VL

Val Lawson D

State Senator
Rhode Island Senate District 14
Term: — – Jan. 3, 2026
1 Total

Biography

Photo URL: https://www.rilegislature.gov/LegislationPictures/valarie_lawson.jpg

On Record (9)

Bill
Creates the Rhode Island voting rights act to establish procedures to prevent discrimination in the voting process.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill
Expands the benefit definitions to include a grandchild and care recipient and increases benefits period to 10 weeks for 2027 and 12 weeks for 2028 and provides a TDI/TCI opt-in option for self-employed workers.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Includes veterans 75 years or older with a combined service connected disability rating of 70% as eligible for disabled veterans license plates.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Allows an individual, who is a first-time homebuyer, to contribute funds to a first-time homebuyer savings account with Rhode Island housing to pay for eligible costs to purchase a home and receive tax deductions and exemptions.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Expands guaranteed issue rights for Medigap plan enrollees who enroll outside of a plan’s initial enrollment period.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Establishes the criminal offense of real estate title fraud. Allows municipalities to refuse to record “suspicious documents” from persons who are not trusted submitters. Also creates penalties for real estate title fraud.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Establishes a statewide mobile response and stabilization services program to provide rapid crisis response and short-term stabilization for children and youth in their natural environments.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
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Places limits on the number of self-service checkout stations a grocery store can have and on the workload of employees assigned to monitor those checkout stations.
May 22, 2026 · source · details / share
Article / Text Auto-discovered
Lawson wins R.I. Senate presidency while retaining prominent union role  The Public's Radio
Apr 09, 2026 · source · details / share

Crossposts (34)

Bill crosspost
Imposes a seventy-five cent (0.75) surcharge on fares charged by rideshare companies as well as an account to benefit RIPTA from the payment of sales taxes collected from rideshares.
Jun 18, 2026 · details / share
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Advances the interests of older Rhode Islanders by adding a representative of an aging adult organization to the state planning council and a permanent committee on aging to the state planning council.
Jun 18, 2026 · details / share
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Restates the UTGR Master Contract and the Twin River-Tiverton Master Contract and consolidates the marketing program of each into the Consolidated Marketing Program.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Expands the health professional loan repayment program to healthcare providers practicing in primary care health settings.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Authorizes East Providence to issue licenses to any business seeking to engage in the business of operating a hotel, motel, inn, or boardinghouse and that the business first obtains approval from chief of police, building inspector and the mayor.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Expands council on elementary and secondary education and board of education and makes teacher of year and student advisory chair voting members on each.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Provides for penalties for tax preparers that purposefully mislead their clients or act as ghost preparers of tax returns.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Promotes transparency and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence by health insurers to manage coverage and claims.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Provides that the prescription label for medication abortion prescription drugs may include the name of the dispensing healthcare practice instead of the name of the dispenser.
Jun 02, 2026 · details / share
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Precludes a legal entity from owning property whose value is over $25,000,000. If the property value exceeds $25,000,000, then the entity must divest a graduated yearly amount over the next 10 years, until value is less than $25,000,000.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Amends the heading of § 11-47-60.1 to include the words "Dillon's Law."
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Prohibits bail bond agents and bail bond recovery agents from engaging in civil immigration enforcement, define such conduct as unprofessional, and subject violators to professional discipline under Rhode Island law.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Hospital Conversions act amended to authorize AG and DOH to permit expedited review application for hospital insolvency proceedings. Sunsets in one year.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Provides that statements by a health care provider regarding the unanticipated outcome of a patient's medical care and treatment shall be inadmissible as evidence of an admission of liability or as evidence of an admission.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes the process to provide a legal mechanism whereby a terminally ill patient may choose to end their life using medications prescribed by a physician.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Details each of those limited emergency circumstances where a registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurses, may safely administer anesthesia such as critical life-saving or emergency situations where there is imminent threat to life or limb.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Gradually phases in modifications to federal adjusted gross income over a five (5) year period for social security income, from twenty percent (20%) up to one hundred percent (100%), beginning on or after January 1, 2027.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Changes the maximum term of employment for a superintendent from three (3) to five (5) years.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes a food as medicine pilot program and task force to be administered by the executive office of health and human services.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Amends the Rhode Island works program to allow lawful permanent residents to receive benefits without a waiting period and increases the monthly cash benefit to one hundred percent (100%) of the federal poverty level effective July 1, 2026.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes a tax credit against income tax based on eligible expenses incurred for care and support of an eligible family member.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Strengthens enforcement of the state's pharmacy audit law by clarifying and tightening audit procedures to ensure pharmacy audits are conducted fairly and transparently.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Permits the expungement of records 5 years after the imposition of sentence for misdemeanors and 10 years after the imposition of sentence for felonies, and if the sentence is greater than 10 years, then, upon successful completion of the sentence.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Requires pharmacy benefit managers to apply for certificate of authority from DBR to operate such a business in this state. Empowers the health insurance commissioner to oversee pharmacy benefit managers and penalize violations.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes the operations necessary for a 988 hotline for suicide prevention/behavioral health crisis management. Establishes the operations necessary for acute mental health crisis outreach/stabilization services in direct response to the 988 hotline.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Imposes certain duties, transparency, and accountability from pharmacy benefits managers and pharmacy benefits management services.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Commencing January 1, 2027, mandates insurers provide health insurance coverage without cost-share requirements for vaccinations recommended by the DOH and mandates the coverage for the medical assistance program and managed care organizations.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Removes the mandatory certification for an individual 16 years or older who was found delinquent for having committed 2 offenses after the age of 16 which would render the person subject to an indictment if the person was an adult.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Ends transaction fees for school lunches in all districts. This act requires at least one no-fee payment method for school lunches and a full disclosure whether fees will be charged by a payment platform.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes the "Prescription Drug Savings and Transparency Act of 2026."
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Establishes the framework to create a medical school at the University of Rhode Island and provides an initial appropriation of five million dollars ($5,000,000) as the first phase of a multi-year investment for the development of a medical school.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Makes the bridge over Smith Street and Route 95, the George Nee Bridge.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Requires healthcare insurers, without prior authorization, to provide post-acute care services to patients discharged from a hospital for a minimum of seven (7) days commencing on or after January 1, 2027.
May 22, 2026 · details / share
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Creates a special motor vehicle registration plate for The Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame.
May 22, 2026 · details / share