The bill amends the Rhode Island Family Home-Visiting Act to enhance the state's home-visiting services for families with young children. It adds the First Connections family home-visiting program as a recognized provider and modifies the Department of Health's annual reporting requirements regarding family home-visiting programs. The report will now include components of the state's family home-visiting system, state and federal funding amounts and sources, the number of families served by First Connections, demographic data, duration of participation, and implementation successes and challenges. It will also provide a projected three-year estimate of available federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) grant funds, the state match required to access full federal MIECHV grants, and funding strategies to sustain and expand programs.

Additionally, the bill directs the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to pursue a Medicaid state plan amendment to increase payment rates for family home visiting services by the amount recommended in the 2025 social and human service programs review report. Rate increases must be implemented by October 1, 2026. The state is also required to allocate the minimum amount necessary to draw down the maximum available MIECHV federal dollars for Rhode Island, which will be used to fund home-visiting services. The changes aim to expand access to home-visiting programs for vulnerable families and ensure adequate resources are available to support these essential services. The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2845: 23-13.7-2