PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island General Assembly is turning out a bevy of new laws for 2025.
Starting Wednesday, Rhode Island’s minimum wage is going up to $15 per hour.
The change is part of a 2021 bill that gradually increases minimum wage from $11.50 to the $15 mark for 2025.
The Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights reform will also go into effect.
The committee that oversees police misconduct hearings will grow from three officers to five, with a lawyer and retired judge present.
Additionally, all body camera footage can be made public through records requests.
A ban on flavored vape products will officially go into effect starting tomorrow, and along with the ban, the state will also be charging a new tax on all vapes.
Disposable vapes will be taxed at 50 cents per milliliter of liquid, and refillable products will be taxed ten percent.
The Senior Savings Protection Act will also take effect.
The legislation makes it illegal to charge fees to residents 65 and up for paper invoices, and anyone found in violation would be subject to a $500 fine.
Families will be allowed to install surveillance cameras in their loved ones’ nursing home or assisted living facility rooms.
That is, with the nursing home resident’s permission, of course.
Advocates say it provides oversight and protection for loved ones with dementia and communication difficulties, who may be especially vulnerable in care facilities.
A new law will now ban credit bureaus from factoring medical debt into Rhode Islander’s credit scores.
Rhode Island’s general treasurer also announced a medical debt relief program for residents in 2024 which is funded with $1 million dollars for the state to purchase, cancel and forgive medical debt.
Eligible residents should have received a letter from the general treasurer with the amount of debt forgiven.
A ban will begin Wednesday for insurers who require their patients to get prescriptions solely from insurer-affiliated pharmacies.
The prescriptions are usually mail-order only, as well.
The new ban aims to ensure patients receive the necessary medication without delays or denials from insurers.
Another medical law will require health insurers in Rhode Island to cover the full cost of EpiPens.
And another law will also place a $150 cap on monthly supplies for medical conditions including cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and multiple myeloma.
