Representative 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 Rules Committee, the first vice chair of the House
Municipal Government and Housing Committee, and is a member of the
House Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House Health and
Human Services Committee.
During the 2024 session, she sponsored
legislation to create the Primary Care Training Sites Program to provide
training for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
within the Department of Health. The budget appropriated $2.7 million to
implement the program.
She also sponsored a new law that allows
pharmacies registered by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration
to transfer electronic prescriptions at a patient's request. She also
introduced a new law that allows Rhode Island to join an
interstate compact that lets counselors licensed in member states to
practice in other member states.
In 2023, 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.