Legislation from Sen. Alana M. DiMario and Rep. Mary Ann Shallcross Smith to improve access to childcare by standardizing state zoning laws for family childcare homes has been signed into law.

“This act will expand the available childcare slots while ensuring that providers still meet all state health and safety requirements and remove the administrative burden for local childcare business owners of going in front of a zoning board to try to secure an exemption.”

The General Assembly has put a hold on any proposal for high-heat sewage solids processing at Quonset Business Park while a commission studies potential answers to the question of how the state can safely dispose of such byproducts.

Although the business park granted a lease for the project in November 2024 and it received an air quality permit in January, neighbors and town officials didn’t learn about the project until March, due to very limited public disclosure requirements in those processes. The Quonset Development Corporation has verbally agreed to pause the project while the commission studies the issue, but without the moratorium bill, there would be no legal requirement.

The Senate today approved a resolution from Sen. Alana M. DiMario urging the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission to examine the impact of gas line extension allowances and determine whether these allowances should continue.

The resolution (2026-S 2354A) notes that the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council’s 2025 Climate Action Strategy to meet Rhode Island’s obligations under the Act on Climate requires a significant shift from gas to electric systems to heat homes and buildings, a goal that may not be compatible with the current gas line extension policy, under which the cost to build a new gas line has no up-front cost to the customer, compared to new electrical hookups, which customers must pay for up-front.

Sen. Alana M. DiMario is applauding the inclusion in the state budget bill of her legislation to provide stable funding for a psychiatric resource network for providers treating children and new parents.

Senator DiMario also notes that by supporting primary care providers and pediatricians in treating the mental health needs of their patients, both PRN programs are also important tools in retaining providers and reducing burnout.

The Senate today passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Alana M. DiMario to allow disabled drivers to receive up to two motor vehicle parking privilege placards from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

A medical school in South County would mean hiring more physicians to teach and work in the area, starting now. It would mean more students doing their residencies in spots we will create in our clinics and hospitals. And it would mean more graduating physicians falling in love with South County and sticking around, putting down roots, starting families and serving our residents for years to come.

“Currently, no voting members of the Board of Education work or learn in a classroom every day. This bill will elevate the voices of a high-quality classroom teacher and a student leader to better inform our education policies and improve the decision-making process to better serve our students.”

"Without sustainable rates, the nonprofits that provide these essential prevention and diversion programs cannot continue, whether their services are covered or not. This bill gives providers across Rhode Island the consistency and financial stability they need by ensuring that they receive at least the state Medicaid rate for the services they provide.”

The Senate today voted to approve legislation from Sen. Alana M. DiMario to allow more qualified Rhode Islanders to receive childcare assistance by removing the burdensome requirement that recipients participate in child support enforcement in order to receive childcare assistance.

“As elected officials, our constituents expect us to represent their best interests and not the best interests of wealthy donors,” said Senator DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham). “Furthermore, our state constitution charges the General Assembly with setting limits on political donations and ensuring that campaign donations and expenditures are clearly and publicly reported."

Sen. Alana M. DiMario has introduced legislation to attract and retain much-needed workforce talent by establishing a fund to provide partial loan repayments to Rhode Island workers employed in high-need professions.

Sen. Alana M. DiMario and Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty are supporting workforce training for child mental health professionals by covering membership fees for infant and child care professionals.

It’s the start of a new year at the Rhode Island General Assembly and on Wednesday, January 21 the New Shoreham Town Council presented Block Island’s state representative and senator with their wishlist for the 2026 legislative session.

“Do you want to start with ticks? asked First Warden Keith Stover after expressing his appreciation for Senator Alana DiMario and Representative Tina Spears’s responsiveness to the island’s needs.

Many young children experience significant mental health challenges that interfere with their development, relationships, and learning, write a state senator and the head of the Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health

By Susan Dickstein and Alana DiMario

STATE HOUSE — Rhode Island Kids Count honored legislators today for their work to support children in crisis and provide paid time off for parents and caregivers.

RI Kids Count recognized Senate President Valarie J. Lawson and Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo for their work expanding paid parental and caregiving leave for Rhode Island workers over the last two legislative sessions and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Reps. Julie A. Casimiro and Teresa A. Tanzi, and Sens. Alana M. DiMario and Jacob E. Bissaillon for their work to provide stable funding for mobile youth crisis response teams.

STATE HOUSE — Legislation introduced by Rep. Joseph M. McNamara and Sen. Alana M. DiMario makes federally mandated school 504 plans part of state law.

The legislation is aimed at preventing contamination of food, soil and groundwater at farms

STATE HOUSE – The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend and Sen. Alana M. DiMario to require anyone applying for a permit to spread biosolids on land to first test the material for PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The legislation now goes to the governor.

Democratic lawmakers Sen. Alana DiMario of Narragansett and Rep. Michelle McGaw of Portsmouth are sponsoring not-quite-identical bills that would increase how much ADHD medication patients can receive at once. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

State senators push for urgent reforms after Anchor Medical announced its imminent closure, leaving 25,000 patients scrambling amid a shortage of primary care providers

By Pamela J. Lauria, Alana M. Dimario and V. Susan Sosnowski

State Senator Alana DiMario of Narragansett is a mental health counselor who first won election in 2020. She’s one of a number of progressive policy-oriented Democratic women lawmakers who have moved the General Assembly a bit to the left over the last decade.

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. —  In an effort to mend relationships between town and state officials, State Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (District 33) and State Senator Alana DiMario (District 34) met with the Narragansett Town Council Monday night in a first meeting since the new council members took office.

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D) toured the Narrow River this week to see the effects of storms and coastal reshaping, including the mounting changes from shifting sands clogging where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

STATE HOUSE – Legislation sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. Alana M. DiMario that would increase the maximum post-retirement employment earnings cap for retired educators has been signed into law.

PROVIDENCE — More transplants, more research, but no more nitrogen — at least not yet.

That’s the message coming from the state’s own panel studying the decline in quahog landings. The commission, impaneled last year and jointly chaired by Rep. Joseph Solomon, D-Warwick, and Sen. Alana DiMario, D-North Kingstown, released its final report late last month, on the same day the state House of Representatives unveiled its version of the state budget.

State bill aims to offset costs with federal funds

Solar farms could be a reality in Rhode Island as the state looks to transition to cleaner forms of energy. A bill making its way through the General Assembly would create a program to offset the costs of putting renewable energy projects on brownfield sites.

The Rhode Island chapter of Clean Water Action named state Sen. Alana DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) as its newest legislative champion for her work protecting the state’s water from toxic chemicals.

DiMario was recently presented with an award during the organization’s 22nd annual “Breakfast of Champions.” The senator was recognized for her lead role in passing legislation to reform the process for siting solar developments, as well as her work in banning toxic chemicals known as PFAS from common items in Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island chapter of Clean Water Action named state Sen. Alana DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) as its newest legislative champion for her work protecting the state’s water from toxic chemicals.