Senator Lori Urso is a Democrat representing District 8 (Pawtucket) in the Rhode Island State Senate. She was elected in November 2024.
She serves as Secretary of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, and as a member of the Senate Committees on Environment and Agriculture, and Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies. She was recently appointed chair of the Special Legislative Commission to Study the Impact of Medical Malpractice on Healthcare Costs in Rhode Island.
In her first year, Senator Urso passed legislation that amended the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act to require workplace accommodations for women during the menopause transition, making Rhode Island the first in the nation to enshrine these protections into law. The bill quickly became model legislation introduced in numerous states, and was passed as an ordinance by the Philadelphia City Council.
Senator Urso also passed legislation in 2025 to create a pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians, as well as a bill to create and fund the Main Street Rhode Island downtown revitalization program.
In 2026, Senator Urso passed legislation that allows certified foot care nurses to provide routine preventive care in the home; that creates a special registration plate for adaptive vehicles operated by permanently disabled Rhode Islanders; that empowers animal control officers to take immediate possession of abused or neglected animals; and two bills that safeguard the safety and privacy of users of artificial intelligence companion technology.
Senator Urso brings a record of leadership and accomplishment in local government and the nonprofit sector. Since 2014, she has served as president and CEO of the Old Slater Mill Association, operating the Slater Industrial Archives repository for Pawtucket’s industrial history, and playing a lead role in the transition of the Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark into the portfolio of the National Park Service. She has worked in historic preservation in Rhode Island for 18 years.
She currently serves on the Pawtucket Riverfront Commission, co-chairs Pawtucket International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, and leads the Pawtucket Cohort of the Main Street Rhode Island revitalization program. She served on the RI Historical Records Advisory Board from 2015–2025, the board of the Pawtucket Foundation from 2014–2023, and as an elected member of the Westerly Town Council from 2000–2002.
Previously, Senator Urso worked for ten years in river and watershed conservation. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 in 2008 for her efforts in fisheries restoration, and the improvement of recreational access to the Wood and Pawtucket Rivers in southern Rhode Island.
She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island, a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Rutgers University, and was a 2013 Rhode Island Foundation Leadership Fellow.