S2397 amends Rhode Island’s Office of Health and Human Services laws to provide Emergency Medicaid coverage for dialysis treatment and kidney transplants for non-citizens who do not qualify for Medicaid. The bill covers hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplants for “undocumented” individuals and “qualified” non-citizens who have not met the federal five-year residency requirement, with coverage authorized for twelve months, effective upon passage.
The Rhode Island Senate passed S2397 on May 21, 2024 by a vote of 36 to 1. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this legislation expands government spending and entitlement programs, exceeding constitutional limits on state authority and burdening taxpayers. Taxpayer funds should not be used to provide healthcare, as “social welfare” is not the role of government. Illegal aliens should not be permitted sanctuary or residency in Rhode Island. This legislation undermines the rule of law and economic liberty by incentivizing illegal immigration and straining public resources for non-citizens.
