Kathleen A. Fogarty
Chair, House Rules Committee
First Vice Chair, House Municipal Government and Housing Committee
Member, House Environment and Natural Resources Committee
Member, House Health and Human Services Committee
Kathleen
A. Fogarty (D) was first elected in November 2014 to the seat in House District
35, South Kingstown. She is the chair of the House Special Legislation
Committee and is a member of the House Environment and Natural Resources
Committee, the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House
Municipal Government and Housing Committee.
During
the 2023 session, she sponsored a law that mandates insurance coverage for any screenings
deemed medically necessary for any person who has received notice of dense
breast tissue in accordance with applicable American College of Radiology guidelines.
The
2022 session saw many of Representative Fogarty’s initiatives signed into law,
including bills protecting the environment, mental health access, and elderly
rights. She sponsored a new law to improve
the safety of dams throughout the state by requiring the State Building
Code Standards Committee to take into account the effect of climate change on
inundation areas below dams. She introduced a law that addresses the shortage
of mental health counselors by creating a two-tiered licensing structure.
She also sponsored a law that makes it easier for senior citizens to apply for Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
A
longtime advocate for the University of Rhode Island, Representative Fogarty
championed a $50 million bond to fund repairs and construct
new facilities at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus
to help URI reach its true potential in oceanographic education and research.
She also introduced a new law that allows university trustee
members to remotely participate in meetings.
During
the 2021 session, she sponsored a new law that helps
commercial fisheries by allowing for the direct dockside sale of fish.
In
2017, Chairwoman Fogarty introduced a law that bans
the use of hand-held mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle. The
new law took effect on June 1, 2018.
In
2016, she introduced legislation that requires elementary schools to have at
least 20
minutes of free play recess during the school day. The new law defines free
play as being in an unstructured environment supervised by appropriate school
personnel.
Prior
to her election to the House of Representatives, she was a member of the South
Kingstown Town Council from 2002 to 2012, serving as the council president from
2008 to 2010 and as the vice president from 2004 to 2008.
Born
July 29, 1965, she and her husband, Brendan J. Fogarty, have two children,
Brendan and Lauren.
Employed
as an Industrial Security Specialist at Raytheon Technologies, Representative
Fogarty graduated from Smithfield High School in 1983 and received her Bachelor
of Science degree in Health Service Administration from Providence College in
1987.