for progress tracking), while ensuring therapists maintain full responsibility for care. It directly affects all mental health providers and organizations offering therapy services in the state.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires client consent for AI use in therapy, prohibits AI from making decisions or simulating bonds, and protects patient rights in mental healthcare services.92% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts AI use in mental health by mandating consent, banning emotional simulation, and limiting AI to administrative tasks only.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 18, 2026

SB 2892: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD-AS-MEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM

This bill creates a pilot program and task force focused on using food as medicine, managed by the executive office of health and human services. The program would explore how dietary interventions can support health outcomes, though specific details like funding levels and participant criteria are not yet defined in the abstract. The measure is currently in the early stages of review and has been held for further study by the Senate committee. It does not yet establish any permanent regulations or mandate specific actions for healthcare providers or the public.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates pilot program exploring food as medicine to support health outcomes, indicating advancement of healthcare services75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 18, 2026

SB 2882: AN ACT RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- QUALITY SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORTS ACT OF 2026

Ensures that more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care they need and want, by incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands self-directed care options for developmentally disabled adults and incorporates collective bargaining rights, improving patient access and autonomy in healthcare services.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly incorporates collective bargaining rights into self-directed supports program, directly advancing worker organizing and bargaining protections for developmentally disabled adults.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 8171: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD-AS-MEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM

HB 8171 establishes a food-as-medicine pilot program to test whether providing medically tailored food assistance improves health outcomes for individuals with specific conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Administered by the state's executive office of health and human services, the program will include a task force to design and oversee the initiative. It directly affects participants in state health programs who may receive food support as part of their treatment plan, rather than traditional medical care. The bill creates a temporary, evidence-based approach to evaluate this model before potential expansion.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes food-as-medicine pilot program to improve health outcomes for conditions like diabetes/hypertension, directly advancing healthcare access through medically tailored nutrition support under state health department oversight.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

passed · Rhode Island · House Jun 11, 2026

HB 7357: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- SENSITIVE HEALTHCARE INFORMATION PRIVACY ACT

HB 7357 creates the "Reproductive Health and Gender-Affirming Healthcare Data Privacy Act" to protect sensitive health information in Rhode Island. It directly affects residents whose data relates to gender-affirming care or reproductive health, and the healthcare providers or businesses handling that data. The law requires explicit, opt-in consent for collecting such data, prohibits deceptive practices for obtaining consent, and defines protected data to include not only direct health information but also derived data (like location patterns or algorithmic inferences) tied to these services. It explicitly excludes publicly available or de-identified research data from coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects patient data privacy for reproductive/gender-affirming care, aligning with patient rights and healthcare protection in sensitive health services.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProtects sensitive health data privacy through explicit consent requirements, directly aligning with technology data privacy safeguards in the topic description.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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passed · Rhode Island · House Jun 9, 2026

HB 8365: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATION

This bill authorizes Rhode Island's Department of Health to join international public health collaboration networks aimed at detecting and responding to infectious disease outbreaks. It allows the department to enter into agreements with federal agencies, international organizations, and academic institutions to share expertise, training, and surveillance data while maintaining privacy protections. The legislation also permits the state to designate specific offices or laboratories as partners in these networks and to provide voluntary assistance during global outbreak responses. Additionally, the bill requires coordination with federal authorities like the CDC and ensures that no regulatory authority is transferred to international organizations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens public health infrastructure by enabling international collaboration for infectious disease detection and response, enhancing surveillance capabilities and data sharing while protecting privacy.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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