Legislative Updates

House Committee Passes Amended Minimum Wage Bill

The House Labor Committee passed a bill to increase the minimum wage. House bill 5029, Substitute A will increase the minimum wage to $17 per hour effective January 1, 2027. Rhode Island already has the 7th highest minimum wage rates in the country. This increase would place the state among the very highest state minimum wage rates in the country. Thank you to the many individuals who have communicated concerns to their elected officials. Here is the link to send a personalized message to your state legislator opposing an increase in the minimum wage.

 

An amended version of the Senate bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Labor Committee on Tuesday.

 

Revised Version of Paystub Bill Slated for House Committee Vote

On Tuesday, the House Labor Committee is scheduled to vote on an amended version of a bill that would require employers to provide certain employment-related information to employees when they begin working. Among the items needed to be required are pay rate and type of payment frequency, vacation, holiday and sick time, among other details of their work information. The original version of the bill would have required information to be provided on paychecks every pay period.

 

Senate Passes Warehouse Worker Protection Act

On Tuesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1058. This bill requires employers in the warehousing industry to provide employees with a written description of quotas an employee is required to meet within a defined period. In addition, the bill states, “An employee shall not be required to meet a quota that prevents compliance with meal or rest periods or use of bathroom facilities, including reasonable travel time to and from bathroom facilities.” The Coalition submitted testimony in opposition to this legislation.

 

Legislation to Improve Business Climate for Insurance Companies

On Tuesday, the Senate is scheduled to vote on legislation that proposes to strike the cap on certain investments for insurance companies. The House passed its version last week. Current law limits the amount insurance companies may invest in assets that are reported in Schedule BA of the annual statement, including long-term invested assets such as LLCs, partnerships, private equity, hedge funds, and joint ventures. This bill would remove the investment cap and make Rhode Island more competitive with our neighboring states.

 

Proposed Changes to Historic Tax Credit Program to Boost Development

This week the Senate passed an amended version of a bill introduced by Senator Jake Bissaillon, that would make several revisions to the historic tax credit program to increase the development of housing projects across the state. The Coalition joined several organizations in submitting testimony in support of this bill.

 

Senate Committee Passes An Expansion to TCI/TDI Program

The Senate Finance Committee passed legislation that would make changes to the Temporary Disability and Temporary Caregiver Insurance Programs. The bill proposes to increase the taxable wage base and the weekly benefit rate for recipients receiving benefits, and to increase the number of weeks people are able to take TCI. The Coalition expressed concerns regarding the expansion to twelve weeks of benefits for caregivers. Current law is already scheduled to increase to eight weeks as of January 1, 2026. As stated in testimony submitted to the Committee, the Coalition believes "it is important to allow time for the expansion enacted last year to be implemented and analyzed to understand the impact on the TDI/TCI system as well as any issues experienced by Rhode Island employers being able to fully staff their workplaces." The full Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday.

 

Hospital Association Priority Bill Passes the Senate

Senate Bill 848 passed the Senate on Thursday. This bill would increase the hospital licensing fee to allow the state to leverage additional federal funding to help stabilize the healthcare system. More than one-third of Rhode Islanders are covered under the state’s Medicaid program. This often puts significant pressure on hospitals to provide high quality care while being reimbursed below the rates paid by Medicare. S.848 presents an opportunity to address this issue by leveraging federal dollars to bolster our state’s hospitals. Link to the Coalition testimony here.

 

Bill Would Add Two Additional Paid Holidays

Legislation passed the Senate that would add the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Washington's birthday holidays to the days where employers would need to pay time and a half as part of their regular work week. In testimony, the Coalition focused on the concern that Rhode Island is the only state in the country to require employers to pay time and a half for working on Sundays and holidays as part of their normal work week. The Coalition noted its support of bills introduced this session that would remove this requirement for smaller employers.

 

Employee Free Speech Bill Passed Senate, Pending in House

Senate bill 126, Substitute A passed the Senate in April and is pending in the House Labor Committee. The bill would prohibit employers from requiring non managerial employees to attend a meeting to learn about legislative proposals or regulatory matters as well as meetings to provide information concerning labor organization efforts. The Coalition stated that the legislation would severely limit an employer’s ability to educate employees about legislation, including legislation that would materially impact the business’ operations or the employee’s day-to-day job responsibilities.

 

Senate Passes Hospitality industry Led Initiative

Senate bill 584 passed the Senate this week. The bill is an industry-led initiative to bolster the hospitality industry job training programs. The bill proposes a fifty-dollar fee on food establishments by the Department of Health that would be transferred to the Department of Labor and Training (DLT) to provide dedicated funding to hospitality industry workforce training grants. Link to the Coalition testimony in support of the companion bill here.

 

Extreme Heat Bill Passes Senate

On Wednesday, the Senate passed S586 which requires employers to take special precautions when employees are working in temperatures above 90 degrees or below 32 degrees, including employees that are required to stay in vehicles under these conditions or who work in warehouses. Employees would be entitled to paid rest breaks, adequate shade, warming or cooling stations, drinking water, protective equipment and clothing. An employer found in noncompliance would be subject to compensatory damages and in some cases punitive damages. Employers are already subject to OSHA regulations when it comes to severe weather situations.

 

Changes to Employee Definition and State Labor Relations Board 

Senate Bill 124, Substitute A passed the Senate this week. The bill includes a revised definition of "employee" and makes changes to the State Labor Relations Board. While the proponents noted their intent to ensure certain Rhode Island workers continue to have bargaining rights protections if there are changes at the National Labor Relations Board, the Coalition testified to its concerns around the broader impact of the proposed changes.