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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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 7457: Passed the House Judiciary Committee June 9 and passed the House on June 10, 53-15.
Senate 2637: To 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 7123: Passed 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.