PROVIDENCE—The Rhode Island General Assembly ended another legislative session in late June, with a series of bills either proposed or passed this year that in addition to being economically, politically and culturally significant across multiple domains, were of interest to local Catholics. The approval of a $14.34 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 addressed significant financial challenges while prioritizing healthcare, housing, and municipal support despite looming federal uncertainties.
Lila Manfield Sapinsley Compassionate Care Act
One hotly debated piece of legislation was House Bill 5219 and its companion, Senate Bill 151, known as the Lila Manfield Sapinsley Compassionate Care Act. This act, which has been discussed by the Rhode Island General Assembly at numerous prior legislative sessions, was proposed before the House by Rep. Edith Allejo (D-Providence) and before the Senate by Sen. Meghan Kallman (D-Pawtucket-Providence). In both chambers, testimony was presented on the bill, and in both instances, it was tabled for further study.
The proposed bill sought to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
While supporters of legalizing physician assisted suicide as a legal way to enshrine bodily autonomy and uphold the dignity of the sick and dying, opponents of the bill argue that physician-assisted suicide is the intentional taking of an innocent human life, and an attack upon human dignity.
Father Bernard A. Healey, director of the Rhode Island Catholic Conference, in written testimony, wrote that “the intentional taking of human life…violates the most basic tenet of our belief in the dignity and sacredness of human life.” He went on to say that “Physician-assisted suicide endangers the weak and marginalized in society, especially the poor, minorities, elderly, mentally ill, disabled and terminally ill.”
Raising the Minimum Wage
Senate Bill 125 sought to raise the minimum wage in the state of Rhode Island. Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage will be raised to $16.00 an hour, and effective January 1, 2027, it will increase to $17.00 an hour.
The bill was introduced by Sen. John Burke (D-West Warwick), and was passed in both houses of the General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor McKee on June 24.
Father Healey commenting on the bill stated: “Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, ‘Rerum Novarum,’ laid the foundation for Catholic social teaching on labor and social justice, advocating for fair wages and humane working conditions. Catholic social teaching strongly supports the concept of a ‘just wage,’ which is sufficient for a worker to meet their basic needs and those of their family. The Church emphasizes that work is not just a means to an income, but a way for individuals to participate in God’s creation and contribute to society.”
Artificial Intelligence
One bill introduced in the General Assembly dealt with artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 627, also known as the Artificial Intelligence Act, was introduced to the Senate by Sen. Louis DiPalma (D-Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton), and sought to establish regulations to guide the ethical development of AI and to mitigate the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence, thereby creating a framework for future legislation on this issue.
The proposed bill was passed in order to confront the ways AI could be used in making decisions concerning labor (particularly financial compensation, promotions, or benefits), education (particularly plagiarism detection, accreditation, certification, admissions, and financial aid), and the administrative elements of financial lending, legal services, housing and lodging services, and insurance.
The bill mandated that whenever a new AI program or AI-based machine is released, the developers publish a document outlining the intended uses or benefits, as well as potential harms of the program, the information used to train the program, and the ways the AI can be monitored to ensure optimal and socially responsible use. It also mandated that AI developers reduce biases built into the algorithms that drive AI-driven technology so that when such programs are used to make major decisions or distribute benefits it does so in a manner that does not perpetuate the effects of historical discrimination or violate previous Civil Rights bills. The Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology held the bill for further study.
Pope Leo XIV has commented on the dangers of AI, stating: “AI, especially Generative AI, has opened new horizons on many different levels, including enhancing research in healthcare and scientific discovery, but also raises troubling questions on its possible repercussions on humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, on our distinctive ability to grasp and process reality.”
Father Healey cited the Holy Father’s comments and suggested that “it’s good to see the General Assembly begin to address this important issue and its effect on our society and the dignity of human beings.”
Rep. Shecharki’s Housing Package
Another economically significant set of bills that passed in the most recent legislative session was Speaker of the House Joseph Shecharki’s housing package, which dealt with a variety of regulative and legal issues aimed at improving housing conditions in the state of Rhode Island.
This package of bills sought to make the zoning laws more efficient, standardize the requirements for approval of low-income and subsidized housing, and increase the construction of low-income housing.
Father Healey cited the lack of low-income housing in the state and suggested the bills can lead to growth in building affordable housing in Rhode Island.
He stated: “The Catholic Church views access to safe and affordable housing as a fundamental human right, deeply rooted in Catholic social teaching. This emphasizes the dignity of every person and the responsibility of society to ensure basic needs are met, particularly for vulnerable populations like the poor and those experiencing homelessness.”
Statute of Limitations
One significant bill which have overturned the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits against so-called “non-perpetrators” or institutions by the victims of childhood sex abuse and attempt to revive those claims already expired under the current statute was House Bill 5909 sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (D-South Kingstown and Narragansett). It passed in the House of Representatives on June 16, 2025, by a vote of 67 to 5. The bill was held for further study in the State Senate.
The bill was opposed by the RI Catholic Conference, the ACLU, and the Americans for Tort Reform Association. Opponents highlighted the unconstitutionality of the bill highlighting that four states have struck down similar legislation attempting to revive time-barred childhood sexual abuse claims, including Maine, Colorado, Kentucky and Utah.
Father Healey suggested that statutes of limitations promote fairness and closure by preventing stale claims in which evidence is lost, memories change and witnesses disappear. He stated: “The sober reality is that this bill is unconstitutional and does absolutely nothing to protect children.”
Education
The General Assembly approved legislation to require every school in Rhode Island to have a policy on the use of personal electronics that prohibits students from having access to them during the school day. Currently, 15 states have passed laws or enacted policies that ban or restrict cell phone use in the classroom and some of the largest school districts in the country have implemented similar policies. Father Healey suggested that such policies already exist in the Catholic school system and was a welcomed policy in public schools as “it serves the common good of our children across the state.”
Pay Day Lending
The General Assembly approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Pawtucket-Central Falls) that repeals the law that allows payday lending to operate in Rhode Island. The legislation (2025-H 5042A) eliminates the special carve-out in Rhode Island law that allows payday lenders to charge effective interest rates of 260% APR that trap people in cycles of debt.
Father Healey noted that this legislation has been introduced for many years but was held for further study.
“The conference has long supported the legislation. In the teachings of our Catholic faith we have many warnings about usury and exploitation of people. Lending practices that, intentionally or unintentionally, take unfair advantage of people’s desperate circumstances are unjust. Catholic Social Teaching demands respect for the dignity of persons, preferential concern for the poor and vulnerable, and the pursuit of the common good. These principles together with our teaching on economic justice animate our support of this bill.”
The General Assembly ended in late June and members will return in January 2026 to begin another legislative session.
“There were a few surprises this session, including the passage of both the Payday Lending bill and the compromise Assault Weapons Ban bill,” stated Father Healey.
