Senate roundup: Major bills passed May 2, 2024 — moratorium extension, insurance protections, surveys, energy and more

The Rhode Island Senate completed its May 2 calendar, passing a package of bills covering utilities, insurance, public safety, property access and consumer protections. Key outcomes recorded on the floor included:

- Extension of utility moratorium: Senator Murray’s bill directing the Public Utilities Commission to lengthen the utility moratorium period from April 15 to May 1 passed with 36 in the affirmative and none opposed.

- Insurance rating protections (SB 22-69): Whip Lawson’s bill preventing insurers from treating widowed persons differently than married people when setting rates passed with 36 in the affirmative after sponsor explanation and clarifying questions from Senator Morgan.

- Train crew safety (SB 27-36): Senator Lawson’s bill requiring at least a two-person crew on freight trains passed with 37 in the affirmative.

- Land surveyor access (SB 25-01): Senator DePalma’s bill establishing notice requirements for surveyors (including 72-hour and seven-day notice language in the text) passed with 35 in the affirmative and 2 in the negative.

- Consumer protections for residential solar: A bill sponsored by Senator Basilian (residential solar energy disclosure and a 7-day cancellation period) passed as amended, with a recorded 37 in the affirmative and none opposed.

- Repeal of interstate modular-buildings compact (SB 2800): Sponsor Chairwoman Sadowski described state experience and limited interstate participation; repeal passed with 37 in the affirmative.

- Correctional Industries (prisoner-made goods): Senator McKinney’s bill permitting upfront partial payments and nonprofit sales passed with 37 in the affirmative.

- Local and court-related bills: Multiple local bills (property tax relief for veterans and seniors; municipal court authority; North Providence charter amendment for the Salvatore Mancini Center on Aging) and court-procedure bills (family court protective-order reporting, probate practice changes, electronic monitoring in long-term-care settings) advanced and were recorded as passed, most by large margins (often unanimous or near-unanimous).

The Senate also approved ceremonial resolutions (Teacher Appreciation Week; Daniel Giovanni Centifante’s retirement) and cleared its consent calendar. Several items were rescheduled on the calendar by unanimous consent. Passed measures will be transmitted to the House and, as appropriate, to the governor for further action.