Rhode Island Bill Tracking And State Guide
Everything you need to know to engage with the Senate and House
How does a bill become law in Rhode Island?
- Introduction: A bill can be introduced by any Representative or Senator in their respective house.
- Numbering: The Recording Secretary numbers the bill in the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of the Senate does the same for the Senate.
- Referral: The Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate refers the bill to the appropriate committee.
- Committee Action: The committee may take various actions, including:
- a. Recommend passage as introduced;
- b. Recommend passage with amendments;
- c. Recommend passage of a substitute;
- d. Recommend further referral to another committee;
- e. Recommend indefinite postponement;
- f. Report the bill to the floor without a recommendation.
- Calendar: The bill goes on the calendar when a committee recommends passage. All "Public Bills" are reproduced with a short explanation for distribution.
- Transmission: After passage in one house, the bill is sent to the other house to follow a similar procedure.
- Final Passage: If both houses concur, the bill is forwarded to the Governor.
Governor's Actions:
- The Governor may sign and approve the bill, returning it to the Secretary of State who notifies the original house of its passage into law.
- The Governor may veto the bill, returning it to the original house. If three-fifths of the members in both houses vote in favor, the bill becomes law despite the veto.
- The Governor may allow the bill to become law without a signature if it is not signed within six days (excluding Sunday) while the General Assembly is in session. If the Assembly is adjourned, the bill becomes law unless the Governor disapproves it in writing within ten days after adjournment.
- By statute, any law that does not specify when it takes effect will become effective on July 1 of the year it was enacted by the General Assembly.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in Rhode Island?
Members of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Rhode Island by participating in the following ways:
1. Contacting Legislators: Individuals can reach out to their elected Representatives and Senators to express their opinions about proposed legislation or to advocate for new bills.
2. Attending Public Hearings: Citizens are encouraged to attend public hearings held by committees in the House and Senate. These hearings provide an opportunity to provide testimony, ask questions, and voice support or opposition to specific bills.
3. Submitting Testimony: Members of the public can submit written testimony on bills being considered. This allows individuals to formally present their views, even if they cannot attend hearings in person.
4. Following Legislation: Interested individuals can track the progress of bills through the legislative process. This allows them to stay informed about when bills are being debated, amended, or voted upon.
5. Engagement in Advocacy: Joining or collaborating with advocacy groups that align with specific legislative interests can amplify an individual's voice and influence on the legislative process.
6. Researching Bills: Keeping informed about current legislation, proposed bills, and their implications is crucial. This can help the public make informed statements during public hearings or when communicating with legislators.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Rhode Island every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.
FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.
FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features
- real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
- automated reporting
- team collaboration
- bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
- bill similarity detection
- ...and much more
How do I track bills in Rhode Island?
1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.
2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.
3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.
4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.
5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.
6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.
7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.
How do I find my local Rhode Island Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
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Most tracked bills in Rhode Island, 2025 Regular Session
AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- LICENSING OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES (Requires all state licensed healthcare facilities to convert the powering of their operations from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. DOH promulgates rules and regulations to implement the requirements.)
Last Action
02/21/2025 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/25/2025)
House • Feb 21, 2025Latest Version
Feb 25, 2025 04:00pm
Room 135 - State House, Time: Rise of the House
AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- BOARD OF MEDICAL LICENSURE AND DISCIPLINE -- PROMPT PROCESSING OF INSURANCE CLAIMS (Prohibits certain claim practices of health insurers and medical providers. The act would further require fulfillment of medical record requests within fourteen (14) days.)
Last Action
02/07/2025 Withdrawn at sponsor's request
Senate • Feb 07, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT (Prohibits an insurer from imposing a requirement of prior authorization for any admission, item, service, treatment or procedure ordered by a primary care provider.)
Last Action
02/05/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Feb 05, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE -- PRESCRIPTION DRUGS (Prohibits the Rhode Island medical assistance program and managed care organizations that it contracts with from requiring prior authorization or step therapy protocol for a prescription of a nonpreferred anticonvulsant or antipsychotic.)
Last Action
02/05/2025 Introduced, referred to House Finance
House • Feb 05, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES (Mandates all insurance contracts, plans or policies provide insurance coverage for the expense of diagnosing and treating infertility, for women between the ages of 25 and 42 years including preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in conjunction with IVF.)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Finance
Senate • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- DEFENDING AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS ACT (Prohibits any health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, or other third-party payor from discriminating against any 340B entity participating in a drug discount program.)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (Sets controls on Medicaid prescription drug costs by imposing transparency and accountability requirements on managed care organizations (MCOs) and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT OF 2004 -- HEALTH INSURANCE OVERSIGHT (Requires a report to be produced that focuses on prescription drug prior authorizations by January 1, 2026.)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES--EQUAL PAY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS (Provides for equal pay for healthcare providers.)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services
House • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT OF 2004 -- HEALTH INSURANCE OVERSIGHT (Includes the definition of "primary care services" and requires that all biennial reports shall include a review and recommendation of rates for primary care services on and after September 1, 2025.)
Last Action
01/31/2025 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services
House • Jan 31, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- BOARD OF MEDICAL LICENSURE AND DISCIPLINE -- PROMPT PROCESSING OF INSURANCE CLAIMS (Prohibits certain claim practices of health insurers and medical providers. The act would further require fulfillment of medical record requests within fourteen (14) days.)
Last Action
01/29/2025 Withdrawn at sponsor's request
House • Jan 29, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE BY HEALTH INSURERS TO MANAGE COVERAGE AND CLAIMS ACT (Would promote transparency and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence by health insurers to manage coverage and claims.)
Last Action
01/24/2025 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services
House • Jan 24, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE BY HEALTH INSURERS TO MANAGE COVERAGE AND CLAIMS ACT (Would promote transparency and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence by health insurers to manage coverage and claims.)
Last Action
01/23/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technol
Senate • Jan 23, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT OF 2004 -- HEALTH INSURANCE OVERSIGHT (Includes the definition of "primary care services" and requires that all biennial reports shall include a review and recommendation of rates for primary care services on and after September 1, 2025.)
Last Action
01/23/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 23, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT (Provides an insurer would not impose prior authorization requirements for any service ordered by an in-network primary care provider.)
Last Action
01/23/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 23, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (Prohibits health insurance providers from requiring preauthorization for in- network mental health or substance use disorder services.)
Last Action
01/23/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
Senate • Jan 23, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT (Provides an insurer would not impose prior authorization requirements for any service ordered by an in-network primary care provider.)
Last Action
01/22/2025 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services
House • Jan 22, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2026
Last Action
01/16/2025 Introduced, referred to House Finance
House • Jan 16, 2025Latest Version
Feb 25, 2025 04:00pm
Room 35 - State House, Time: Rise of the House
AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES (Sets the minimum wage for 2026 at $16 per hour, 2027 at $17 per hour, 2028 at $18 per hour, 2029 at $19 per hour and for 2030 at $20 per hour.)
Last Action
01/10/2025 Introduced, referred to House Labor
House • Jan 10, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- BENEFIT DETERMINATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW ACT (Prohibits health benefit plans reviewing prescriptions for opioid addiction treatment.)
Last Action
01/10/2025 Introduced, referred to House Health & Human Services
House • Jan 10, 2025Latest Version
All Legislators in Rhode Island (Senator and Representative)
