We continue our ongoing series breaking down the flurry of legislation passed on Smith Hill this year. As the summer heat continues, several new laws are quietly taking effect, and some of them represent significant shifts in public health and safety policy. This time, we’re looking at a major, long-awaited change for casino workers and patrons of Bally’s, new legal shields for some of the state’s most vulnerable people, and a critical update to the patient’s bill of rights. So, what exactly has changed?

For years, Rhode Island’s casinos, most notably Twin River, were the last bastions of indoor smoking, a carve-out from the state’s public health laws that advocates argued put profits over people. That loophole is now officially closed. Thanks to bill S0188, smoking is completely banned inside all gaming facilities as of July 1, 2027. The old rules, which required separate ventilation systems that many claimed were ineffective, have been entirely repealed. For the thousands of Rhode Islanders who work in these facilities, it’s a long-awaited victory against secondhand smoke exposure. For patrons, it means you can leave the casino without your clothes smelling like an ashtray.

The legislature also passed two important bills aimed at protecting vulnerable populations, though in very different arenas. First, S0278 fundamentally alters the state’s approach to prostitution. The new law creates an affirmative defense for individuals who can prove they were forced into commercial sexual activity. More pointedly, it grants immunity from a prostitution charge to anyone—victim or witness—who reports a separate crime to law enforcement, under certain conditions. The thinking here is clear: to encourage the reporting of violent crimes like assault and trafficking by removing the fear that the person reporting will be arrested themselves. In a similar protective vein, bill H6244 amends the patient’s bill of rights with a simple but powerful addition: healthcare facilities are now prohibited from asking patients about their immigration status. This change aims to ensure that a person’s immigration status is never a barrier to seeking necessary medical care.

These laws, all of which took effect upon passage this summer, reflect a clear focus on public health and individual protection. While they may seem unrelated, they connect on the principle that a person’s safety—whether from carcinogens at work or fear of law enforcement—should be a top priority. We’ll be back on Monday to unpack our final week covering new laws from the 2025 session.