Senator Elaine J. Morgan

03/17/2026

The rise of lab-grown meat is one of the most controversial advancements in the food industry. Proponents argue that it could revolutionize food production by reducing the environmental impact of traditional meat farming and addressing ethical concerns about animal welfare. However, figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have raised alarms, questioning whether lab-grown meat is truly a sustainable or safe alternative. His critique highlights the uncertainties surrounding the long-term health implications and the ethics of manipulating natural processes.

While lab-grown meat offers a promising solution to some of the world’s food security challenges, it also opens up a host of questions about the role of technology in our lives. Should we allow genetic modification to play such a central role in our diets? What impact will it have on traditional farming, and how will it affect global food systems? These are questions that require careful consideration as we navigate the future of food.

The debate around lab-grown meat underscores a larger conversation about how we should approach innovation. While technology offers immense possibilities, we must proceed with caution, ensuring that progress doesn’t come at the expense of our values, health, or the environment. 🍖🤔

03/13/2026

Rhode Island moves fast, and sometimes the most important things happening in our state don’t always make the headlines.

That’s one of the reasons we started The Rhode Island Republic a new E-newsletter focused on what’s really happening across Rhode Island, from policy updates to local issues that impact our communities.

The first edition just went out, and the feedback has already been great.

03/13/2026

03/13/2026

Come to Dan's Place for Trivia and fun with the West Greenwich Preservation and Heritage Commission on Sunday, March 22, 5-7 pm!! We are excited to release our new West Greenwich Trading Card Collection and celebrate our town!
The restaurant will be open for normal business so plan to come for dinner, catch up with friends and have some fun - no special tickets or reservations needed!

03/13/2026

How often do we blindly accept the information fed to us by the media without questioning its validity? The image of a person blindfolded and fed something without knowing what it is highlights the danger of trusting external sources without critically analyzing them. Just as we wouldn’t allow someone to feed us blindly without knowing the content, we shouldn’t allow the media to dictate our beliefs without scrutinizing the facts.

The media plays a powerful role in shaping our understanding of the world. But when we fail to question what’s presented, we risk being manipulated into accepting false narratives. Just like the blindfolded person, we are conditioned to consume information passively, accepting it as truth without ever truly engaging with it. This is the trap of media consumption—the inability to critically assess the information presented to us.

To escape this trap, we must learn to challenge what we hear, read, and see. We must begin to question the motivations behind the media’s messaging and seek out alternative perspectives. The truth is often hidden beneath layers of manipulation, and it’s our responsibility to peel those layers back. It’s time to stop letting others feed us lies and start actively seeking the truth ourselves.

The media has too long been given the power to shape our perceptions without accountability. But the solution is simple—question everything. We must stop blindly following the narratives presented to us and begin to take control of our own understanding. Only then can we free ourselves from the influence of misinformation and truly understand the world around us. 👀💭

03/12/2026

SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
NOTICE OF MEETING

DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2026
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Room 313 - State House

https://status.rilegislature.gov/documents/agenda-21370.pdf

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION
Senate Bill No. 2401
BY Gallo, Vargas, LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS
{LC4296/1} (Authorizes the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its municipal
court.)
01/30/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2148
BY Gu, Felag, Urso
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES
{LC4027/1} (Liquor licenses in Westerly required to have liability insurance.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2128
BY Zurier, McKenney, Bissaillon, Burke, Quezada, Tikoian, LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -
JUDICIAL SELECTION {LC3432/1} (Requires individuals seeking a judicial nomination to
reapply to JNC every 3 years and make those individuals selected as finalists, eligible only for the
court in which they applied and were chosen during the five years following their selection.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2141
BY Zurier, McKenney, Bissaillon, Burke, Quezada, Tikoian, LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE
GENERALLY -- FEES {LC3442/1} (Increases fees paid to jurors to fifty dollars ($50.00) per day.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2057
BY Tikoian, LaMountain, Ciccone, Gallo, Burke, McKenney, Patalano, Bissaillon, Raptakis,
Paolino
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -
PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT {LC3166/1} (Requires every school district to render
assistance and cooperation within its jurisdictional power to further the objects of this chapter, to
wit, providing the courts with any information concerning a child as the court may require.)
01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 3050
BY LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -
SUPERIOR COURT {LC6062/1} (Permits retired superior court magistrates to be assigned to
perform service pursuant to §§ 8-2-11.1, 8-2-39, 8-2-39.1 or 8-2-39.2 and be reemployed by the
superior court without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits.)
03/06/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2144
BY LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
PREVENTION ACT {LC4001/1} (Permits the court to determine the number of hours a person
would have to complete of a batters intervention program and gives the court discretion as to
whether that person would be personally financially responsible for the costs thereof.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2281
BY Patalano, Ciccone, Tikoian, Thompson, LaMountain, Dimitri, de la Cruz, Appollonio, Burke,
Famiglietti
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER
REGISTRATION AND COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION {LC4363/1} (Makes it a felony for any
person required to register as a s*x offender to live within three hundred feet (300’) of a school as
defined in § 11-37.1-2.)
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2489
BY Felag, Raptakis, McKenney, LaMountain, Famiglietti, Dimitri, Patalano, Lauria, Tikoian
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- DOMESTIC ABUSE
PREVENTION {LC4934/1} (Amends the definition of "domestic violence" to include the coercive
control of another resulting in a pattern of behavior that in purpose or effect unreasonably interferes
with another person's free will or personal liberty.)
02/06/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
2
Senate Bill No. 2160
BY LaMountain
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- RHODE
ISLAND NONCOMPETITION AGREEMENT ACT {LC4002/1} (Prohibits noncompete
agreements except for noncompete agreements between a seller and buyer of a business; creates
civil action for an employer for the violation of an agreement by employee regarding disclosure or
wrongful utilization of trade secrets.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2497
BY Bissaillon, Ciccone, LaMountain, McKenney
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND
CANNABIS ACT {LC4844/1} (Amends sections of the Rhode Island cannabis act relating to the
residency requirements for applicants for issuance of a license or certificate to own a cannabis
establishment.)
02/06/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2961
(Cannabis Control Commission)
BY Bissaillon, LaMountain, Mack, Acosta
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND
CANNABIS ACT {LC4962/1} (Updates the Rhode Island Cannabis Act to remove the current
requirement to express cannabinoids as the dry-weight percentages.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2962
(Cannabis Control Commission)
BY Bissaillon, LaMountain, Mack, Acosta
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND
CANNABIS ACT {LC4961/1} (Updates the Rhode Island Cannabis Act to eliminate the statutorily
required subcommittees under the cannabis advisory board.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Senate Bill No. 2980
BY Acosta, Mack, Kallman, Thompson, DiPalma, Bissaillon, Quezada, Euer, DiMario, Zurier
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- THE RHODE ISLAND
CANNABIS ACT {LC5983/1} (Makes several amendments to the cannabis act relating to
applications for licensure, the social equity assistance program and the application of cannabis tax
revenue.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
3
TESTIMONY SUBMITTAL
*Written Testimony must be submitted prior to 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in order for
it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting
records.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Written testimony sent to the Senate and House is posted to this website. Do not submit any
information that you do not want available to the public. Once written testimony is posted to the
General Assembly website, submitted documents may be viewable via internet search engines.
TELEVISION AND LIVESTREAM INFORMATION
The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61
for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34.
Senate committee hearings may also air on Channel 75 for Cox Subscribers. Livestreaming is
available at
https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv

03/12/2026

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING & MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
NOTICE OF MEETING
DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2026
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Room 212 - State House
SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

Senate Bill No. 2576
(Tiverton)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2576.pdf
BY Felag, DiPalma
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL
TAXES {LC5242/1} (Allows the town of Tiverton to apply different tax rates to all classes of
property.)
02/13/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2577
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2577.pdf
(by request)
BY Ujifusa
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL
TAXES {LC4951/1} (Enables the town of Portsmouth to adopt, repeal, or modify their tax
classification plan for any tax year on and after December 31, 2026.)
02/13/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 3051
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S3051.pdf
BY de la Cruz, Rogers
ENTITLED, AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE FORMATION OF A REGIONAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT EMBRACING THE TOWNS OF FOSTER AND GLOCESTER {LC6004/1} (Changes
the date of the regional school district financial meeting for the Foster-Glocester regional school
district to March 24, 2026.)
03/06/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2042
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2042.pdf
BY Rogers, de la Cruz, Raptakis, Paolino, Ciccone, Burke, McKenney, Tikoian
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- SIDEWALKS {LC3276/1} (Requires that
all maintenance of sidewalks along state highways, with the exception of snow and ice removal, be
the responsibility of the state.)
01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2261
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2261.pdf
BY Appollonio, Murray, Thompson
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- FIRE INSURANCE POLICIES AND
RESERVES {LC3903/1} (Amends Rhode Island's standard fire insurance policy by codifying
uniform, transparent appraisal procedures and payment obligations that reflect contemporary
claim-handling practices while preserving long-standing consumer protections.)
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2263
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2263.pdf
BY Patalano, Ciccone, Thompson, LaMountain, Dimitri, E Morgan, Appollonio, Burke,
Famiglietti, Urso
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -
FARMLAND PRESERVATION ACT {LC4304/1} (Prohibits any city, town, quasi-municipal
corporation or public corporation from assessing any existing agricultural operation or agricultural
land for the extension of any water utilities past the property and from imposing any connection
fee.)
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2276
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2276.pdf
BY Burke, Ciccone, Thompson, Appollonio, Pearson, Tikoian, Raptakis
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- UNREASONABLE NOISE
LEVELS {LC3977/1} (Repeals the provisions of chapter 45.1 of title 11, regarding unreasonable
noise levels.)
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2425
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2425.pdf
BY Vargas, Urso, DiMario, Bell, Valverde, Britto, Murray, Thompson
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE OF STATE ROADS {LC3422/1} (Authorizes and empower the department of
transportation to plant pollinator friendly native species of trees, shrubs, grasses and plants within
limits of a roadway, including state highways.)
01/30/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2471
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2471.pdf
BY McKenney, LaMountain, Appollonio
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE OF STATE ROADS {LC4699/1} (Permits municipalities to enter into contracts
with the department of transportation for the municipality to perform minor and routine
maintenance work on state highways, roadways, and shoulders located within the municipality.)
02/06/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
2

Senate Bill No. 2575
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2575.pdf
BY Bissaillon, Murray, Burke, Britto
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES
{LC4987/1} (Prohibits any city or town from enacting any zoning ordinance that would place
restrictions on residential recovery houses that are not applicable to other residential homes.)
02/13/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2698
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2698.pdf
BY DiPalma, Euer, Gu
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- NON-OWNER OCCUPIED PROPERTY
TAX ACT {LC5664/1} (Defines a seasonably-habitable non-owner occupied residence, which is
not the primary residence of the taxpayer, and which would be exempt from the non-owner
occupied property tax.)
02/27/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2913
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2913.pdf
BY Vargas, Famiglietti, Patalano, Urso, Thompson, Murray
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- OPERATION
OF RAILROADS GENERALLY {LC5885/1} (Provides that no train or light engine used in
connection with the movement of freight be operated unless it had a crew consisting of at least 2
persons and includes the imposition of fines upon a company, individual or business for violations.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2916
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2916.pdf
BY Thompson, Patalano
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION
{LC5829/1} (Increases the minimum veterans’ exemption from one thousand dollars ($1,000) to six
thousand dollars ($6,000) with respect to municipal taxes.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 3034
(Dept. of Transportation)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S3034.pdf
BY Dimitri, Tikoian, Thompson
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- DEFINITIONS
AND GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS {LC5134/1} (Clarifies when mobile equipment can travel
on a public highway as an incidentally permitted practice limited to the active participation in an
active work zone.)
03/05/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration3

House Bill No. 7005
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7005.pdf
BY Boylan, Knight
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION
{LC3126/1} (Authorizes the town of Barrington to provide a tax dollar credit reduction for legally
blind persons by ordinance.)
01/07/2026 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
01/16/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
01/20/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
01/23/2026 Scheduled for consideration
01/27/2026 Committee recommends passage
01/30/2026 Placed on House Calendar
02/03/2026 House read and passed
02/06/2026 Referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

House Bill No. 7045
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7045.pdf
BY Donovan, Speakman
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION - LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL
TAXES {LC3159/1} (Authorizes the town of Bristol to apply the owner-occupied tax rate for
mixed-used properties where the residential portion is owner-occupied.)
01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
01/16/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
01/20/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
01/23/2026 Scheduled for consideration
01/27/2026 Committee recommends passage
01/30/2026 Placed on House Calendar
02/03/2026 House read and passed
02/06/2026 Referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

House Bill No. 7047
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7047.pdf
BY McGaw, Shallcross Smith
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL
TAXES {LC3550/1} (Authorizes the town council of Little Compton to establish a homestead
exemption for residential dwellings.)
01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
01/16/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
01/20/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
01/23/2026 Scheduled for consideration
01/27/2026 Committee recommends passage
01/30/2026 Placed on House Calendar
02/03/2026 House read and passed
02/06/2026 Referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/09/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
4

TESTIMONY SUBMITTAL
*Written Testimony must be submitted prior to 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in order for
it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting
records.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Written testimony sent to the Senate and House is posted to this website. Do not submit any
information that you do not want available to the public. Once written testimony is posted to the
General Assembly website, submitted documents may be viewable via internet search engines.
TELEVISION AND LIVESTREAM INFORMATION
The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61
for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34.
Senate committee hearings may also air on Channel 75 for Cox Subscribers. Livestreaming is
available at
https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv

03/12/2026

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
NOTICE OF MEETING

S-2686 HAS BEEN POSTPONED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SPONSOR

DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2026
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Senate Lounge

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION
Senate Bill No. 2118
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2118.pdf
BY Lauria, DiMario, Murray, Valverde, Kallman, Ujifusa, Pearson, Zurier, Urso, Euer
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PRIMARY CARE
TRAINING SITES PROGRAM {LC3665/1} (Allows the office of health insurance commissioner
(OHIC) as the state agency that has the authority to designate patient-centered medical home
(PCMH) care to obtain maximal health outcomes.)
01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Resolution No. 2257
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2257.pdf
BY DiMario, DiPalma, Murray, Lauria, Zurier, Acosta, Valverde, Gallo, Vargas
ENTITLED, SENATE RESOLUTION RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (EOHHS) TO ADOPT AN ELECTRONIC
PREADMISSION SCREENING AND RESIDENT REVIEW (PASRR) SYSTEM {LC3912/1}
01/23/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. BY 2686
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2686.pdf
McKenney, Raptakis, Bissaillon, Britto, Gu, Tikoian
ENTITLED,
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE
OFFICE OF THE ELDER ADVOCATE {LC5014/1} (Establishes the office of the elder advocate
to promote the rights of older adults in Rhode Island.)
02/27/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2689
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2689.pdf
BY Murray
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES {LC5581/1} (Mandates that the EOHHS assemble a network
of equity zones where local multisector groups of nonprofits, service providers, advocates,
community members, state agencies, and municipalities can address social factors of health at a
local level.)
02/27/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2850
(Dept. of Health)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2850.pdf
BY Murray
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- FUNERAL
DIRECTOR/EMBALMER AND FUNERAL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS {LC5341/1}
(Reduces funeral home inspections from twice a year to once a year and removes the practical exam
requirement for out-of-state funeral directors and embalmers.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2854
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2854.pdf
BY Thompson, Murray, Famiglietti
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES {LC5524/1} (Transfers responsibility for
implementation of services for persons with traumatic brain injuries from the director of the
department of human services to the EOHHS.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2857
(Dept. of Health)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2857.pdf
BY Gallo, Burke, LaMountain, DiPalma, Felag
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY {LC5350/1} (Repeals the older of the
two existing chapters related to speech-language pathologists and audiologists and makes several
amendments to reconcile the two statutes into one.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2867
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2867.pdf
BY Murray
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -
CONFIDENTIALITY OF HEALTH CARE COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ACT
{LC5696/1} (Amends provisions relative to confidentiality of health care communications and the
process for requesting records and/or confidential health care information.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 2874
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2874.pdf
BY DiPalma, Valverde, Ujifusa, Lauria
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RHODE ISLAND
PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE {LC5719/1} (Creates the position of
dementia services coordinator within the department of health to coordinate the departments'
approach to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
2

Senate Bill No. 2891
(Dept. of Health)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2891.pdf
BY Urso, Ciccone, Appollonio, Famiglietti, Patalano, Raptakis
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- OFFICE OF STATE
MEDICAL EXAMINERS {LC5345/1} (Clarifies and updates language in the office of state
medical examiners statute to address outdated or ambiguous language, outdated practices, outdated
position titles/qualifications, and ensure compliance with federal HIPAA requirements.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

Senate Bill No. 3024
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S3024.pdf
BY Bissaillon, Murray, DiMario, LaMountain, Ciccone, DiPalma, Lawson
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES {LC6014/1} (Increases the number of state childcare
licensing inspectors to meet the national recommended average of one inspector for every fifty (50)
to sixty (60) childcare providers.)
03/05/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

TESTIMONY SUBMITTAL
*Written Testimony must be submitted prior to 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in order for
it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting
records.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Written testimony sent to the Senate and House is posted to this website. Do not submit any
information that you do not want available to the public. Once written testimony is posted to the
General Assembly website, submitted documents may be viewable via internet search engines.
TELEVISION AND LIVESTREAM INFORMATION
The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61
for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34.
Senate committee hearings may also air on Channel 75 for Cox Subscribers. Livestreaming is
available at
https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv

03/12/2026

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
NOTICE OF MEETING
DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2026
TIME: Rise of the Senate
PLACE: Room 211 State House
SCHEDULED FOR HEARING
7127
House Bill No.
(Governor)
BY Abney
ENTITLED, AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2027
{LC4134/1}
01/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Finance
Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner:
-FY2026 Supplemental and FY2027 Budgets
Article 4:
Relating to Debt Management Act Joint Resolutions
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-004.pdf

Article 6, Question 1:
Facilities bond)
Relating to Capital Development Program (Higher Education
University of Rhode Island:
- FY2026 Supplemental and FY2027 Budgets
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-006.pdf

Article 1, Section 12:
Exempts URI from the FTE cap
Rhode Island College:
- FY2026 Supplemental and FY2027 Budgets
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-001.pdf =36

Article 7, Sections 4 and 5:
Relating to Education (Hope Scholarship)
Community College of Rhode Island:
- FY2026 Supplemental and FY2027 Budgets
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-007.pdf =8

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION
Senate Bill No. 2830
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2830.pdf
BY DiPalma, Gallo, Acosta, Zurier, Vargas
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM -- 2026 BOND
REFERENDA {LC5663/1} (Submits the state's 2026 capital development program requesting the
issuance of general obligation bonds totaling two hundred seventeen million dollars ($217,000,000)
for approval of the electorate at the general election to be held in November 2026.)
03/04/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Finance
03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
TESTIMONY SUBMITTAL
*Written Testimony must be submitted prior to 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in order for
it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting
records.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Written testimony sent to the Senate and House is posted to this website. Do not submit any
information that you do not want available to the public. Once written testimony is posted to the General Assembly website, submitted documents may be viewable via internet search engines.
TELEVISION AND LIVESTREAM INFORMATION
The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television on: Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61
for high definition; i3Broadband (Formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34.
Senate committee hearings may also air on Channel 75 for Cox Subscribers. Livestreaming is
available at
https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv