SENATE RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF RHODE ISLAND S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RELATED TO EDUCATING AND RETAINING PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, the official text

S3346 2026 -- S 3346 ======== LC006531 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF RHODE ISLAND S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RELATED TO EDUCATING AND RETAINING PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS Introduced By: Senators Lauria, Lawson, Kallman, Vargas, Valverde, DiMario, Murray, and Urso Date Introduced: June 04, 2026 Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar 1 WHEREAS, Nationally the demand for primary care providers continues to increase; 2 however, nearly one-third of Americans do not have a primary care provider; and 3 WHEREAS, Rhode Island residents are struggling to find primary care providers 4 resulting in the use of emergency rooms and urgent care facilities to meet their medical needs; 5 and 6 WHEREAS, Rhode Island has a limited medical education infrastructure which 7 contributes to low rates of provider retention; and 8 WHEREAS, Workforce retention challenges among primary care physicians, nurse 9 practitioners, and physician assistants in Rhode Island signal the importance of coordinated 10 investments in payment, team-based infrastructure, and opportunities for advancement; and 11 WHEREAS, Despite graduating one hundred and six primary care residents on average 12 in Rhode Island each year, only fifteen graduates plan to stay in state; and 13 WHEREAS, Rhode Island must look toward prioritizing primary care workforce 14 retention and graduate medical education programs for the next generation of primary care 15 residents; now, therefore be it 16 RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 17 consisting of fifteen (15) members: four (4) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island 18 Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Dean of the 19 University of Rhode Island School of Medicine, or designee; one of whom shall be the Dean of 1 the Brown University School of Medicine, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the 2 Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Rhode Island; or designee; one of whom shall be the President of 3 the Rhode Island Academy of Physician Assistants, or designee; one of whom shall be President 4 of the Rhode Island Pharmacist Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive 5 Director of the Rhode Island Medical Society; or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive 6 Director of the Care Transformation Collaborative Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall 7 be a representative from the community health centers, to be appointed by the President of the 8 Senate; one of whom shall be a representative of community nonprofits, to be appointed by the 9 President of the Senate; and two (2) of whom shall be representatives of persons with community 10 expertise in primary care, to be appointed by the President of the Senate. 11 The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of Rhode 12 Island’s healthcare workforce related to educating and retaining primary care providers, 13 including, but not limited to: 14 • Studying and developing recommendations for establishing and financing sufficient 15 primary care graduate medical education resources in the state, leveraging the state’s well- 16 established community health center network; 17 • An annual report on Rhode Islanders’ access to a usual source of care, the number 18 and distribution of primary care clinicians practicing in the state, the numbers entering and 19 leaving practice in the state, and recommendations to ensure all Rhode Islanders report having 20 access to a usual source of care; and 21 • An annual report on the status of Rhode Island’s primary care institutional and 22 clinical education resources and the programs supporting these students financially. 23 Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall be 24 appointed and shall meet at the call of the Senate President and organize and the Senate President 25 shall appoint a chair. 26 Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 27 The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 28 All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 29 documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or 30 desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 31 The Commission may be allotted annual budget resources to complete these functions. 32 The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide 33 suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further 34 RESOLVED, That the commission shall develop and be ongoing with recommendations LC006531 - Page 2 of 4 1 submitted annually to the President of the Senate. ======== LC006531 ======== LC006531 - Page 3 of 4 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF RHODE ISLAND S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RELATED TO EDUCATING AND RETAINING PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS *** 1 This resolution would create a special legislative commission consisting of fifteen (15) 2 members whose purpose it would be to study Rhode Island’s healthcare workforce related to 3 educating and retaining primary care providers and who would report back annually to the 4 President of the Senate. ======== LC006531 ======== LC006531 - Page 4 of 4