Rhode Island

ELECTIONS -- PRIMARY ELECTIONS - Requires that the primary election date, statutorily the eighth Tuesday preceding the biennial state elections, shall be held on the Wednesday when Labor Day is the day before said Tuesday. No other filing deadlines would be affected.

LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES' ARBITRATION - Recognizes that municipal employees have the opportunity to utilize binding arbitration and establishes new factors for the arbitrators to consider. These factors include comparisons of wages/hourly conditions of employment in similarly skilled jobs.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire upon the earlier of reaching age sixty (60) with thirty (30) years of service or the employee's retirement eligibility date under present state statutes.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE -- RHODE ISLAND INCLUSIVE HOME DESIGN ACT - Addresses any single-family construction, townhouse construction, and multi-family construction complying with the Standards for Visitable Units of the ANSI' Standards for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- HOMICIDE - Prohibits the imposition of a sentence of life without parole upon any person twenty-one (21) years of age or younger.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Restore the rights of school administrators and staff members, who have retired to exceed the ninety-day (90) cap on post-retirement employment and work up to one hundred eighty (180) days during a school year.

PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM -- CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS - Provides that retirees in the state pension system receive cost of living adjustments compounded into the retiree’s total retirement benefits each year beginning January 1, 2026. This act would be prospective only.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Changes the teacher and state employees' retirement benefit calculations' cutoff date from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2009, for all retirement members eligible to and who retire on or after the new July 1, 2009, cutoff date.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- STATE IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR MINORS WITHOUT RESIDENCE ACT - Allows a minor between the ages of 14 -17 without a permanent residence/in custody of the DCYF to get state identification card without a signature from parent, guardian or foster parent as well as a certified copy of minor's birth certificate at no cost.

INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES -- PHYSICAL THERAPY COPAY - Limits copays, coinsurance or office deductibles for services of a physical therapist to the amount authorized for the services of a primary care physician or osteopath on or after January 1, 2027.

DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT - Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- CHILDREN - Requires courts and bail commissioners to issue no contact orders against any person arrested for cruelty or neglect of a child, child abuse or child endangerment and to issue orders upon any finding of guilty. Violations of order would be a misdemeanor.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RIGHTS OF NURSING HOME PATIENTS - Provides a specific cause of action for violations of the rights of nursing home patients chapter.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE - Establishes a moratorium on changes to the state energy conservation code from the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code until January 1, 2031, unless approved by the legislature and made effective by the governor.

HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE - Provides medical assistance coverage for medical services provided qualifying eligible recipients for community based care.

COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- CAUSES OF ACTION - Provides for punitive damages in civil actions where there is willful or wanton conduct or a reckless disregard for health, safety and welfare.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELIEF OF INJURED AND DECEASED FIRE FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS - Adds probation officer and parole officer to the list of public safety employees that are entitled to their full salary if they are injured and become disabled as a result of performance of their job duties.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire when they have at least twenty-eight (28) years of active service and their retirement age, when combined with the number of their years of service reaches, the number eighty-five (85).