Rhode Island

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DETERMINATION OF NEED FOR NEW HEALTHCARE EQUIPMENT AND NEW INSTITUTIONAL HEALTH SERVICES - Repeals the certificate of need process statutes which are used by the department of health to determine the need for new health care equipment and new institutional health services.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY - Establishes the commercial sex buyer’s accountability program which consists of an instructional program on prostitution and human trafficking schemes.

INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES - Requires healthcare insurers, without prior authorization, to provide post-acute care services to patients discharged from a hospital for a minimum of seven (7) days commencing on or after January 1, 2027.

THE ROGER WILLIAMS PARK ZOO -- 2026 BOND REFERENDA - Authorizes the State of Rhode Island to issue up to eighteen million dollars ($18,000,000) in general obligation bonds, subject to voter approval, to support the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES - Bans street takeovers and violators would be guilty of a felony and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and be subject to a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).

COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- JUDICIAL SELECTION - Permits RI Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, in consultation with RI Bar Association and its Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to appoint members of JNC and requires judicial candidates to disclose political donations.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PREVENTING UNWARRANTED FACILITY FEES - Prohibits the addition of facility fees when healthcare services are not rendered on a hospital campus.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- PASSING, USE OF LANES AND RULES OF THE ROAD - Allows lane filtering, the act of passing stopped or slow-moving vehicles proceeding in the same direction, for motorcycles at low speeds.

TAXATION -- CIGARETTE, OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS, AND ELECTRONIC NICOTINE-DELIVERY SYSTEM PRODUCTS - Defines an alternative nicotine product as any noncombustible product without tobacco leaf but nicotine from another source and also taxes alternative nicotine products at $2.00 per container up to 20 units.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY - Requires hospitals to have a notary on staff all hours of the day and week.

FOOD AND DRUGS -- COMPASSIONATE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT - Requires certain health care facilities to allow a terminally ill patient’s use of medicinal cannabis within the health care facility, subject to certain restrictions.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT REPORTS - Provides for a single, increased range of penalties for all driving offenses which result in serious bodily injury or death.

MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- RHODE ISLAND VETERANS HOME STAFFING SUPPORT ACT OF 2026 - Creates The Rhode Island Veterans Home Staffing Support Act of 2026.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE AUDIT ACT - Requires that an independent efficiency and performance audit of the department of transportation be commissioned by the department of administration.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- JOINT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE SERVICES - Advances the interests of older Rhode Islanders by adding a representative of an aging adult organization to the state planning council and a permanent committee on aging to the state planning council.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES - Removes the forfeiture provision for a first offense eluding law enforcement in a high speed pursuit. It would also require that forfeiture of a motor vehicle for a violation of § 31-27-4.1(2) be allowed only after conviction of that offense.

BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- VETERINARY PRACTICE - Requires veterinarians to provide consultations to animal owners when a drug is prescribed and dispensed for that annual patient.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- EXPUNGEMENT OF CRIMINAL RECORDS - Makes persons who were convicted of crimes forty or more years ago eligible to have their records expunged, with certain exceptions.

TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION - Repeals pet care services from the services subject to sales tax as defined by §§ 44-18-7(19) and 44-18-7.3(b)(3).

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES - Increases penalties for a variety of motor vehicle offenses.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT - Prohibits defendants who are serving probation for driving under the influence death resulting from earning good time off their probationary period.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS - Prohibits municipalities from restricting certain landscaping equipment based on its power source. It also prohibits any changes in the regulation of the use of power equipment in the municipality, without a positive referendum vote.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ASSAULTS - Makes assault with intent to commit murder punishable by no less than ten years and not more than forty years and the person would not be afforded the benefit of suspension or deferment of sentence or probation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES - Requires the disclosure of the transfer of certain assets of healthcare facilities and provides penalties for failing to file healthcare facility ownership information.