Jessica de la Cruz

Applies to electric generating facilities generating electricity on/after 1/1/25 regarding sale/transmission of electricity/facility restructuring/last-resort service.

Amends the regulations on the cancellation and renewal of liability and property damage insurance for automobiles, homeowners insurance, residential fire insurance and components thereof.

Requires the PUC to produce yearly reports beginning on January 1, 2027 on the ability of the current electric grid to handle electrification loads needed to power cars, buildings, and heating of homes within the state.

Amends how architecture firms and individual architects are registered.

Updates the state’s public accountancy act for consistency with the 9th edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act, as issued by NASBA and AICPA in July 2025.

Repeals the energy efficiency charge.

Prohibits the operation of any thermal waste conversion facility such as pyrolysis within the Quonset Point/Davisville Industrial Park and expires on June 1, 2027.

Establishes the commercial kitchen exhaust system inspection and cleaning licensing and certification act. Requires entities inspecting or cleaning commercial exhaust systems to be licensed and insured.

Prohibits restrictive covenants related to grocery stores.

Provides an update to certain insurance sections of law to update or eliminate outdated sections of the insurance law.

Extends certain protocols applicable to motor vehicle manufacturers to their distributors and factory branches, as well as updates warranty reimbursement and recalls obligation policies.

Limits mortgage prepayment rules to mortgages on owner-occupied properties with one to four dwelling units.

Provides an update to certain insurance sections of law to update or eliminate outdated sections of the insurance law.

Establishes requirements for capital, liquidity, and corporate governance including: audit, risk management, and board oversight, for nonbank mortgage servicers.

Requires a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, as defined, to provide a consumer with certain information regarding the company’s policies and procedures regarding use of genetic data.

Removes the licensing exemption for a lender that originates less than six (6) loans in twelve (12) consecutive months.

Establishes the Rhode Island Special Deposits Act to be governed by an account agreement between the bank and the depositor or its beneficiary.

Allows customers to directly take single-use plastic straws from single straw dispensers at food service establishments.

Permits on and after July 1, 2027, for an insurer to consider the zip code in which the vehicle is garaged; provided that, the calculation of the zip code is segmented by the municipality where the vehicle is garaged.

Requires that automated teller machines disclose the account balance prior to any cash withdrawal.

Requires a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, as defined, to provide a consumer with certain information regarding the company’s policies and procedures regarding use of genetic data.

Excludes nuclear power from the office of energy resources and division of public utilities from participation, procuring and entering into long-term contracts.

Establishes a procedure to permit DCYF to apply for benefits on behalf of children, who are eligible, that are within temporary custody or guardianship of the department.

Provides medical assistance coverage for medical services provided qualifying eligible recipients for community based care.

Makes construction contractors civilly liable and/or jointly civilly liable for any claims of wage theft or nonpayment from an employee against the contractor, its subcontractors and any subcontractor.

JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE TEACHER HEALTHCARE PLAN (Creates an 11-member commission to study and make recommendations on a statewide teacher healthcare plan, and would report quarterly as of September 1, 2026, and submit a final report by September 1, 2027, and expires on December 31, 2027.)

Establishes a maximum hourly workday for all peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and a violation rate of pay of double time and a half.

Increases sentences for carrying a stolen firearm when committing a crime of violence and for possessing a stolen firearm. Requires that a person convicted of these offenses serve a period of time in which they would not be eligible for parole/ probation.

Allows an individual school district that can utilize its own buses or vendors at a lower cost than the statewide system, to obtain reimbursement for these costs from state funds.

Changes annual reporting requirements for the state’s family home-visiting program and also impacts appropriation and spending of funds in order to access maximum federal funding for these programs.

Allows retired teachers, state and municipal workers to be employed without the loss of any retirement benefits, as long as they reside in Rhode Island at least 270 days and have an annual income from all sources that is less than $55,000.

Makes several amendments to the cannabis act relating to applications for licensure, the social equity assistance program and the application of cannabis tax revenue.

Permits retired superior court magistrates to be assigned to perform service pursuant to §§ 8-2-11.1, 8-2-39, 8-2-39.1 or 8-2-39.2 and be reemployed by the superior court without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits.

Provides that funds or monies collected by designated quasi-public corporations or agencies not be subject to transfer or reallocation by order of the governor or general assembly.

Prohibits an educational institution or school district from accessing or using location data for tracking a student's institutional device or personal device, except in limited circumstances.

Provides the general assembly make an annual appropriation of not less than eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) to the Rhode Island emergency management agency to assist with emergency communications during major or multiple emergency incidents.

JOINT RESOLUTION URGING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO STUDY AND REGULATE THE IMPACT OF WAKE BOATS ON RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC WATERWAYS (Urges DEM to study and regulate the impact of wake boats on Rhode Island public waterways.)

Allows employees, not represented by a union, to create a group to collectively bargain with employers.

Allows employees, not represented by a union, to create a group to collectively bargain with employers.

Establishes a simplified exemption from state income tax for small-scale Bitcoin transactions up to $5,000 per month, or $20,000 per taxable year.

Creates process for individual to voluntarily be either temporarily or indefinitely added to a list restricting their rights to purchase or possess firearms. Adds civil fines and misdemeanor for violations.

Establishes the office of inspector general to investigate the management and operation of agencies in an effort to prevent and deter fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.

Provides for paid leave for a state employee who donates an organ and duration of the leave is dependent on the type of donation and notice should be provided to the employer at least thirty (30) days prior to the leave.

Provides for paid leave for a state employee who donates an organ and duration of the leave is dependent on the type of donation and notice should be provided to the employer at least thirty (30) days prior to the leave.

Nullifies the department of elementary and secondary education recommendation that the turnaround plan for Providence public schools be continued.

Makes it a felony for any person required to register as a sex offender to live within three hundred feet (300’) of a school as defined in § 11-37.1-2.

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.

Allows unemployment benefits for workers who are on strike or are locked out of their workplaces by their employer due to a labor dispute.

Authorizes judges to issue electronic warrants for DUI offenses under certain conditions.

Amends the OPA desk audit classification rules to eliminate supervising other employees as a factor for position upgrade eligibility.

Amends modifications to income tax for residents to now include an exemption for a foreign service officer's pension.

Transfers authority over the examination and licensing of telecommunications professionals to the state board of examiners of electricians and amends the composition of that body to require the inclusion of a telecommunications professional.

Transfers authority over the examination and licensing of telecommunications professionals to the state board of examiners of electricians and amends the composition of that body to require the inclusion of a telecommunications professional.

Generates an estate tax discharge upon the recording of a statement by the executor or other estate representative that the value of the decedent’s gross estate does not require a state or federal tax filing.

Requires individuals seeking a judicial nomination to reapply to JNC every 3 years and make those individuals selected as finalists, eligible only for the court in which they applied and were chosen during the five years following their selection.

Allows retired state employees to be reemployed by a municipality with no restrictions and with no loss of their existing retirement benefits.

Increases fees paid to jurors to fifty dollars ($50.00) per day.

Permits extended early intervention services for children with developmental disabilities whose third birthday is between May 1 and August 31.

Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.

Eliminates the sunset on the provision of funding, modify eligibility requirement to 85% of state median income and expand funding to at least 20 hours per week.