Legislative Updates
This Week at the State House
Tuesday, January 27th
Credit Card Fee Notification
The House Corporations Committee has on its agenda for Tuesday at the Rise (approximately 4:30pm) in the Room 101, two bills of interest. H.7022 http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7022.pdf requires any business that charges a fee to customers for the use of a credit card to post in a conspicuous place the amount of the surcharge. Failure to disclose the surcharge is a violation of the Unfair Trade Practice Act. The law, if passed, would take effect January 1, 2027.
Sales to Persons Over 65
H.7266 http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7266.pdf pertains to businesses that sell good or services to individuals over the age of 65. If the business offers customers a discount for utilizing ACH or EFT payment methods, the same discount must be offered to individuals over 65 who pay by a paper check. This act would take effect upon passage.
Testimony for either H.7022 or H.7266 should be emailed to HouseCorporations@rilegislature.gov
Thursday, January 29th
Interest on Judgments
The House Judiciary Committee has on its agenda for Thursday at the Rise in the House Lounge (behind the House chamber on the second floor) H.7033 http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7033.pdf . H.7033 changes the amount of interest assessed on a civil judgments – pre judgment and post judgement - from 12% to a rate equal to the coupon issue yield equivalent, as determined by the United States secretary of the treasury, of the average accepted auction price for the last auction of fifty-two (52) week United States treasury bills settled immediately preceding the date of the filing of the action. This act would take effect upon passage. Testimony should be emailed to HouseJudiciary@rilegislature.gov
What is in the Governor’s Budget?
Article 6 – Capital Development Program
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-006.pdf proposes $600 million in new bonding authority if approved by the voters. This amount is significantly higher than previous budget years which saw bonding requests totaling $300 million to $400 million. The $600 million request includes the following outlays:
- Higher Education Facilities Bond - $215 million
- The $215 million is broken down to include: $105 million for the construction of a new Integrated Health Building on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston campus, $50 million for a Rhode Island College student success and career readiness center and Adams Library, and $60 million for the Community College of RI innovation center.
- Housing and Homeownership Bond - $120 million
- At least $25 million is dedicated to production of housing intended for homeownership. The remainder of the bond money is slated to be used for affordable and accessible housing through redevelopment of existing structures, new construction, property acquisition, and infrastructure improvements. In November, 2024 voters approved a $120 million housing bond. The state started accepting applications in October, 2025. It is unclear how much of the $120 million has been spent thus far.
- Economic Development Bond - $115 million
- This bond is broken into two separate funds. The bond calls for $70 million to be used for land acquisition, environmental remediation, utility infrastructure and site preparation for industrial sites. This also includes efforts to create pad-ready sites at the Quonset Business Park and projects within the I-195 district.
- Career and Technical Education - $50 million
- The $50 million is slated for the creation of new or improvements to existing career and technical education programs.
- Green Economy and Clean Energy Bonds - $50 million
- There are seven designated purposes for this bond, including: $3 million for Brownsfields remediation, $8 million for facility improvements at state parks, $1 million to serve as an 80% matching grants program for municipalities to acquire or rehabilitate recreations facilities, $1 million for marine infrastructure and recreational facilities, $20 million to be used for resiliency infrastructure, coastal habitat and floodplains, $7 million to address nonpoint source pollution abatement such as stormwater management and riparian buffers, and $10 million for energy efficiency infrastructure.
- Cultural Economy - $50 million
- The Cultural Economy bond is divided into two portions. $45 million would be used to create a state history center to house archived historical documents. The remaining $5 million would be used as matching grants for capital improvements to public historic sites, museums and cultural art centers.
Article 3 – Government Reform and Reorganization
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/Article-003.pdf proposes several changes to government departments, state operations and economic development programs.
- Section 1. Governor’s Line Item Veto – If passed, Rhode Island would join 44 other states in giving the Governor the power to veto specific sections of the budget, not just the “budget as a whole.” If vetoed, the specific section could be overridden by a 3/5 majority vote of the both the House and Senate. The last state to pass a line-item veto was the state of Maine in 1995. Massachusetts passed its version in 1918. Connecticut passed it in 1924. Vermont and New Hampshire do not allow their Governors that authority.
- Section 2. Management of Unused Paint – This section requires the state’s contractor – PaintCare – to update its plan for review and approval every five years starting December 31, 2026. Current law allows DEM to request an update every four years.
- Section 3. Green Buildings Act – The Governor proposes to move the jurisdiction of the program from the Department of Administration to the Office of the State Building Code Commissioner starting July 1, 2026. Any regulations promulgated thus far will remain in effect until the Commissioner promulgates new rules. The Department of Administration must analyze the costs and benefits of LEED certification to determine if it is still a valuable certification process.
- Sections 4, 5 and 17. Weatherization Program – Sections 4, 5 and 17 transfer the state’s weatherization efficiency (grants and system upgrade assistance) program from the Department of Human Services to the Office of Energy Resources. Section 17 also designates the Office of Energy Resources as the responsible entity for administering any energy bond referendums passed by the voters.
- Sections 6, 7 and 19-23. Big River Reservoir – These sections give the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) authority over lands acquired for the Big River Reservoir project. The 8,600-acre area was purchased in the 1960s as a proposed back up reservoir. Home owners were moved out in anticipation of flooding the area, until EPA stepped in (1990) killing the project and citing irreparable damage to existing wetlands.
- Section 8. Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit Act – Section 8 increases the aggregate maximum credit, inclusive of sales and use exemptions allowed, from $225 million to $250 million. The Rebuild RI program is slated to expire December 31, 2026. This proposed amendment extends the program for an additional year to December 31, 2027.
- Sections 9 through 15 and Section 18 – Economic Development Program Extensions – The following programs are extended for an additional year, ending December 31, 2027: RI Tax Increment Financing, Tax Stabilization Incentive, Wave Closing Fund Act, I-195 Redevelopment Project Fund Act, Stay Invested in RI Wavemaker Fellowship, Main Street RI Streetscape Improvement Fund, and the Innovation Initiative.
- Section 16. Rhode Island Energy Resources Act – Section 16 creates an energy benchmarking program for state buildings with a footprint of 25,000 gross square feet or more. Each month, a report would be filed noting the amount of energy used in the building as well as the type of energy utilized. The Office of Energy Resources is charged with compiling the data and setting standards for state buildings that would require a decrease in energy used over time. The intent of the act is to assist the state in meeting its mandates under the Act on Climate. Section 16 includes a voluntary program for municipalities. Last year the legislature considered legislation requiring all buildings, including privately owned buildings, over 25,000 square feet to participate in a similar program. That legislation has been filed again this year (see H.7183 and H.7184 below) and will be the subject of debate at the state house.
- Section 18. Rhode Island Qualified Jobs Incentive Act of 2015 – Section 18 extends the RI Qualified Jobs Incentive Act for one year to December 31, 2027. Companies that create new positions or relocate jobs to the state can receive annual, redeemable tax credits for up to 10 years, with credits of up to $7,500 per job per year.
The following new bills have been filed:
House Bill No. 7172 BY Casimiro, Giraldo, Donovan, Read, Spears, Shallcross Smith, Potter, Hopkins, ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES TRANSACTION REVIEW AND SIGNIFICANT EQUITY INVESTOR DISCLOSURE ACT (Creates and establishes the Health Care and Social Services Transaction Review and Significant Equity Investor Disclosure Act designed to enhance disclosure for material changes involving significant equity investors.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7172.pdf
House Bill No. 7179 BY Phillips, Brien, Place, Azzinaro, Shanley
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- VEHICLE BARRIERS -- THE CHARLOTTE A. VACCA ACT (Requires commercial property owners to install vehicle barriers at their retail establishment locations as part of any new construction.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7179.pdf
House Bill No. 7180 BY Shallcross Smith, Marszalkowski, DeSimone, Kislak, Giraldo, Brien, Cruz, Potter, Fogarty, Read ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- DIGITAL ELECTRONICS RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT (Establishes a digital electronics right to repair, which allows for digital electronic equipment and parts that are sold in this state on or after January 1, 2027, to be repaired at an independent repair provider.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7180.pdf
House Bill No. 7183 BY Kislak, Fogarty, Carson, McGaw, Boylan, Speakman, Cortvriend, Handy, Bennett, Donovan ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BUILDING BENCHMARKING AND REPORTING ACT OF 2026 (Establishes a program for the energy and water benchmarking of large buildings in Rhode Island and a standard for their energy performance.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7183.pdf
House Bill No. 7184 BY Kislak, Handy, Fogarty, Cortvriend, McGaw, Potter
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BUILDING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ACT OF 2026 (Directs the office of energy resources to develop building performance standards for large buildings in Rhode Island that would cause greenhouse gas emissions to decline in line with the act on climate requirements.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7184.pdf
House Bill No. 7290 BY Cotter, Spears, Carson, Donovan, Corvese, Morales, Read, Kislak, Ajello, Potter ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- RESTRICTIONS ON SELF-SERVICE CHECKOUT STATIONS ACT (Places limits on the number of self-service checkout stations a grocery store can have and on the workload of employees assigned to monitor those checkout stations.)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7290.pdf
House Bill No. 7291 BY Casey, Edwards, Ackerman ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- LABOR RELATIONS ACT (Allows employees, not represented by a union, to create a group to collectively bargain with employers.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7291.pdf
House Bill No. 7313 BY Alzate, Fogarty, Potter, Giraldo, Donovan, Spears, Lombardi, Diaz, Cotter, Kazarian ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Creates an additional tax rate of 3% on taxable income over $640,000 in 2026 dollars. Applies to tax years 2027 and thereafter and not retroactively.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7313.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2195 BY Urso, Gu, DiPalma, Paolino, Zurier, Murray, Appollonio
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS (Creates additional safety features for AI companion technology that include addressing suicidal ideation, potential physical harm or financial harm to others expressed by a user. It also requires notification the AI companion does not have human emotions.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2195.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2218 BY Kallman, Valverde, Lauria, DiMario, Euer, Vargas, Gu, Mack, Britto ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- BUILDING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ACT OF 2026 (Directs the office of energy resources to develop building performance standards for large buildings in Rhode Island that would cause greenhouse gas emissions to decline in line with the act on climate requirements.)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2218.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2222 BY Sosnowski, Murray, Euer, McKenney, Kallman, Valverde
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ECONOMIC AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACT OF 2026 (Establishes a fee on companies that sell fossil fuels in Rhode Island and establishes a fund to disburse the collected funds.)
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2222.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2238 BY Murray, Lawson, Ciccone, DiMario, Lauria, Bissaillon, Acosta, Gu, McKenney, Burke ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PERSONAL INCOME TAX (Creates an additional tax rate of 3% on taxable income over $640,000 in 2026 dollars. Applies to tax years 2027 and thereafter and not retroactively.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2238.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2248 BY Sosnowski, Murray, Zurier, Valverde, Kallman, DiMario, Gu, Ciccone, Pearson, Britto ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND CARRIERS (Creates an income-sensitive tiered subsidy program to ensure that home energy utility costs are affordable for eligible low-income households.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2248.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2251 BY Tikoian, Ciccone, Felag, Burke, Dimitri, Famiglietti, Morgan, Paolino, Thompson, DiPalma ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- ESTATE AND TRANSFER TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION (Eliminates the estate tax in Rhode Island.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2251.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2320 BY DiPalma, Ciccone, Britto, LaMountain, Felag, Gallo, Patalano, Dimitri, Famiglietti ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (Requires employers to protect employees from extreme temperatures through rest breaks, PPE, training, and equipment, and mandates quarterly supervisor training, to recognize and mitigate heat- and cold-related risks.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2320.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2323 BY Bissaillon, Lawson, DiPalma, Gallo, Gu, Urso, Zurier, Acosta, Bell, Mack ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- THE COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION BENEFITS ACT (Establishes the commuter transportation benefit chapter. Employers with five hundred (500) or more employees required to establish a pre-tax commuter transportation fringe benefit program.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2323.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2324 BY Quezada, Acosta, Kallman, Bissaillon, Valverde, Bell, DiMario, Lauria, Zurier, Vargas ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- CONSUMER CREDIT HISTORY EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT -- DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (Prohibits employers from seeking/using credit reports in making hiring decisions concerning prospective employees, asking questions about the applicant's financial past during interviews or including credit history questions in their job applications.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2324.pdf
Senate Bill No. 2325 BY Thompson, Raptakis, Burke, Ciccone, Britto, Quezada, Murray, Tikoian, McKenney, Gu ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- MINIMUM WAGES (Effective January 1, 2028, Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the previous four (4) fiscal years.) https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2325.pdf