Latest Bills
Bill # Title Summary January 16th, 2026 S2097 Public Finance -- State Funds This bill requires hospitals and health centers to file quarterly financial reports to the state to monitor their financial stability. S2098 Taxation -- Cigarette, Other Tobacco Products, and Electronic Nicotine-Delivery System Products This bill prohibits the sale of menthol, mint, and wintergreen flavored electronic nicotine-delivery systems (vapes) in Rhode Island. S2099 Taxation -- Surplus Funds Tax Credit Act Mandates that state budget surpluses be refunded to taxpayers in proportion to their previous year's income tax liability. S2100 Criminal Offenses -- Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Requires transportation hubs and specific high-risk businesses to display human trafficking hotline signs or face a $300 fine. S2101 Health and Safety -- The Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program Creates scholarships for medical students who agree to work in Rhode Island as primary care providers after graduating. S2102 Towns and Cities -- Optional Retirement for Members of Police Force and Firefighters Starting July 1, 2027, police and firefighters aged 57 with 20 years of service can retire without benefit reductions. S2103 Public Finance -- State Budget This bill requires state agencies to justify their entire budget from scratch periodically, rather than automatically rolling over previous funding. S2105 Highways -- Relocation of Utility Services This bill requires the state to pay the full cost, rather than half, to move town-owned utilities during highway construction. S2106 Human Services -- Medical Assistance This bill establishes Medicaid payment for paramedics and medical staff to provide preventative care to high-risk patients at home. S2107 Health and Safety -- Healthcare Worker Platform Act This bill classifies healthcare shift-booking apps separately from staffing agencies and requires new regulations for them by 2027. S2108 Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies Certain insurance companies involved in mergers cannot pay healthcare providers rates lower than the state's approved Medicaid rate. S2109 Insurance -- Benefit Determination and Utilization Review Act Removes prior authorization requirements for alcohol and opioid addiction medications and standardizes Medicaid medical necessity criteria. S2110 Health and Safety -- Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund This bill creates a state fund, financed by a fee on employers, to help families pay for children's serious medical expenses. S2111 Businesses and Professions -- Nurses This bill regulates telemedicine standards and allows certain out-of-state providers to treat Rhode Island patients without a local license. S2112 Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies Mandates health insurers cover emergency glucagon medication without copays or deductibles for up to two doses annually starting in 2027. S2113 Food and Drugs -- Healthy Kids Act This bill requires restaurants to offer nutritionally healthy children's meal options and establishes water or milk as the default beverages. S2114 Health and Safety -- Consent to Medical and Surgical Care Mandates caregiver presence during hospice discussions and guarantees home nurse access for hospice patients regardless of income or age. S2115 Health and Safety -- Health Care Power of Attorney This bill invites all Rhode Island hospitals to provide a notary public 24/7 to help patients sign legal documents. S2116 Businesses and Professions -- Nurses This bill establishes specific training, practice standards, and licensing exemptions for nurses who provide medical foot care in patients' homes. S2117 Health and Safety -- The Personal Hygiene Product Safety and Toxic Metal Removal Act of 2026 This legislation bans specific toxic metals like lead and arsenic in personal care items like makeup and tampons. S2118 Health and Safety -- Primary Care Training Sites Program This bill expands the list of accepted accreditations for primary care training sites to qualify for state funding and reduces mandatory training hours. S2119 State Affairs and Government -- Office of Health and Human Services This bill allows immigrants who do not qualify for regular Medicaid to receive free treatment for kidney failure and transplants. S2121 State Affairs and Government -- Lead Hazard Mitigation Prevents the state from fining landlords for missing lead certificates if the state lacks resources to conduct timely inspections. S2122 Businesses and Professions -- Real Estate Sales Disclosures This bill requires property sellers to disclose public shoreline access rights and provide documentation of any public rights-of-way. S2123 Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation Exempts real and personal property owned by the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center in Pawtucket from property taxes. S2124 State Affairs and Government -- Rhode Island Department of Transportation Efficiency and Performance Audit Act This legislation mandates an independent efficiency audit of the Department of Transportation to benchmark its performance against similar states. S2125 Delinquent and Dependent Children -- Proceedings in Family Court Removes the mandatory requirement to try juveniles as adults solely because they have two prior serious offenses after age 16. S2126 Human Services -- The Rhode Island Works Program This bill removes the requirement to pursue child support to receive state childcare aid and expands eligibility for student parents. S2127 Criminal Procedure -- Identification and Apprehension of Criminals This bill permits the administrative sealing of dismissed Superior Court criminal cases or counts upon the defendant's request without a hearing. S2128 Courts and Civil Procedure -- Courts -- Judicial Selection Temporarily allows the Governor to fill judicial vacancies using candidates nominated for the same court within the previous five years. S2129 Health and Safety -- Reproductive Freedom and Gender Affirming Care Health Data Privacy Act This bill protects the privacy of personal data related to reproductive health and gender-affirming medical care from collection and sale. S2130 Elections -- Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies Mandates the online publication of write-in ballot images and establishes procedures for adjudicating and reporting write-in votes. S2131 Elections -- Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies This bill extends the 50-foot ban on political campaigning near polling places to explicitly include early voting locations. S2133 Elections -- Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates No summary available S2134 Alcoholic Beverages -- Regulation of Sales Reduces penalties for minors transporting alcohol by making fines and suspensions discretionary rather than mandatory and lowering maximum punishments. S2135 Property -- by Possession and Prescription This bill allows people to establish a legal right to use walking paths on private property through long-term usage. S2136 Elections -- Local Canvassing Authorities Updates local election board rules, allows alternate members, and designates town clerks as chief election officials. S2137 Delinquent and Dependent Children -- Proceedings in Family Court Prohibits arresting or handcuffing children twelve and under, with exceptions for immediate safety or life-imprisonment felonies. S2138 Public Records -- Access to Public Records Expands public access to police and government records, lowers copy fees, increases violation fines, and addresses vexatious requests. S2139 Education -- Foundation Level School Support This bill requires the legislature and Governor to agree before Rhode Island joins a federal school voucher tax credit program. S2140 State Affairs and Government -- Quasi-Public Corporations Accountability and Transparency Act Quasi-public corporations must publicly post or link all documents being discussed at open meetings alongside the meeting agenda. S2141 Courts and Civil Procedure -- Procedure Generally -- Fees This bill doubles the daily pay for jurors from $25 to $50, effective July 1, 2026. S2142 State Affairs and Government -- Eminent Domain authorizes the state to acquire footpaths for public water access while protecting active agricultural land from interference. S2143 Criminal Procedure -- Arrest This bill classifies DCYF juvenile program workers and shift coordinators as peace officers under state law. S2144 Criminal Procedure -- Domestic Violence Prevention Act This bill allows the state to pay for domestic violence intervention programs for those who cannot afford them. S2145 Criminal Offenses -- Commercial Sexual Activity This bill requires people convicted of buying sex to pay a $1,000 fee and take a class on the harms of prostitution. S2146 Insurance -- Peer-To-peer Car Sharing Program Act This bill creates regulations for apps that let people rent their personal cars to others, covering insurance, safety, and taxes. S2147 Elections -- Primary Elections Moves the primary election to Wednesday if the scheduled Tuesday falls on the day after Labor Day. S2148 Alcoholic Beverages -- Retail Licenses This bill requires Westerly businesses applying for alcohol licenses to carry specific liability insurance and name the town as an insured party. S2149 Towns and Cities -- General Powers--Warwick Municipal Court Expands Warwick Municipal Court's jurisdiction over building and zoning codes, removes jail time penalties, and allows vehicle destruction orders.
| Bill # | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| January 16th, 2026 | ||
| S2097 | Public Finance -- State Funds | This bill requires hospitals and health centers to file quarterly financial reports to the state to monitor their financial stability. |
| S2098 | Taxation -- Cigarette, Other Tobacco Products, and Electronic Nicotine-Delivery System Products | This bill prohibits the sale of menthol, mint, and wintergreen flavored electronic nicotine-delivery systems (vapes) in Rhode Island. |
| S2099 | Taxation -- Surplus Funds Tax Credit Act | Mandates that state budget surpluses be refunded to taxpayers in proportion to their previous year's income tax liability. |
| S2100 | Criminal Offenses -- Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking | Requires transportation hubs and specific high-risk businesses to display human trafficking hotline signs or face a $300 fine. |
| S2101 | Health and Safety -- The Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program | Creates scholarships for medical students who agree to work in Rhode Island as primary care providers after graduating. |
| S2102 | Towns and Cities -- Optional Retirement for Members of Police Force and Firefighters | Starting July 1, 2027, police and firefighters aged 57 with 20 years of service can retire without benefit reductions. |
| S2103 | Public Finance -- State Budget | This bill requires state agencies to justify their entire budget from scratch periodically, rather than automatically rolling over previous funding. |
| S2105 | Highways -- Relocation of Utility Services | This bill requires the state to pay the full cost, rather than half, to move town-owned utilities during highway construction. |
| S2106 | Human Services -- Medical Assistance | This bill establishes Medicaid payment for paramedics and medical staff to provide preventative care to high-risk patients at home. |
| S2107 | Health and Safety -- Healthcare Worker Platform Act | This bill classifies healthcare shift-booking apps separately from staffing agencies and requires new regulations for them by 2027. |
| S2108 | Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies | Certain insurance companies involved in mergers cannot pay healthcare providers rates lower than the state's approved Medicaid rate. |
| S2109 | Insurance -- Benefit Determination and Utilization Review Act | Removes prior authorization requirements for alcohol and opioid addiction medications and standardizes Medicaid medical necessity criteria. |
| S2110 | Health and Safety -- Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund | This bill creates a state fund, financed by a fee on employers, to help families pay for children's serious medical expenses. |
| S2111 | Businesses and Professions -- Nurses | This bill regulates telemedicine standards and allows certain out-of-state providers to treat Rhode Island patients without a local license. |
| S2112 | Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies | Mandates health insurers cover emergency glucagon medication without copays or deductibles for up to two doses annually starting in 2027. |
| S2113 | Food and Drugs -- Healthy Kids Act | This bill requires restaurants to offer nutritionally healthy children's meal options and establishes water or milk as the default beverages. |
| S2114 | Health and Safety -- Consent to Medical and Surgical Care | Mandates caregiver presence during hospice discussions and guarantees home nurse access for hospice patients regardless of income or age. |
| S2115 | Health and Safety -- Health Care Power of Attorney | This bill invites all Rhode Island hospitals to provide a notary public 24/7 to help patients sign legal documents. |
| S2116 | Businesses and Professions -- Nurses | This bill establishes specific training, practice standards, and licensing exemptions for nurses who provide medical foot care in patients' homes. |
| S2117 | Health and Safety -- The Personal Hygiene Product Safety and Toxic Metal Removal Act of 2026 | This legislation bans specific toxic metals like lead and arsenic in personal care items like makeup and tampons. |
| S2118 | Health and Safety -- Primary Care Training Sites Program | This bill expands the list of accepted accreditations for primary care training sites to qualify for state funding and reduces mandatory training hours. |
| S2119 | State Affairs and Government -- Office of Health and Human Services | This bill allows immigrants who do not qualify for regular Medicaid to receive free treatment for kidney failure and transplants. |
| S2121 | State Affairs and Government -- Lead Hazard Mitigation | Prevents the state from fining landlords for missing lead certificates if the state lacks resources to conduct timely inspections. |
| S2122 | Businesses and Professions -- Real Estate Sales Disclosures | This bill requires property sellers to disclose public shoreline access rights and provide documentation of any public rights-of-way. |
| S2123 | Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation | Exempts real and personal property owned by the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center in Pawtucket from property taxes. |
| S2124 | State Affairs and Government -- Rhode Island Department of Transportation Efficiency and Performance Audit Act | This legislation mandates an independent efficiency audit of the Department of Transportation to benchmark its performance against similar states. |
| S2125 | Delinquent and Dependent Children -- Proceedings in Family Court | Removes the mandatory requirement to try juveniles as adults solely because they have two prior serious offenses after age 16. |
| S2126 | Human Services -- The Rhode Island Works Program | This bill removes the requirement to pursue child support to receive state childcare aid and expands eligibility for student parents. |
| S2127 | Criminal Procedure -- Identification and Apprehension of Criminals | This bill permits the administrative sealing of dismissed Superior Court criminal cases or counts upon the defendant's request without a hearing. |
| S2128 | Courts and Civil Procedure -- Courts -- Judicial Selection | Temporarily allows the Governor to fill judicial vacancies using candidates nominated for the same court within the previous five years. |
| S2129 | Health and Safety -- Reproductive Freedom and Gender Affirming Care Health Data Privacy Act | This bill protects the privacy of personal data related to reproductive health and gender-affirming medical care from collection and sale. |
| S2130 | Elections -- Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies | Mandates the online publication of write-in ballot images and establishes procedures for adjudicating and reporting write-in votes. |
| S2131 | Elections -- Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies | This bill extends the 50-foot ban on political campaigning near polling places to explicitly include early voting locations. |
| S2133 | Elections -- Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates | No summary available |
| S2134 | Alcoholic Beverages -- Regulation of Sales | Reduces penalties for minors transporting alcohol by making fines and suspensions discretionary rather than mandatory and lowering maximum punishments. |
| S2135 | Property -- by Possession and Prescription | This bill allows people to establish a legal right to use walking paths on private property through long-term usage. |
| S2136 | Elections -- Local Canvassing Authorities | Updates local election board rules, allows alternate members, and designates town clerks as chief election officials. |
| S2137 | Delinquent and Dependent Children -- Proceedings in Family Court | Prohibits arresting or handcuffing children twelve and under, with exceptions for immediate safety or life-imprisonment felonies. |
| S2138 | Public Records -- Access to Public Records | Expands public access to police and government records, lowers copy fees, increases violation fines, and addresses vexatious requests. |
| S2139 | Education -- Foundation Level School Support | This bill requires the legislature and Governor to agree before Rhode Island joins a federal school voucher tax credit program. |
| S2140 | State Affairs and Government -- Quasi-Public Corporations Accountability and Transparency Act | Quasi-public corporations must publicly post or link all documents being discussed at open meetings alongside the meeting agenda. |
| S2141 | Courts and Civil Procedure -- Procedure Generally -- Fees | This bill doubles the daily pay for jurors from $25 to $50, effective July 1, 2026. |
| S2142 | State Affairs and Government -- Eminent Domain | authorizes the state to acquire footpaths for public water access while protecting active agricultural land from interference. |
| S2143 | Criminal Procedure -- Arrest | This bill classifies DCYF juvenile program workers and shift coordinators as peace officers under state law. |
| S2144 | Criminal Procedure -- Domestic Violence Prevention Act | This bill allows the state to pay for domestic violence intervention programs for those who cannot afford them. |
| S2145 | Criminal Offenses -- Commercial Sexual Activity | This bill requires people convicted of buying sex to pay a $1,000 fee and take a class on the harms of prostitution. |
| S2146 | Insurance -- Peer-To-peer Car Sharing Program Act | This bill creates regulations for apps that let people rent their personal cars to others, covering insurance, safety, and taxes. |
| S2147 | Elections -- Primary Elections | Moves the primary election to Wednesday if the scheduled Tuesday falls on the day after Labor Day. |
| S2148 | Alcoholic Beverages -- Retail Licenses | This bill requires Westerly businesses applying for alcohol licenses to carry specific liability insurance and name the town as an insured party. |
| S2149 | Towns and Cities -- General Powers--Warwick Municipal Court | Expands Warwick Municipal Court's jurisdiction over building and zoning codes, removes jail time penalties, and allows vehicle destruction orders. |