Rhode Island

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT AND INVESTMENT ACT -- RHODE ISLAND BROADBAND OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2026 - Enacts the Rhode Island Broadband Oversight and Accountability Act of 2026.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS - Prohibits municipalities from restricting certain landscaping equipment based on its power source.

BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- LICENSE OF NATUROPATHY ACT OF 2017 - Changes the naming of doctor of naturopathy to naturopathic doctor.

INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT - Prohibits healthcare insurers from requiring or conducting a review for prescription medicine used to treat alcohol or opioid use disorder containing Methadone, Burenorphine, or Naltrexone, or approved to mitigate opioid withdrawal symptoms.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- BURRILLVILLE AND GLOCESTER PUBLIC NOTICE ACT - Allows the towns of Burrillville and Glocester to publish notices in any newspaper located within their municipalities and would also allow publication in other designated digital or print platforms selected by their town councils.

CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS -- THE RHODE ISLAND LIMITED-LIABILITY COMPANY ACT - Permits a member or members of a limited-liability company to avoid dissolution by buying the membership interest owned by the other member or members seeking dissolution.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND ECONOMIC GROWTH BLOCKCHAIN ACT - Creates a council to supervise, manage and regulate special depository institutions. The act also allows for the controlled issuance of limited waivers of regulatory requirements for the creators of innovative financial products.

INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES - Prohibits an insurance company from imposing any cost-sharing requirements for any diagnostic or supplemental breast examinations.

COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES - Prohibits a seller from imposing a surcharge fee on a customer who uses a credit card for a transaction occurring in the state.

INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES - Requires health insurance policies to cover licensed certified lactation counselor services for childbearing families. It would also prohibit requiring supervision or duplicate payments for services and mandates annual reporting.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND BIOTECHNOLOGY REGULATORY SANDBOX ACT - Establishes the biotechnology regulatory sandbox program within the department of business regulation.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS - Adds probation officers and parole officers to the definition of "police officer" for purposes of salary payments during line of duty illness or injury.

FOOD AND DRUGS -- FORCE-FED POULTRY PRODUCTS - Prohibits force-feeding to create a force-fed poultry product or the hiring of another to engage in force-feeding of a poultry product. It also prohibits the sale of a force-fed poultry product or food containing a force-fed poultry product.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BORN-ALIVE INFANT PROTECTION ACT - Provides duties/obligations of medical personnel to born-alive infants resulting from an abortion punishable as a felony along with a civil action for compensatory/punitive damages/automatic one year license suspension.

LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES - Effective January 1, 2028, Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the previous four (4) fiscal years.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Allows teachers to retire earlier upon what would be referred to as a Rule of 93, rather than the existing Rule of 95 under present state statutes.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY - Prohibits RIPTA from using state funds or the proceeds of any bond(s) to pay for any work performed after 8/1/26, pursuant to the “transit center joint development project” RFP and/or pursuant to related the preliminary services agreement.