Welcome back to our ongoing series breaking down the new laws coming out of the Rhode Island General Assembly. As we move through August, it’s a good time to look at what was signed into law earlier this summer. This session produced a slate of bills aimed at fixing some very practical, and at times very frustrating, problems. In this segment, we’re looking at new rules for public infrastructure, a lifeline for restaurants facing disaster, and a long-overdue change at the pharmacy counter.

First, let’s talk rust. A new law, S0744, gets serious about preventing the kind of corrosion that can, well, shut down a bridge. The bill mandates that any state-funded public works project involving coating or protecting steel must now use trained and certified personnel. This means the workers tasked with surface preparation and applying protective coatings must meet a specific industry standard (the NACE 13/ACS 1 standard, for those taking notes). It’s a quality control measure that seems almost painfully obvious in hindsight, aiming to ensure that our public structures such as major highway bridges named after the first President are being maintained by people who are certified experts in preventing them from turning to dust.

Speaking of bridge-related fallout, another bill seems to be a direct lesson learned from the Washington Bridge debacle. A new law, H6392, creates a safety net for restaurants that are rendered uninhabitable by a disaster, whether it’s a fire, a flood, or…a structural failure. The law allows these establishments to get a temporary permit for outdoor dining for up to 18 months, bypassing local zoning ordinances that might otherwise forbid it. It’s a practical measure to help a small business keep the lights on and staff employed while they rebuild.

Finally, a change is coming that could ease a common healthcare headache. If you’ve ever tried to transfer a prescription for a controlled substance, you know it can feel like a major ordeal. A new amendment to the state’s controlled substances act, H5866, directs the Department of Health to update its rules to align with new federal DEA regulations that permit the electronic transfer of these prescriptions between pharmacies. This will make it much easier for patients to move their prescriptions for cost or convenience. It also makes it much harder for “patients” to forge prescriptions for controlled substances. This change is set to take effect on January 1, 2025, so we have a few months to go, but it represents a significant, common-sense modernization of pharmacy rules.

From small business relief to public safety and healthcare convenience, these laws show a focus on tangible, real-world issues. We’ll be back soon with another report to break down more of the legislation that will be shaping life in Rhode Island.