RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION

2022 General Assembly Activity


Bills Pending in the General Assembly

1. Healthcare for Children and Women

Purpose: Provide access to the RIte Track Program for children up to age 19 regardless of immigration status. 

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2187 - passed in the Senate on April 26 (31-4)  Referred to House Finance Committee

House H7484 - Study status in the House Finance Committee


2. Healthcare for Children and Pregnant Women - Equality in Abortion Coverage

Purpose: Provide abortion coverage in Medicaid and repeal the exclusion of abortion coverage for state employees.  

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2549 – Study status in the Senate Judiciary Committee

House H7442   Study status in the House Finance Committee


3. Long-Term Care Service and Finance Reform

Purpose:  To require the EOHHS to submit to the Secretary of the US DHHS, a state plan amendment to Medicaid dental and chiropractic rates.

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2588 Study status in the Senate Finance Committee – to be considered June 16

House H7756 – Study status in the House Finance Committee


4. Data Collection on Childhood Cancer

Purpose: To collect and disaggregate data on childhood cancer within the state’s  comprehensive cancer control program.

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2074 - Study status in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee

House H7134 -  House passed SubA H7134A on April 13 ( 71-0) referred to Senate Health & Human Services


5.  Relating to Health and Safety - Department of Public Health

Purpose: To prohibit the sale or offer for sale of any flavored electronic nicotine delivery system.

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2117 – Study status in the Senate Judiciary Committee

House H7869 -  Study status in the House Health & Human Services Committee


6. Relating to Health and Safety - Tobacco Product Sales' Restrictions

Purpose: To prohibit the sale of certain flavored tobacco products and electronic nicotine-delivery systems with exemptions for compassion centers and licensed cultivators.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7881 -  Study status in the House Health & Human Services Committee


7. Relating to Health and Safety - Sale of Tobacco Products in Pharmacies

Purpose: Bans sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7805 -  Study status in the House Health & Human Services Committee


8. Relating to Health and Safety - Public Health and Workplace Safety Act

Purpose: Repeal the exemption granted to pari mutual facilities and casinos from the smoke free workplace requirement.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7855 -  Study status in the House Finance Committee


9. Relating to Alcoholic Beverages - Retail Licenses - Happy Hour

Purpose: Allow licensees to offer happy hour alcoholic drink specials served in conjunction with meals.

Click on each of the links below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2135 - Study status in the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

Senate S2139 - Study status in the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

House H7060 - Amended version 7060A passed by the House April 26 (54-11), Referred to Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs


10. Relating to Taxation

Purpose: To create a tax on sugary drinks with the intent of discouraging excessive consumption of those beverages and create a dedicated revenue source for programs to benefit public health in addition to the ultimate goal of reducing the health and economic costs of obesity.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7553 – referred to House Finance Committee


11. Relating to State Affairs and Government - Environmental Justice Act

Purpose: To require the division of statewide planning to create a list of environmental justice areas and establish requirements to be met by an applicant prior to issuing permits for an activity that would have an environmental impact on or would increase the cumulative impacts.  

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2087  - Passed in the Senate on April 13 (32-4). Referred to House Environment and Natural Resources Committee

House H8036 Study status in the House State Government & Elections Committee


12. Relating to Gun Safety: Secure Storage

Purpose: To make it a violation for the owner of any firearm to store or leave the firearm unsecured.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7300 – Study status in the House Judiciary Committee

Senate S2734 – Study status in the Senate Judiciary Committee


13. Relating to Human Services - Public Assistance Act

Purpose: Allows SNAP recipients to receive a minimum of $0.50 credit on their EBT card, for each $1.00 spent on fruits and vegetables also creates a separate SNAP fund to allocate funds from the general fund to effectuate this act

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House H7490 -  Study status in the House Finance Committee

Senate S2310   Study status in the Senate Finance Committee to be considered June 16 


14.  Relating to Human Services - Medical Assistance

Purpose: Increases the Medicaid rate of reimbursement for in-network dental care services.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2693 - Referred to the Senate Finance Committee


15. Relating to Human Services - Medical and Clinical Service Programs Rate Review and Rate Setting Process Act of 2022

Purpose: To provides rate setting and review for all medical programs licensed or having a contract with the state as well as Medicaid.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate S2200 -  To be considered on June 16 in the Senate Finance Committee 


16. Relating to Human Services - Medical and Clinical Service Programs Rate Review and Rate Setting Process Act of 2022

Purpose: Requires EOHHS assisted by 24 member advisory committee to provide review/recommendations for rate setting/ongoing review of social service programs licensed by state departments/agencies and Medicaid

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate 2311 -  Study status in the Senate Finance Committee 


17. Relating to Health and Safety – The Lead Poisoning Prevention Act

Purpose: To establish a lead water supply replacement program for public and private service lines and require disclosure to tenants and buyers of real property of the presence of lead service lines.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

Senate 2765  Study status in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee recommends passage in the Senate on June 14

House 8153 - Study Status in the House Finance Committee


18. Relating to Insurance – Insurance Coverage for Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Purpose: To increase the rate of reimbursement for each in-network outpatient behavioral health care service that is reimbursed below the median commercial reimbursement rate July 1, 2023, to the median value, for contracts, plans or policies delivered, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023. This act would also require that the office of the health insurance commissioner establish the median commercial insurance reimbursement rates for each in-network outpatient behavioral health care service by January 1, 2023. Additionally, the act would mandate an annual increase in the rates for the years 2024 to 2028 no less than the rate of inflation plus three (3) percentage points determined three (3) months prior to the beginning of the next calendar year based on the CPI-U, Less Food and Energy published by the BLS.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 8157 – Study status in the House Health & Human Services Committee


19. Relating to gun safety: Assault weapons

Purpose: Ban the possession, sale, and transfer of assault weapons. Possession of assault weapons owned on the effective date of this act would be "grandfathered" subject to certain registration provisions.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 6615: Study status in the House Judiciary Committee

Senate 2224: Study status in the Senate Judiciary Committee


20. Relating to gun safety: High-capacity magazines

Purpose: To make it a felony for an individual to possess any semi-automatic firearm magazine which is capable of holding more than ten (10) rounds of ammunition. There are limited exceptions for firearms dealers, law enforcement and military.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 6614: Passed the House Judiciary Committee June 9 and passed the House on June 10, 43-27.

Senate 2653: To be considered on June 14 in the Senate Judiciary Committee


21. Relating to gun safety: Raise the age to 21 for purchase of guns and ammunition

Purpose: To increase the age from eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21) years for lawful sale of firearms or ammunition. Full-time law enforcement, state marshals and members of the U.S.  military would be exempt from these prohibitions.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 7457Passed the House Judiciary Committee June 9 and passed the House on June 10, 53-15.

Senate 2637To be considered on June 14 in the Senate Judiciary Committee


22. Relating to criminal offenses: Weapons

Purpose: To make it unlawful to possess a loaded rifle or shotgun in public subject to various exceptions.

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 7358: Passed the House Judiciary Committee June 9 and passed the House on June 10, 53-16.

Senate 2825: To be considered on June 14 in the Senate Judiciary Committee


23. Medicaid Dental in the Budget passed by the House

Purpose: For the first time since the mid-1990s, the reimbursement rates for Medicaid Dental Services will be raised. This will bring our state’s dental reimbursement rates in Massachusetts. 

Click on the link below to view the full description of the proposed Bill:

House 7123Passed the House Finance Committee June 9, 11-3 and passed the House on June 16, 61-9.

To be considered on June 22 in the Senate Finance Committee. 

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