RIPIN 2024 Legislative Summary

The 2024 session of the Rhode Island General Assembly has come to a close and RIPIN is celebrating major wins for special education, health care, and healthy aging. Key achievements include enhanced parental engagement in the IEP process, significant investments in Medicaid reimbursement rates, continued funding for the Hospital Care Transitions Initiative, and efforts to expand access to Medicare Savings Programs. These victories were made possible through the dedicated support of legislative sponsors and the compelling testimony from our community.

Here are the outcomes for each of the items on RIPIN’s 2024 legislative agenda.

Special Education 

Parental Engagement in the IEP Process H7221 (Kislak), S2526 (DiMario) 

Parents want more meaningful engagement when it comes to their children’s IEP. RIPIN partnered with Representative Kislak and Senator DiMario to secure legislation that requires schools to provide IEP documents to parents at least three days before any IEP meeting, guarantees parents’ rights to observe programs and placements proposed for their child, and restores parents’ right to object to IEP changes they don’t feel comfortable with. Over the next two years, RIPIN will work with RIDE and the community to develop guidelines for how to implement the changes and make the necessary changes to the state regulations, with the new rules becoming effective July 1, 2026. 

Health Care 

Necessary Investments in Social and Human Services FY25 budget 

The FY25 state budget signed by Governor Dan McKee fully funds the Medicaid reimbursement rate increases for social and human service providers recommended by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC). RIPIN praises OHIC for its data-driven recommendations addressing critical access challenges in services for children, behavioral health, home care, and services for the intellectually and/or developmentally disabled. While access issues won’t be resolved immediately, this investment is a significant step towards ensuring Medicaid recipients in Rhode Island can access the care they need. 

Healthy Aging 

Hospital Care Transitions Initiative FY25 budget 

The FY25 state budget signed by Governor McKee includes funding for RIPIN’s Hospital Care Transitions Initiative. This program integrates RIPIN community health workers into hospital discharge teams to help high-risk older patients successfully transition to their homes rather than nursing facilities, achieving a success rate of over 75% and saving the state money. RIPIN thanks the General Assembly for enabling this important program to continue benefiting Rhode Islanders. 

Expanding Access to Medicare Savings Programs H7333 (Alzate), S2399 (Cano) 

RIPIN commends the General Assembly for acknowledging growing financial barriers faced by low- and moderate-income older adults and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare through proposed changes to the Medicare Savings Programs. Although the FY25 budget language isn’t as expansive as the original proposal supported by RIPIN and must still gain federal approval, RIPIN appreciates the efforts of the sponsors and the House and Senate Finance Committees. We hope EOHHS and the General Assembly continue building on this progress to establish a workable expansion of this program for low-income seniors and adults with disabilities.