Here are notable laws taking effect Jan. 1, 2025, according to the General Assembly:
Senior Savings Protection Act (S 2278A, H 7940A): Introduced by Sen. Matthew LaMountain (Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) and others, this law makes it illegal for anyone selling goods or services to charge a fee to people age 65 years or older for a hard-copy paper bill, statement or invoice.
Medical debt reporting (S 2709A, H 7103A): Prohibits health care providers, EMT services and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus, ensuring that Rhode Islanders will not have their credit scores affected by any amount of medical debt.
Youth camps licensing (S 2174A, H 7154A): Establishes safety procedures and requirements for the licensing of youth camps, including clean drinking water, well-maintained housing units, criminal background checks of adult staff members, and camp inspection by the Department of Human Services.
Protecting patients’ pharmacy options (S 2086aa, H 7365A): Prohibits “white bagging,” in which insurers require patients to get their prescriptions from insurer-affiliated pharmacies that are often mail-order only, and ensures that patients can choose their pharmacies, and that in-network providers (such as hospitals) get paid for providing services, regardless of the pharmacy from which they obtained the medications.
Insurance coverage for HIV prevention (S 2255H 7625A): Prohibits out-of-pocket copay and deductible costs for the HIV prevention medications PrEP and PEP, while also prohibiting health insurers from requiring patients to get prior authorization before a PrEP or PEP prescription can be given.
Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (S 2921, H 7304): Prohibits landlords from charging convenience fees in a tenant’s rent.
Law Enforcement Officers’ Due Process, Accountability, and Transparency Act (S 2096A, H 7263A): Amends the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights to establish a five-member committee to hear complaints against law-enforcement officers, requires the status of all pending hearings to be posted online, and clarifies that all body-camera footage can be made public. Among the bill’s sponsors were Reps. Camille Vella-Wilkinson (Dist. 21, Warwick) and Ramon Perez (Dist. 13, Johnston, Providence).
Surveillance in nursing homes (S 2263A, H 7969A): Allows nursing home residents to have cameras installed in their rooms, providing a means of contact, oversight and protection, only with the consent of all roommates and at their own expense.
Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024 (S 2152A, H 7356Aaa): Prevents PFAS, a group of “forever chemicals” that can have detrimental health effects, especially for pregnant women and children, from being used in consumer packaging by Jan. 1, 2029. The law also bans the manufacturing, distribution, sale or use of PFAS in firefighting foam throughout the state.
Epinephrine injectors (S 0575A, H 5176A): Requires health insurance plans to cover the full cost of epinephrine auto-injectors, known as EpiPens, and cartridges, with no copayment or deductible.
Minimum wage (RI Gen. Law 28-12-3): The minimum wage will be increased to $15 per hour, up from $14 in 2024.
Housing Bills (7948A, 7950A, 7983B, 7979): Various housing bills that, among other things, allow homeowners to develop a single accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to accommodate a family member with disabilities, permit municipalities to count mobile-home units as affordable housing if they meet certain requirements, and enable municipalities to establish "combined review boards" to replace separate planning and zoning boards.
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