Legislative Updates

Legislative Updates House Finance Committee Passes Budget Advocacy in Action from the R.I. Chamber Coalition   The House Finance Committee passed a budget at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.  The $14.334 billion budget includes $45 million for primary care doctors, $38 million in extra money for hospitals, $12 million for nursing homes, and more money…

Legislative Updates House Finance Committee Passed Budget The House Finance Committee passed the $14.3 billion budget last night on an 11-3 vote. The budget will be debated by the full House of Representatives on June 17. Here is a preliminary summary of some of the items in the budget that was passed by the House Finance…

Legislative Updates Business Coalition Session Update 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…

Legislative Updates This Week at the State House June 2, 2025   This Week At the State House from the RI Chamber Coalition   We are awaiting the posting of the FY2026 budget in the House Finance Committee.  The Committee is hoping to take it up this week for a vote.  If that happens, the…

Legislative Updates General Assembly Session Update from RI Business Coalition May 29, 2025 RIPEC Report on Needed Reforms of Housing Resources Commission This week, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report outlining recommended reforms for the Housing Resources Commission (HRC). Among the report’s recommendations: Change the HRC’s statutory authority Remove all HRC funding…

Legislative Updates Action Alert: Minimum Wage As the General Assembly session heads into the final few weeks, yet another increase in the minimum wage is in play. Proposals are being considered to increase Rhode Island’s minimum wage, already the 7th highest in the country, to $20 per hour. Your elected officials need to hear from you…

Legislative Updates Advocacy in Action RI Chamber Coalition May 27, 2025   Price Transparency Last Thursday, the House Corporations Committee voted favorably for H 5247  SUB A, which narrowly tailored the “junk fee” legislation to be consistent with the Federal Trade Commission rule that took effect May 12, 20205, and which specifies that it is…

Legislative Updates Advocacy in Action RI Chamber Coalition This Week at the State House Tuesday, May 20th The Senate Finance Committee has a full schedule in Room 212 At the Rise (approximately 4:30). There are five bills of interest to the business community: Shift of Utility Costs to Businesses and Higher Income Earners   S.185,…

Legislative Updates April 22, 2025 Rhode Island Mourns the Loss of the Senate President Dominick Ruggerio The business community mourns the loss of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio who lost his battle with cancer Monday, April 21, 2025.  President Ruggerio was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the longest serving member of the…

Legislative Updates Advocacy in Action RI Chamber Coalition April 29, 2025 Revenue Estimating Conference Continues This Week Each year the fiscal staffs of the House, Senate and Governor meet in the Spring to debate and reach consensus on the State’s fixed expenses as well as revenues for the upcoming year. Last Friday, the twice a…