Labor & Employment

died · Rhode Island · House Feb 11, 2026

HB 7268: AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- SMALL EMPLOYER HEALTH INSURANCE AVAILABILITY ACT

Amends the definition of "small employer" for purposes of the small employer health insurance availability act to mean a business employing less than one hundred (100) employees rather than fifty (50) employees.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands small employer eligibility from 50 to 100 employees, increasing access to health insurance coverage for more businesses.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands health insurance eligibility for more small employers, increasing access to employee benefits under employment standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Tags Small Business

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died · Rhode Island · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 7053: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT

Amends the current law on teacher’s creditable service so that a teacher who takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the year would be given credit for a year of service for that school year if they served a minimum of 135 school days.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill ensures teachers receive retirement credit for partial service during leave, supporting educator benefits and retention.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects teachers' retirement benefits by granting full service credit during unpaid leave, advancing employment security and benefits for educators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers Paid Leave

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died · Rhode Island · Senate Apr 29, 2026

SB 2324: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- CONSUMER CREDIT HISTORY EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES

Prohibits employers from seeking/using credit reports in making hiring decisions concerning prospective employees, asking questions about the applicant's financial past during interviews or including credit history questions in their job applications.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits credit checks in hiring, protecting workers from financial discrimination in employment decisions95% confidence

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signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 22, 2026

SB 2107: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTHCARE WORKER PLATFORM ACT

Establishes the healthcare worker platform and would require platforms offering healthcare shifts to register with the department of health by June 1, 2027, while, specifically, exempting them from being classified as nursing service agencies.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExempts healthcare platforms from nursing service agency classification, avoiding labor regulations that would protect workers' rights and safety standards.85% confidence

died · Rhode Island · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 7365: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- PORTABLE BENEFIT PLAN

HB 7365 proposes a voluntary portable benefit plan for independent contractors, allowing them to access benefits like health insurance or retirement savings that stay with them across different jobs. The bill establishes that contributions to this plan cannot be used to determine employment classification (e.g., employee vs. independent contractor) or affect employer liability for workers' compensation. Key provisions require the plan to be offered through regulated insurance or employment security programs, ensuring benefits remain tied to the individual, not any specific employer. This applies directly to independent contractors and hiring parties who choose to participate, with no mandatory participation for either party. The bill takes effect upon passage and does not create new benefits but enables existing systems to operate portably.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides voluntary portable health insurance access for independent contractors, expanding coverage options and aligning with support indicators for healthcare access.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates voluntary portable benefits for independent contractors, expanding access to health/retirement savings across jobs without affecting employment classification or liability, strengthening benefit access for non-traditional workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Gig Economy Retirement Benefits

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died · Rhode Island · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 7440: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- EMPLOYMENT SECURITY -- BENEFITS

HB 7440 allows workers who are on strike or locked out during a labor dispute to receive unemployment benefits, which they were previously denied. It directly affects employees involved in strikes or employer lockouts, removing the prior bar to benefits unless specific exceptions apply. Key provisions state workers qualify if the lockout aims to resist collective bargaining or gain concessions, but not if it responds to a strike at another company in a multi-employer group or if the employer offered a 3-day extension of current terms that was refused. The bill takes effect upon passage and clarifies that benefits continue if unemployment lasts more than a week after the dispute ends.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands unemployment benefits eligibility, increasing state expenditure on public services (unemployment insurance program)85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRemoves denial of unemployment benefits for striking workers, directly expanding benefits and supporting collective bargaining rights during labor disputes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Unemployment

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signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 18, 2026

HB 7364: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WAREHOUSE WORKER PROTECTION ACT

Requires employers to provide each employee of a warehouse distribution center, upon hire, with written description of quotas applicable to the employee within defined time periods and adverse employment action for failure to meet the quota.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires written quota transparency for warehouse workers, protecting against arbitrary enforcement of performance targets per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Workplace Safety

died · Rhode Island · Senate May 6, 2026

SB 2166: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES--OVERTIME

Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates overtime pay for exempt workers exceeding salary thresholds, expanding wage protections for employees under labor standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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died · Rhode Island · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 2168: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RETIREMENT OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

Allows any peace officer working in a Rhode Island school as a full or part-time resource officer to work in excess of the 75 working days in a calendar year and not have an interruption in their benefits.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill prevents benefit interruption for municipal peace officers working over 75 days, protecting employment benefits and expanding work flexibility without penalty.95% confidence

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died · Rhode Island · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 2319: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS

SB 2319 requires all public meetings involving collective bargaining agreements for school teachers to be open to the public. This overrides the standard exception allowing closed meetings for collective bargaining discussions, as specified in Section 1(e) of the bill. The law directly affects public school districts, school committees, and teachers' unions during contract negotiations. It takes effect immediately upon passage, ensuring transparency in school employment negotiations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates public access to teacher collective bargaining meetings, enhancing transparency in labor negotiations per bill's override of closed-meeting exception.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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