Legislative Updates
Advocacy in Action
May 18, 2026
This Week at the State House
Tuesday, May 19th
The House Committee on Environment & Natural Resources is meeting at the Rise (approximately 4:45pm) to vote on a building benchmarking bill and to hear testimony related to black takeout containers.
Building Benchmarking
H.7183, An Act Relating to Health and Safety – Building Benchmarking and Reporting Act of 2026, creates a new statute – Chapter 27.5 – to facilitate an energy reporting requirement for residential, commercial and industrial buildings with twenty-five thousand gross square feet or more. If passed as currently written, the following information must be provided to the Office of Energy Resources (OER): property address, primary use, gross floor area, annual energy use, source of energy use, annual greenhouse gas emissions, and a statement of compliance or noncompliance with the statute. Buildings with 50,000 sq ft or more begin reporting May 15, 2028. Buildings between 25,000 – 49.999 sq. ft. begin reporting May 15, 2030. Exemptions are available for vacant buildings, buildings possessing a demolition permit and buildings with no energy services provided. OER is required to collect the data and to post building specific information on its website, as well as “Progress against baseline year data for intervening years for both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.” H.7183, under the enforcement provision, allows OER to withhold grants and Infrastructure Bank monies from buildings that fail to comply with reporting requirements or “decarbonization efforts.” No other sections of the bill provide OER with the ability to implement decarbonization requirements based on the results of the benchmarking reports. Bills in previous years have included such explicit authority. Lastly, any municipality currently implementing a reporting program (Providence) may continue to do so and submit its information to OER - relieving building owners from a double reporting requirement. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7183.pdf
Black Takeout Containers Ban
H.8415, An Act Relating to Health and Safety – Plastic Waste Reduction Act, is a new bill introduced April 8th. The bill bans restaurants and other retail establishments from using black plastic containers for customer leftovers or for takeout (including grab and go) food. If passed, the ban would go into effect October 1, 2026. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H8415.pdf
No testimony will be taken on H.7183; however, testimony related to H.8415 may be emailed to: HouseEnvironmentandNaturalResources@rilegislature.gov
Wednesday, May 20th
Termination of Gas Line Extensions
The Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture is scheduled to hear testimony on a resolution to terminate any future natural gas line extensions. Senate Resolution 2354, cites the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council’s 2025 Climate Action Strategy as the driving force for this action. The EC4’s Strategy calls for a reduction in the use of gas for home heating in order to meet the State's 2030, 2040, and 2050 emissions reduction requirements. The resolution states, “Connecting new customers to the gas distribution system locks in customer subsidization of new infrastructure whose intended life extends beyond the 2050 net zero emissions requirements.” While resolutions do not carry the weight of law, they are meant to express a legislative body’s official opinion. They do not require the Governor’s signature. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2354.pdf
Testimony on SR.2354 may be submitted to SLegislation@rilegislature.gov
Thursday, May 21st
Estate Tax Reduction
The House Finance Committee will meet at the Rise in Room 35 to take testimony on H.8190, An Act Relating to Taxation – Estate and Transfer Tax. The bill proposes a phase-out of the estate tax: an exemption of $5 million for deaths occurring January 1, 2027; $7.5 million as of January 1, 2029, $10 million starting January 1, 2031, and a complete elimination of the tax January 1, 2033.
https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H8190.pdf
Testimony may be submitted to HouseFinance@rilegislature.gov
Retroactive Liability and Electricity Cost Increase
The Senate Finance Committee is meeting at the Rise in Room 211. Two bills of interest to the business committee will be heard – S.2024 and S.2248
S.2024, An Act Relating to State Affairs and Government – RI Climate Superfund Act, requires the state and municipalities to add up all of the costs expended in the last twenty-five years related to items the bill deems a result of climate change (“sea level rise, flooding, storm surge, extreme heat, drought, erosion, and other climate-driven hazards) including items such as “coastal and flood protection and resilience projects; Stormwater management, drainage, and water infrastructure upgrades; Heat mitigation, air quality improvement, emergency preparedness, and other hazard protection measures that safeguard public health; Resilient transportation, housing, and community infrastructure; Energy system resilience, including grid modernization and distributed energy resources; Ecosystem, agricultural, forest, watershed, and fisheries restoration or protection projects; and Hazard mitigation planning, modeling, monitoring, and early warning systems.” Once the total is calculated, an invoice would be sent to “responsible parties” defined as large businesses that extract and refine fossil fuels (a legal activity under federal and state laws). A ten percent daily penalty is added to late payments. This legislation, passed in Vermont, is being challenged by the US Chamber of Commerce in the federal district court for Vermont. Vermont allocated $600,000 in FY25 to set up the fund and prepare for a legal fight. In FY26, an additional $300,000 was allocated to defend the case. The state’s Agency of Natural Resources and Treasurer’s Office requested an additional $1.5 million in 2025 to hire outside experts to defend against lawsuits. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2024.pdf
S.2248, An Act Relating to Public Utilities and Carriers creates a tiered rate system for electricity and natural gas customers whose household income level is below 150% of the federal poverty level. For these households, the plan envisions capping electric rates to ensure that they pay no more than 3% of their income on electricity or 6% of their income if the house utilizes electricity as a sole source of heat. The program will be funded by increasing rates on all other customers. Rhode Island customers currently pay the sixth highest residential electricity rates in the country, fifth highest commercial rates, and fourth highest industrial rates according to the Energy Information Agency’s most recent data. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, February, 2026, Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Consumers by End-Use Sector. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a) It is a challenge the state faces as it tries to attract businesses which bring with them jobs that help lift people out of poverty. The bill may be reviewed at: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2248.pdf
Testimony on either bill may be submitted to SenateFinance@rilegislature.gov
Document Language Requirement
The Senate Judiciary Committee, meeting at the Rise in Room 313, scheduled S.2965, An Act Relating to State Affairs and Government – Uniform Electronic Transaction Act, for hearing. This bill amends the state’s Act to give consumers the legal right to demand written paperwork in English or Spanish before they sign a contract or complete a transaction electronically. It explicitly allows any individual to block a transaction until they are provided a physical, written copy of the document. This will affect all businesses, particularly those that use Docusign or Adobe Sign. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/SenateText26/S2965.pdf
Testimony may be submitted to SenateJudiciary@rilegislature.gov
New Introductions
No new bills of interest were filed this week.