Under The Dome 1/14/2025

The 2025 Session Begins

Welcome to the 2025 Edition of Advocacy in Action. The legislature began its session last week. Bills are currently being filed and we expect hearings to begin in the upcoming weeks.

Key dates for 2025 include the following:

Governor McKee’s State of the State Address – January 14, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

Last day for Senate public bill introduction – To Be Announced (usually prior to Winter recess)

Last day for House public bill introduction – To Be Announced (usually prior to Winter recess)

Winter Recess – February 17-21, 2025

Spring Recess – April 14-18, 2025

New Laws Now in Effect

This is a reminder that a few new laws went into effect as of January 1, 2025.

Minimum Wage – The minimum wage increased to $15.00 per hour.

Temporary Caregiver Benefits - The TCI dependent’s allowance benefit increased from $10 to $20 per month beginning January 1, 2025. The law lengthens the benefit weeks available to employees from six weeks to seven weeks beginning January 1, 2025, and to eight weeks beginning January 1, 2026. No change was made to the definition of eligibility for benefits.

New Poster Requirement for Businesses - Employers with 50 employees or more must display a poster containing information on veterans’ benefits available. The Department of Labor and Training is charged with creating the poster and providing it to employers; and they are currently working on the poster content. When the final product is available the Chamber will publish the link to the document.

Customer Paper Receipts and Invoices - It is now illegal for businesses to charge any fee to a person 65 years of age or older for a hard-copy paper bill, statement, or invoice. Anyone doing so, is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $500.

Independent Contractor Filing - Independent contractors must file annually with the Department of Labor. This law specifies that independent contractors must file annually for each client to be legally considered an individual contractor. The process is simple. To file DWC-11-IC form online, go to: https://dlt.ri.gov/workers-compensation/independent-contractors If you are a company that hires independent contractors, the Chamber encourages you to verify the form has been filed