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4/28/2025
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MEDIA ADVISORY: House Finance Committee to meet three times this week to hear legislation on education, healthcare and gambling
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STATE HOUSE – The House Finance Committee will be meeting three times this week to hear testimony on a variety of legislation, including bills relating to education, healthcare and gambling.
On Tuesday, April 29, at the RISE of the House (approximately 5 p.m.) in Room 35 of the State House the committee will hear testimony on several pieces of legislation involving education.
Among the legislation scheduled to be heard are the following bills:
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2025-H 5400, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer A. Stewart (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), requires that the state's share to public libraries be fixed at 25% of the amount appropriated by the city or town in their budgets for fiscal year 2026.
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2025-H 5742, sponsored by Rep. Justine A. Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich), establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for All” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
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2025-H 5751, sponsored by Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls), provides that a student's enrollment in Medicaid would be included in calculating and determining the student success factor for use in the foundation education-aid formula.
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2025-H 5976, sponsored by Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith (D-Dist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket), provides $4 million to support comprehensive and effective afterschool, school vacation, summer learning and workforce development programs for students in grades kindergarten through 12.
On Wednesday, April 30, at 4 p.m. in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will hear testimony on several bills relating to healthcare.
Among the bills scheduled to be heard are the following pieces of legislation:
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2025-H 5529, sponsored by Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls), expands eligibility for the qualified Medicare beneficiary program by increasing the income limit from 100% to 138% of the federal poverty line.
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2025-H 5984, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown), establishes the Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program to be administered by the commissioner of Postsecondary Education.
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2025-H 5988, sponsored by Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett), requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to amend the state Medicaid plan and secure sufficient state general revenue to increase Medicaid payment rates to an amount equal to 130% of Medicare rates for outpatient clinical pediatric services.
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2025-H 6095, sponsored by Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), imposes a hospital licensing fee for fiscal year 2026 against net patient-services revenue of every non-government owned hospital for the hospital's first fiscal year ending on or after January 1, 2024.
On Thursday, May 1, at the RISE of the House (approximately 5 p.m.) in Room 35 of the State House, the committee will meet to hear testimony on several pieces of legislation, including two that relate to sports gambling.
Among the bills scheduled to be heard are the following pieces of legislation:
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2025-H 5476, sponsored by Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), removes the exemption from the state hotel tax for residences rented in their entirety.
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2025-H 5745, sponsored by Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence), reduces the time, from three years to six months, required for a nonimmigrant foreign national student, who has resided in Rhode Island, to be eligible to pay the same in-state tuition as any other Rhode Island student.
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2025-H 6048, sponsored by Rep. Matthew S. Dawson (D-Dist. 65, East Providence), states that effective July 1, 2026, the State Lottery Division of Gaming stops renewing any existing sports wagering vendor contract. Prior to the expiration of any existing contracts, the Division shall issue an open invitation for applicants for sports wagering vendors.
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2025-H 6076, sponsored by Representative Slater, establishes the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act.
The meetings will be televised by Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox channel 61, on i3Broadband channel 15 and on Verizon channel 34. It will be live streamed at capitoltvri.cablecast.tv.
For more information, contact:
Larry Berman, Communications Director for the Office of the Speaker
State House Room 322
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2466
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