| Rep. Julie Casimiro (D-Dist. 31, North Kingstown, Exeter) was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 2016. She was named a Deputy Majority Leader in January 2019. Representative Casimiro is the first vice chair of the House Committee on Oversight and chairs that committee's Children and Families Subcommittee. She is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the House Education Committee, and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
In 2024, she introduced new laws that make it easier for students to help with IEP (individualized education plan) physical education classes and requiring health care facilities to maintain a searchable price list for all facility items. She also sponsored a new law that prohibits contractors and subcontractors from paying employees the cash equivalent of any applicable health care benefit in lieu of actually purchasing the health care benefit.
Representative Casimiro was also honored in 2024 by Adoption Rhode Island for her dedication to advocating for and helping children in state care and by the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association for legislation she introduced that will help ease the shortage of primary care health care services in Rhode Island.
During the 2023 session, Representative Casimiro introduced a new law which will require any store that sells gift cards to post a conspicuous notice at or near the point of sale and at or near the location where the sale occurs to caution the purchaser about prepaid card scams and instruct the purchaser on what to do if they suspect they might be a potential victim of such a scam. She also sponsored a new law which requires driver education courses to include a program about the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis.
She was selected to serve as vice chairwoman of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Standing Committee on Children, Families and Human Services. Representative Casimiro was also honored in 2023 by Tides Family Services with the group's "Humanitarian Award" for her support in strengthening the network of children's behavioral health services in Rhode Island.
In 2022, Representative Casimiro introduced a new law which closes a loophole in state law that allowed those in positions of authority to engage in sexual relations with children. She was also the prime sponsor on another new law which requires the Department of Children, Youth and Families to determine the military status of the parents of any abused child and report the matter to the appropriate military authorities, including the Military Family Advocacy Program.
She was also honored by the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families as the organization's 2022 Legislative Champion.
Representative Casimiro is a former marketing executive and fund development professional and has served on boards and committees for many non-profit organizations. She graduated from Cranston High School West and received her bachelor's degree in marketing from Providence College.
Representative Casimiro, who was born on June 21, 1962, is married to Richard Casimiro and they reside in North Kingstown. |