Permit but not mandate, a municipality to allow certain requirements as exceptions to statewide treatment of ADUs to max of 800 sq. ft., owner, family member and caretaker occupation.
Maddy summarySB 480 mandates that health insurance plans delivered or renewed in the state must provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and related services. This includes emergency contraception, voluntary female sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling. Health insurers must cover at least one therapeutic equivalent of a contraceptive without cost-sharing. If an individual's provider recommends a specific FDA-approved contraceptive for medical reasons, it must be covered without cost-sharing. These benefits extend to covered individuals, their spouses, and dependents, and generally cannot be subject to deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1026 is a commemorative resolution expressing the Rhode Island Senate's deepest condolences on the passing of Joyce Jacques of Mendon, Massachusetts. The resolution acknowledges her life as a devoted wife, mother, and registered nurse. It also directs the Secretary of State to transmit certified copies of the resolution to her surviving children.
Allows advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and physicians who are and are not licensed in Rhode Island to provide telemedicine services to patients who are in the state when those services are rendered.
Would provide children up to age three (3) with continuous coverage eligibility for RIte Track/RIte Care so that they are not at risk of losing coverage at the yearly redetermination due solely to administrative barriers.
Maddy summarySB 106 amends the Rhode Island personal income tax law for resident individuals. The bill specifically creates a new exemption, allowing foreign service officers to subtract their pension income from their federal adjusted gross income when calculating their state taxable income. This change means that pensions received by Rhode Island residents who are foreign service officers will no longer be subject to the state's personal income tax.
Maddy summaryThis bill primarily revises the geographical boundaries of school bus districts across the state, affecting kindergarten through 12th-grade students attending public, vocational, special education, and nonpublic nonprofit schools. It redefines nine specific regions and clarifies that the school committee of the student's resident city or town is responsible for providing bus transportation within that region. The bill also details state funding for various education programs, including excess costs for special education, career and technical education, and pre-kindergarten. Additionally, it establishes a stabilization fund to provide financial support for Central Falls, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, covering costs such as transportation and facility maintenance. Students currently receiving transportation under the old district system will transition to the new regions starting July 1, 2029.
Maddy summarySB 570 proposes to establish a new speed restriction specifically for school buses. The bill mandates that school buses operating on a limited access highway must not exceed a speed that is ten miles per hour below the posted speed limit. This change directly affects school bus drivers and aims to regulate their speed on such roadways. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 35 directs the Department of Education and the Office of Energy Resources to develop and adopt regulations for school buildings. By June 30, 2026, these regulations must require all new school construction and renovations to be "zero energy capable" by December 31, 2037, adhering to the latest Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools (NE-CHPS) standard. The bill mandates that these regulations allow flexibility for local education agencies to pursue state and federal funding for energy projects without reducing their state housing aid. Additionally, it requires guidance for local agencies to build, own, and operate solar panels.
Maddy summarySB 917 proposes to repeal an existing law that restricts the issuance of certain retail liquor licenses. Currently, these licenses cannot be granted for establishments located within 200 feet of schools or places of public worship. The bill would eliminate this 200-foot proximity rule, as well as the ability of adjoining property owners to object to the granting of such licenses. This would directly affect businesses seeking new retail liquor licenses and the communities surrounding schools and religious institutions.
