2024 RI Legislative Session Highlights
The American Heart Association’s RI advocacy team works to advance policies at the state and local levels that will further our mission of being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We do this lifesaving work in collaboration with volunteers, advocates, coalition partners, community organizations, legislators, and state agency staff. Together we are building a healthier Ocean State!
2024 Legislative Session Highlights:
Healthy School Meals for All RI Children: Hungry kids can’t learn. The American Heart Association co-led the RI Healthy School Meals for All Coalition that worked to increase access to free school meals for students. We are celebrating progress. The FY25 Budget includes funding to transition reduced-price school meals to free. This important first step will help 6,500 students and families most in need.
Smoke-Free Casinos: Exposure to secondhand smoke causes many of the same tobacco-related diseases as active smoking, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Casino gaming is the only industry in Rhode Island that is permitted to jeopardize the health of its employees by allowing smoking indoors. The American Heart Association advocated alongside casino employees and our Tobacco-Free Rhode Island partners to close the casino loophole. The House Finance Committee unanimously approved the smoke-free casinos bill on the last day of session. While this was a symbolic vote, it marked a big step forward for the campaign!
Investments in High-Quality Early Care and Education Programs: Research shows children who participate in early childhood programs are more likely to grow up as healthy adults. The American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids initiative awarded a grant to Parents Leading for Educational Equity (PLEE) to lead a policy campaign to increase access to high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs in Rhode Island. In collaboration with PLEE and the RIght from the Start Campaign, we supported a suite of proposals in this area. We are pleased to share that the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) will be expanded to help more families starting in January 2025, raising the household income limit from 200% to 261% of the federal poverty level; rates paid to child care centers serving children in CCAP will be raised by 5% in July 2024; the Child Care for Child Care Educators pilot program will be continued for one more year to help recruit and retain frontline child care educators statewide by covering the cost of child care for the children of staff with household incomes under 300% of the federal poverty level; and Pre-K will be expanded, adding 700 seats.
Paid Family Leave: Paid Family Leave provides paid time off to manage significant family life events and needs, such as caring for a family member with a serious health condition, or bonding with a new child after birth, adoption, or placement in foster care. The American Heart Association supported legislation to improve Rhode Island’s PFL/Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) Program. TCI will be expanded from 6 weeks to 7 weeks in 2025, and 8 weeks in 2026.
Access to Healthcare Coverage: The American Heart Association supported a campaign led by the Protect Our Healthcare RI Coalition to codify in state law the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) prohibition of annual and lifetime limitsin commercial coverage to sustain this affordability mechanism that has demonstrated a reduction in medical debt and increased access to care.
