Rhode Island

COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- CAUSES OF ACTION - Creates "Harter's Law" to extend the civil statute of limitations, for injuries resulting from first degree child abuse, to thirty-five (35) years and cap civil damages recovery at five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

ELECTIONS -- PRIMARY ELECTION - Changes primary election to Wednesday if after Labor Day and does not mandate local boards of election to have voter registration drive at high school.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- STATE POLICE - Clarifies that the three-year final average compensation provision for retiring members of the state police applies to the superintendent and all members eligible and who retire on or after July 1, 2024.

INSURANCE -- THE PROTECT MENTAL HEALTH ACT - Requires health insurers to comply with federal mental health parity laws, prevent discriminatory treatment limits, and ensures meaningful mental health and substance use coverage in all benefit classifications.

ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS - Requires mail ballots applications to include the RI driving license or state identification number, if unexpired or expired no more than 6 months prior to the election, or the last four digits of the voter’s Soc Sec number.

INSURANCE -- LIABILITY INSURANCE - Provides for mandatory uninsured motorist coverage.

CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- JAILS AND PRISONS - Prohibits individuals from conveying items to or from the training school for youth without prior consent by the executive director of the division of youth development at the department of children, youth and families.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ABUSE IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES - Removes the intent requirement relative to the definitions of "abuse" within the chapter on "abuse in healthcare facilities" and amends the definitions of "abuse" and "neglect" with regard to elderly affairs by deleting the element of willful conduct.

PROPERTY -- CAPACITY TO HOLD REAL ESTATE - Precludes a legal entity from owning property whose value is over $25,000,000. If the property value exceeds $25,000,000, then the entity must divest a graduated yearly amount over the next 10 years, until value is less than $25,000,000.

PARKS AND RECREATIONAL AREAS -- PUBLIC USE OF PRIVATE LANDS-LIABILITY LIMITATIONS - Changes the definition of owner to exclude the state and municipalities for the purposes of liability limitations relating to public use of private lands.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Reinstates, for all teachers and state employees who retired after July 1, 2012, their annual cost of living adjustment for retirement plan year 2026.

INSURANCE -- LIABILITY INSURANCE - Requires that insurance policies for property damage, personal injuries, and indemnification other than payment of compensation for workers compensation, state policy limits and no amount of the policy may be used to pay costs to defend a claim.

ELECTIONS -- CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND VOTING EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES - Prohibits the use of ranked choice voting in all local, state and federal public office elections.

COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- EVIDENCE - Repeals the collateral source rule in medical malpractice actions.

PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM -- CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS - Adds probation and parole officers to the list of state law enforcement professionals, for purpose of retirement on service allowance.

PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM -- CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS - Allows retired state employees to be reemployed by a municipality with no restrictions and with no loss of their existing retirement benefits.

INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT - Limits the use by insurers of step therapy, a protocol that establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs for a specified medical condition are covered by an insurer, by allowing medical providers to request step therapy exceptions.

EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT - Amends the current law on teacher’s creditable service so that a teacher who takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the year would be given credit for a year of service for that school year if they served a minimum of 135 school days.