On the last night of the 2026 legislative session, the House said farewell to members who won't be returning next year. @BrandonPotterRI paid tribute to Rep. David Morales and introduced a resolution in his honor: webserver.rilegislature.gov/… Rep. Morales was first elected to the House in 2020 to serve the people of District 7 in Providence's Mount Pleasant, Valley, and Elmhurst neighborhoods. He was raised by a single immigrant mother in the rural town of Soledad, CA, alongside his older sister. He graduated from Soledad High School in 2016 and two years later he graduated from the University of California Irvine with a bachelor's in urban studies. In 2019, at age 20, Rep. Morales became the youngest graduate in the history of the Brown University Public Affairs master's program. Outside of his legislative and job responsibilities, Rep. Morales competes as a professional wrestler with the Renegade Wrestling Alliance,​ where he is a two-time HYPE Champion.

A look at the final night of the 2026 House session.

Rep. @DavidPlace01 hosted third-graders from Steere Farm Elementary School at the State House today. The students participated in a mock legislative session led by Rep. Place, where they debated several bills.

The FY 2027 state budget includes a new $330 refundable child tax credit! Thank you @GovDanMcKee, @tanzister and @LammisJVargas for championing this smart policy that puts money back into the pockets of RI families!

State Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith, whose district includes part of Lincoln, has sponsored versions of the legislation since 2023 and said sidewalk conditions remain one of the most common concerns she hears from residents. valleybreeze.com/news/lincol…

This week, the General Assembly passed multiple housing bills, including new laws to establish maximum parking requirements for multifamily housing in areas accessible by public transit, enable cities and towns to allow Supportive and Functional Emergency units (“SAFE Units,” such as pallet shelters) on a temporary basis during a declaration of an emergency, make technical amendments to existing legislation, and establish a commission to study and review the state’s Condominium Act. More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

TY @GovDanMcKee, Speaker @CBlazejewski, President @Val_Lawson and @RIHouseofReps / @RISenate for adopting a state budget with big wins for RI babies, young children, and families: Child Tax Credit, increased funding for child care, funding for Early Intervention home visiting!

This Week at the General Assembly... The General Assembly passed and Gov. Daniel J. McKee signed a balanced $15.2 billion budget for the 2027 fiscal year (2026-H 7127Aaa) that provides economic relief for Rhode Islanders, strengthens support for education and the state’s hospitals and healthcare providers and establishes new government reform efforts without any broad-based tax or fee increases. “This budget is an effort to address the concerns and struggles of everyday Rhode Islanders who need good schools, who need access to healthcare, who need to be able to pay their bills and who need to know that their government is honest and effective. This budget is the result of months of listening, prioritizing and identifying ways to fix what isn’t working. It provides relief today while being fiscally responsible and putting our state in a better position in the years to come,” said House Speaker @CBlazejewski. “I’m very grateful to our members well as the many leaders, advocates and members of the public who contributed to shaping this budget, to make it a real reflection of our state’s priorities.” More details, plus other highlights from the past week: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

Speaker @CBlazejewski's legislation creating an independent Office of the Inspector General was included in the passage of the state budget for the 2027 fiscal year. The General Assembly passed the budget on June 9 and Governor Dan McKee signed it into law today. “This office is critical to ensuring that the state is spending each and every dollar as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said Blazejewski. “Every administration, regardless of party, benefits from independent oversight. It makes government more honest, more efficient, and more worthy of the public’s trust. An office of inspector general would provide an independent set of eyes, with real authority, that answers to the people. That is exactly what Rhode Island needs right now.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by @TerriCortvriend to create a special joint legislative commission to study Rhode Island’s growing biosolids disposal challenges. “The options for disposing of biosolids are becoming more limited. There are many concerns about how to safely dispose of it, the expense to public agencies and the environmental and community repercussions of various methods. It’s a serious and complicated issue that affects virtually all communities, and it calls for examination and discussion by experts and stakeholders from around our state,” said Rep. Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), who last year sponsored successful legislation to require anyone applying for a permit to spread biosolids on land as fertilizer to first test the material for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which contaminate land and water. More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today approved @TerriCortvriend and Sen. Walter S. Felag’s legislation that would amend the Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are substances that include any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. They have been found to be extremely damaging to health and the environment. “PFAS and forever chemicals have been proven to be both incredibly harmful to our health and pervasive throughout our daily lives. This legislation continues our mission to protect the public from PFAS exposure and limit its influence in products and services,” said Rep. Cortvriend. More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today voted to approve legislation from @jfbatista12 and Sen. Meghan Kallman to protect those attending court proceedings in Rhode Island from arrest by ICE or other federal immigration authorities. “Our courts are cornerstones of our democracy. Every day, thousands of Rhode Islanders enter our courthouses seeking justice in matters stretching from adoptions to zoning. The integrity, fairness, and accessibility of our courts, therefore, must be protected at all costs. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support in passing the Protect Our Courts Act, which ensures that individuals can access our courts without fear of warrantless immigration enforcement actions. Justice depends on people being willing and able to participate in the legal process, and this legislation helps safeguard that fundamental principle,” said Rep. Batista. More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today voted to approve legislation from @tanzister and @pam_lauria to require healthcare providers and facilities to notify patients if they use artificial intelligence tools to document visits and to review this documentation for accuracy after the visit. Said Rep. Tanzi, “AI scribes and similar tools have the potential to decrease the documentation burden for medical providers and improve the quality of visits for patients. But as with any rapidly expanding new technology, particularly in a sensitive field like healthcare, it is important to protect patients and transparently disclose when AI scribes are being used. I’d like to thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for helping to ensure this will happen by advancing this bill.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today approved legislation from @TerriCortvriend and @Victoria4RI to educate tenants and short-term rental guests about public shoreline access rights. Sen. Gu and Rep. Cortvriend sponsored a new law in 2024 that requires similar disclosure to buyers of shoreline property. This year’s bill would extend this disclosure to tenants of shoreline properties, requiring landlords to provide renters with written shoreline access disclosure before the start of tenancy. “The General Assembly has made important progress over the last three years to define and protect the public’s constitutional right to enjoy the shoreline, but we still have work to do,” said Rep. Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown). “This act affirms the public’s rights by ensuring that coastal renters won’t be surprised by existing public access near their home after they move in. This should lead to happier tenants and less confrontation and confusion on Rhode Island’s beaches.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

To provide stability and predictability for a program that has been proven to improve outcomes for Rhode Island children experiencing mental and behavioral health crises, the General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by @JulieCasimiroRI and Senate President @Val_Lawson to codify Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) in state law. The bill is part of the Senate’s 17-bill package of healthcare legislation. “Quite simply, the bill is about requiring that when a child is in crisis they receive help, not handcuffs or an unnecessary emergency room visit,” said Rep. Casimiro. “For children and youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis, mobile crisis response is the evidence-based best practice that allows trained behavioral health professionals to treat children in in their homes, their schools and their communities. The data is clear: the program works. This bill meets the urgent need for a children’s crisis response system in Rhode Island by establishing a sustainable statewide program that families can rely on.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

Responding to a report from the Blue Ribbon Commission — a panel of local education leaders and community partners tasked with recommending a fair and equitable school funding system — the General Assembly has created a commission to study the feasibility of revamping the funding formula for all public education. Introduced by @RIDemChair and @hannagallo27, the joint resolution sets up a 16-member panel to study the issue. “This revamping of the school funding formula is long overdue, and we need a new method that will strike a balance between the education needs of our students and our communities’ financial abilities,” said Rep. McNamara. “We need a formula that will provide funding for more items that are necessary and fundamental for education, while the cost is borne jointly by the state and individual communities in a fair, transparent and equitable manner. Currently, many educational expenses, such as transportation and early childhood special education, are excluded from the funding formula and borne solely by our municipalities. That places an unbalanced fiscal burden on our school districts.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today approved legislation to help prevent suicide at gun ranges by requiring the posting of signs about the state’s suicide and crisis hotline, and requiring non-members who visit member-based ranges to be accompanied at all times. The legislation, which will now be sent to the governor, was introduced by @sdonovanbristol and @SenLouDiPalma as a result of the advocacy of a Bristol mother, Jamie Brooks, whose 22-year-old son died by suicide at a Tiverton gun range in November. In testimony for the bill, Brooks told lawmakers that her son, J.J., was a bright, creative and kind young man who had suffered a breakdown three years ago as a freshman in college, and had seemingly been doing better with the help of medication and therapy, having returned to school and work. Due to a minor run-in with the law, J.J. was “red-flagged,” preventing him from being able to purchase a firearm. But that prohibition did not prevent him from renting one at gun range. His death was the second suicide at that gun range within two months. “In a moment of crisis, seconds matter, impulses pass. It might just stop a permanent decision in a moment of crisis. If J.J. needed to pause, if he hadn’t been alone, there is a possibility, just a possibility that he might still be here,” she told the House Judiciary Committee in April. “The bill’s not going to stop suicide, but it can interrupt it…. It can save lives.” Representative Donovan noted in her testimony for the legislation that an estimated 35 suicides occurred at shooting ranges across the nation last year. Of those, 86% of victims rented a weapon, and 88% arrived alone. More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Arthur J. Corvese and Sen. Stefano Famiglietti to protect patients from having their health insurance claim denied because of their insurer or healthcare provider’s belief that another party may be liable. “Existing laws already enable health insurers to recover funds if it is legally determined that the patient’s medical expenses were the result of the actions of a third party — for example, a person driving under the influence,” said Rep. Corvese. “But when they deny those medical claims when they are submitted, they are heaping suffering onto the person seeking healthcare, sometimes plunging them into medical debt and potentially bankruptcy, especially if they have to wait for a legal case to resolve. If you have health insurance, your insurance is responsible for your healthcare. If they can recover the costs later because someone else is responsible, they should — after they pay the claim, as existing law allows.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today passed legislation introduced by @LeonelaFelixRI and @MrAcostruth that revises the state’s definitions of felonies, misdemeanors and petty misdemeanors. “Reducing a maximum sentence by a single day may seem like a small change, but for many Rhode Island families it can mean the difference between staying together and being torn apart,” said Rep. Felix. “Under federal immigration law, a low-level offense carrying a potential one-year sentence can trigger severe immigration consequences, including deportation, even when no jail time is imposed. This bill closes that loophole for minor, nonviolent offenses while preserving appropriate penalties for serious crimes. A lawful permanent resident who has lived, worked, paid taxes, and raised a family in Rhode Island for decades should not face deportation because of a technicality in our sentencing laws. This legislation brings greater fairness and proportionality to our justice system.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…

The General Assembly today voted to approve legislation from @tanzister and @AlanaDimario to strengthen coverage and reimbursement for mobile youth crisis response teams. “Rhode Island, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a youth behavioral health crisis. Families are struggling to find help when a child is in distress and our emergency rooms are often overwhelmed by behavioral health cases that could be addressed more effectively in the community,” said Rep. Tanzi. “Mobile crisis response services have proven to be one of the most effective solutions we have to this crisis in Rhode Island, providing better care for children and their families while saving insurers and the state money. Despite its success, the current system has a structural problem. Medicaid is carrying the financial burden of these services because commercial insurers are not reimbursing at the same sustainable rates as Medicaid. By setting a payment floor for these services, this legislation will stabilize a system that we know works.” More information: rilegislature.gov/pressrelea…