RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION

2023 General Assembly Activity

Bills Pending in the General Assembly


1. Insurance Coverage for Prevention of HIV infection

Purpose: Requires coverage for the treatment of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for treatment of HIV infection

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

Senate S0563 -  06/08/2023 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/13/2023)

House H6150  06/08/2023 House passed Sub A

House H5744  - 03/21/2023:  Recommended measure be held for further study 


2. Prescribing, Dispensing and Administering HIV Prevention Drugs

Purpose: Provides for the prescribing, dispensing and the administering human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention drugs.

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

Senate S0585 05/09/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Purpose: Permits a licensed pharmacist to prescribe, dispense or administer HIV prevention drugs to an individual who is HIV negative, does not report any signs or symptoms of acute HIV infection, and does not report taking any contraindicated medication.

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

Senate S0570 - 03/21/2023:  House Health & Human Services recommended measure be held for further study 


3. Healthy School Meals for All

Purpose: Requires free lunches to be provided for all elementary and secondary students attending public schools, to the extent state and federal funds are available.

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

Senate S0068 -  05/17/2023 Referred to House Finance

House H5141  - 02/16/2023 Withdrawn at sponsor's request

Purpose: Establishes new programs for free breakfast & lunch meals in all public schools

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

House H5639 - 05/02/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


4. Lead Hazard Mitigation

Purpose: Relieves property owners from implementing lead hazard mitigation for pre-1978 rental dwelling units that are comprised of 2-3 units, one of which is occupied by the property owner.

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

Senate S0656 -  06/06/2023 Senate passed Sub A

      06/09/2023 Placed on House Calendar (06/12/2023)

House H5946  -  06/08/2023 House passed Sub A

  06/08/2023 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/13/2023)


5. Lead Poisoning Prevention Act 

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

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

Senate S0002 05/30/2023 Senate passed Sub A

   05/31/2023 Referred to House Finance

House H5007 - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


Lead Poisoning Prevention Act - Funding

Purpose: Establishes a lead service line replacement program, using federal funds provided by IIJA for public and private service lines.

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

House H5318 - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


6. Emergency Management

Purpose: Limits governor's emergency declaration to 60 days unless extended by the general assembly and prohibits eliminating religious exemption regarding mandatory health injections or inoculations and an unlawful employment practice

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

House H6065  - 04/05/2023: Committee recommended measure be held for further study


7. Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate Prohibited

Purpose: Prohibits a private employer from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination upon any full-time, part-time, or contract employee without providing individual exemptions that allow an employee to opt out of such mandate.

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

Senate S0569 - 03/07/2023: Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services

House H6080 - 03/15/2023: House Labor Committee recommended measure be held for further study


8. Hotels And Public Places - No Discrimination of Unvaccinated Persons

Purpose:  Prohibits discrimination against individuals who refuse to be vaccinated.

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

Senate S0296 - 02/16/2023: Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services

House H5884  - 03/09/2023: Committee recommended measure be held for further study


9. Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate Prohibited

Purpose:  Prohibits any governmental entity from mandating the COVID-19 vaccination, or from discriminating against any individual or issuing a civil or criminal penalty upon any individual for refusing any COVID-19 vaccination.

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

House H5916 - 03/09/2023: House Judiciary Committee recommended measure be held for further study


10. Uniform Telehealth Act

Purpose:  Allows an out-of-state health care practitioner to provide telehealth services to a patient located in this state if the services are consistent with the practitioner's scope of practice and state and federal professional standards.

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

House H5556 - 03/15/2023: House Health & Human Services Committee recommended measure be held for further study


11. Workers’ Compensation for Adverse COVID-19 Medical Event

Purpose:  Requires the employer's workers’ compensation insurance carrier to cover all of an employee’s associated medical expenses from any adverse medical event resulting from the employer mandating that the employee receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

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

House H5585  - 03/01/2023: House Labor Committee recommended measure be held for further study


12. Council On Postsecondary Education

Purpose:  Prohibits discrimination in postsecondary education of students, faculty and staff based upon medical or religious vaccine exemptions.

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

House H5279  - 03/29/2023: House Education Committee recommended measure be held for further study


13. Public Health And Workplace Safety Act

Purpose: Repeals the exemption granted to parimutuel facilities and casinos from the smoke free workplace requirement contained in the Public Health and Workplace Safety Act.

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

Senate S0438 - 05/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5237  - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


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

Purpose: Provides for abortion coverage in the Medicaid program and repeals the abortion coverage exclusion for state employee insurance plans.)

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

Senate S0032 -  05/18/2023 Signed by Governor

House H5006 - 05/18/2023 Signed by Governor


15. Health Care Accessibility And Quality Assurance Act

Purpose:  Provides that dental services and treatment rendered to patients in Rhode Island would be reimbursed by standards governed by the general laws of Rhode Island.

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

House H5677 - 03/15/2023: House Health & Human Services Committee recommended measure be held for further study


16. Operation Of Bicycles--Highway Safety Act

Purpose:  Amend several chapters regarding the operation of bikes on state highways and interaction with motor vehicles, reckless driver accountability program & speed limits in thickly settled areas/business districts.

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

Senate S0407 -   05/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5577  - 03/09/2023: House Judiciary committee recommended measure be held for further study


17. Special License For Motorcycles, Motor Scooters And Other Motor-Driven Cycles

Purpose:  Requires any operator of a motorcycle, motor scooter or motor-driven cycle to wear a helmet. Violations would be punished by a fine of $100 and would increase the fines for failure of a passenger to wear a helmet to $100.

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

House H5229 - 02/14/2023: House Judiciary Committee recommended measure be held for further study


18. Safe Storage of Weapons

Purpose:  Requires the safe storage of firearms and would provide civil penalties and criminal penalties for violations.

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

Senate S0321 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5434  - 04/17/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


19. Safe Storage Violations

Purpose:  Changes the name of ยง 11-47-60.1 to Safe Storage – Dillon’s Law and makes any violation of storage that results in serious bodily injury or death a felony.

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

House H5369 - 04/17/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


20. Assault Weapons

Purpose: Bans the possession, sale, and transfer of assault weapons. Possession of assault weapons owned on the effective date of this act would be "grandfathered". Violations are punishable by a fine or imprisonment.

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

Senate S0379 - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5300 - 04/17/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


21. Out Of State Concealed Carry Permits Weapons

Purpose: Allows reciprocal concealed carry permits from out of state to be valid in Rhode Island, which is either authorized by the attorney general or subject to other reciprocal restrictions.

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

Senate S0354 - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5045  - 04/17/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


22. Concealed Carry Without A Permit For Under 21 Year Olds

Purpose:  Permits Rhode Island residents, twenty-one (21) years of age or older, to carry a concealed handgun, without a permit.

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

Senate S0626 - 04/25/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study


23. Smoking Cessation Resources

Purpose: Adds a new section which sets forth conditions for pharmacists to prescribe tobacco cessation drug therapies.

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

Senate S0292 - 04/04/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

House H5555 - 03/28/2023 House read and passed

     05/15/2023 Referred to Senate Health and Human Services


24. Town and City Ordinances to Regulate Tobacco Products

Purpose: Allows cities and towns to create and enforce ordinances related to the sale of tobacco products; provided the regulations are at least as stringent as state law.

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

Senate S0349- 02/16/2023 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary

House H6091- 03/28/2023 House Municipal Government & Housing Committee recommended measure be held for further study




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