This week at the
General Assembly
STATE HOUSE — Here are the highlights from news and events that took place in the General Assembly this week. For more information on any of these items visit http://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease
§ House Finance Committee approves 2026 state budget bill
The House Finance Committee approved a balanced $14.33 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year that closes budget gaps; bolsters Medicaid despite threats at the federal level; increases reimbursements for primary care providers, nursing homes and hospitals; and provides additional resources to address the housing crisis. The bill (2025-H 5076A) now goes to the full House of Representatives, which is scheduled to take it up June 17. The budget proposal totals about $500 million less than the current year’s budget.
Click here to see news release.
§ House, Senate approve Bennett, Burke minimum wage bill
The House of Representatives and Senate approved bills (2025-H 5029A, 2025-S 0125A) introduced by Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston) and Sen. John Burke (D-Dist. 9, West Warwick) that would increase Rhode Island’s minimum wage from $15 to $17 over a two-year period. Each bill now moves to the opposite respective chamber for approval.
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§ Assembly OKs bill to mandate that public funded nonprofits disclose salaries
The General Assembly approved legislation (2025-H 6235Aaa, 2025-S 0579A) introduced by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry) and Sen. John Burke (D-Dist. 9, West Warwick) that would require nonprofit organizations to disclose their top salaries before receiving grants or funding from the General Assembly. The measure now moves to the governor’s office.
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§ Legislature OKs bill to require universal changing stations in public buildings
The General Assembly approved legislation (2025-H 5611, 2025-S 0387) introduced by Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick) and Sen. Peter A. Appollonio Jr. (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) that would require universal changing stations, accessible to people of all ages and genders who require assistance with diapering, in new public buildings. The measure now moves to the governor’s office.
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§ Assembly approves bill reviving conservation, affordable housing board
The General Assembly has approved legislation (2025-S 0711, 2025-H 5310) sponsored by Sen. Jacob E. Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence) and Rep. June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) to revive a state board that brings together leaders in land conservation, construction and affordable housing to promote sustainable housing growth throughout Rhode Island.
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§ Legislature OKs PURPLE Alerts for missing individuals with disabilities
The General Assembly passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Tina L. Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly) and Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston) to establish a “PURPLE Alert” system to help quickly find missing adults with serious disabilities whose health and safety is at risk.
The bill (2025-H 6165A, 2025-S 0983A), which now goes to the governor, was introduced to address situations like one that occurred in Cranston in March, when a nonverbal autistic woman went missing for several days. She was found alive in a parked car.
Click here to see news release.
§ Legislators pass bill to protect homeowners from predatory real estate schemes
Lawmakers approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth) and Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) to prohibit an unfair real estate practice that is often targeted at older homeowners, sometimes resulting in a lien against their property or other problems. The legislation (2025-H 5185A, 2025-S 0133A), which now goes to the governor, targets a scheme referred to as Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Services (NTRAPS) in which a real estate broker offers money to a homeowner upfront in exchange for the rights to later sell their home.
Click here to see news release.
§ Assembly approves bill to test biosolids for PFAS
Lawmakers approved legislation (2025-H 5844A, 2025-S 0650A) sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) and Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) to require anyone applying for a permit to spread biosolids on land as fertilizer to first test the material for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The legislation now goes to the governor.
Click here to see news release.
§ Matunuck Oyster Bar ‘Take It Outside’ bill advances in House and Senate
Legislation (2025-H 6392, 2025-S 1139) sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) and Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that would enable the Matunuck Oyster Bar to reopen on a limited basis this summer has advanced in both the House and Senate. Each bill must now pass the other chamber to become law. The legislation would allow the restaurant to serve customers across the street in a parking lot that is owned by the restaurant, and keep 50 employees of the restaurant working during the busy summer months.
Click here to see news release.
§ Senate approves President Lawson’s bill to strengthen paid family leave
The Senate approved Senate President Valarie J. Lawson’s (D-Dist. 14, East Providence) legislation (2025-S 0974aa) to expand paid family leave through the Temporary Caregiver Insurance, or TCI, program. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls) has introduced similar legislation (2025-H 6066).
