Bills affecting your community in Rhode Island — 2026 session

Requires small employers with one to fifty (1-50) employees and large employers with fifty (50) or more employees to pay overtime wages to exempt workers if their salary exceeds varying multipliers of minimum wage for a forty (40) hour workweek.

Authorizes an increase in resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term-care needs who reside at home and requires semi-annual reports from Medicaid certified assisted living facilities and adult day service providers to the EOHHS.

Sets the minimum wage for 2027 at twenty dollars ($20) per hour.

Requires the EOHHS to amend the state Medicaid plan and secure sufficient state general revenue to increase Medicaid payment rates to an amount equal to one hundred thirty percent (130%) of Medicare rates for outpatient clinical pediatric services.

Establishes the Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates set by the general assembly as the rate floor for Medicaid managed care by home care, home nursing care and hospice providers.

Prohibits the use of genetic information for purposes of determining eligibility, setting premium rates, or imposing preexisting condition exclusions for life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance.

Provides that commencing January 1, 2027, the minimum wage shall be twenty-four dollars ($24.00) per hour.

Requires the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to apply an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (“COLA”) to the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid for assisted living services provided pursuant to this chapter.

Effective January 1, 2028, Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the previous four (4) fiscal years.

Increases the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Tier C services in licensed assisted living residences by 13% starting January 1, 2027.

Raises the per diem rate by thirteen percent (13%) for Medicaid reimbursement for Tier C services provide by assisted living residence beginning January 1, 2027.

Requires all out-of-state foster care placement facilities be registered with Medicaid as a Medicaid provider.

Commencing January 1, 2027, this act would increase the minimum wage for employees receiving gratuities, from the current three dollars and eighty-nine cents ($3.89) to six dollars and seventy-five cents ($6.75) per hour.

Adds probation and parole officers to the list of state law enforcement professionals, for purpose of retirement on service allowance.

Removes the five (5) year waiting period for filing a motion to seal an eviction court file. It also deletes the numerical limitation on filing seal requests.

Prohibits a landlord from removing a tenant from any housing accommodation, or attempt such removal or exclusion from possession.

Grants tenants that are the victim of various forms of abuse including, but not limited to, sexual and domestic abuse and stalking, the right to terminate a lease agreement early without penalty or liability for rent.

Allows sealing of eviction records for defective complaint or lack of jurisdiction for individuals between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) who didn't sign the lease.

Amends State funding calculations for special education, revising extraordinary cost calculations for FY 2028-2029, and providing additional funds for excess costs when special education students move into a district after the budget is approved.

Mandates additional state education funding for the mental and behavioral health of students equal to 2% of the district’s total expenditures, and require those funds be used to hire staff such as school social workers, and behavioral specialists.