diff --git a/scrapers/ri/bills.py b/scrapers/ri/bills.py
index 99b361521e..886eba1447 100644
--- a/scrapers/ri/bills.py
+++ b/scrapers/ri/bills.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def digest_results_page(self, nodes):
             lines = [(n.text_content().strip(), n) for n in node]
             if "No Bills Met this Criteria" in [x[0] for x in lines]:
                 self.info("No results. Skipping block")
-                # return []
+                return []
 
             for line in lines:
                 line, node = line
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ def get_subject_bill_dict(self, session):
             default_headers["ctl00$rilinContent$cbCategory"] = subjects[subject]
             default_headers["ctl00$rilinContent$cbYear"] = session
 
+            self.info(f"Fetching bills subject mapping for {subject}")
             blocks = self.parse_results_page(
                 self.post(SEARCH_URL, data=default_headers).text
             )
@@ -220,6 +221,9 @@ def scrape_bills(self, chamber, session, subjects):
         for idex in idexes:
             blocks = "FOO"  # Ugh.
             while len(blocks) > 0:
+                self.info(
+                    f"Searching for bills in {chamber} in range {idex} to {idex + MAXQUERY}"
+                )
                 default_headers = get_default_headers(SEARCH_URL)
                 default_headers[FROM] = idex
                 default_headers[TO] = idex + MAXQUERY
@@ -291,7 +295,12 @@ def scrape_bills(self, chamber, session, subjects):
     def scrape(self, chamber=None, session=None):
         chambers = [chamber] if chamber is not None else ["upper", "lower"]
 
-        subjects = self.get_subject_bill_dict(session)
+        # NOTE: disabled by showerst 2024-01-04
+        # this is making 350 POST requests because there are almost no subjects
+        # assigned yet, but the 2023 subjects are still posted.
+        # possibly restore this later.
+        # subjects = self.get_subject_bill_dict(session)
+        subjects = {}
 
         for chamber in chambers:
             yield from self.scrape_bills(chamber, session, subjects)