Rhode Island Senate

The Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Frank A. Ciccone III that requires employers to provide each employee of a warehouse distribution center with written descriptions of quotas and responsibilities.

“Employees need to know what exactly their job is and they in no way should be penalized if their job responsibilities have not been clearly communicated to them. This is a worker protection bill that will ensure fairness and clear communication between warehouse employees and their employers,” said Leader Ciccone (D-Dist. 7, Providence, Johnston).

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The Senate today approved two bills sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Hanna Gallo, Senator District 27 to set Rhode Island on a path to offering universal free prekindergarten to 3- and 4-year-olds. The bills now head to the House.

“Research has shown how incredibly beneficial pre-K is for children, improving everything from test scores and behavior to college enrollment later on. Children who enter kindergarten with experience in school are prepared, and that head start helps them succeed not only that year, but throughout their education and when they enter the workforce,” said Senator Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick). “Access to such a life-changing resource should never depend on where a child lives or whether a family can afford it.”

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The Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Lammis Vargas for Senate District 28 to prohibit colleges and universities from automatically enrolling students in their health insurance plans.

The bill is a consumer-protection measure designed to prevent situations in which students are unknowingly enrolled and billed for the college health plan when they already have health insurance.

The bill, which applies to both public and private institutions, would stipulate that all colleges and universities must require students to affirmatively either accept or reject student health plan coverage before their application for admission or registration is accepted as complete.

“While health care is absolutely important and student plans provide a valuable service for those who need them, many students already have coverage, particularly since the Affordable Care Act allows young people to say on their parents’ plans until they’re 26,” said Senator Vargas (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence). “Automatic enrollment, which requires students to notice that they’re being enrolled and take action to opt out, can lead to needless expense and hassles for students and parents. In some cases, students or their families may be paying for duplicative coverage and not even realize it. This is important enough that it should be its own step in the process, where the student is asked to either accept or decline the coverage, so they are aware of what will be on their bill.”

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