Latest Bills
Bill # Title Summary January 15th, 2026 H7122 Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation This bill grants a property tax exemption to the nonprofit Community MusicWorks for their property located in Providence. H7123 Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing This bill requires the Rhode Island Housing Authority to verify and document Tiverton's affordable housing stock twice a year. H7124 Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing This bill allows Tiverton to pause new affordable housing applications if 500 units are already proposed in the town. H7125 Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing Developers in Tiverton must build 50% affordable units if the town is below the state's 10% housing goal. H7126 Making Revised Appropriations in Support of Fy 2026 This bill establishes the Rhode Island state budget and spending appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. H7127 Making Appropriations in Support of Fy Mandates that all licensed cannabis establishments in Rhode Island enter into labor peace agreements with bona fide labor organizations. H7128 Education -- Maintenance of Order on Campus This bill requires campus police to carry firearms after training and grants them the same rights as other police officers. H7129 Property -- Residential Landlord and Tenant Act This bill bans landlords from using software that utilizes private competitor data to set rent prices or occupancy levels. H7130 Property -- Residential Landlord and Tenant Act This bill modifies security deposit rules, allowing deductions for cleaning, separate furniture deposits, and installment payments for deposit increases. H7132 Criminal Offenses -- Homicide This bill prohibits sentences of life without parole for offenders aged twenty-one or younger convicted of first-degree murder. H7133 Domestic Relations -- Domestic Abuse Prevention This bill allows courts to include pets in domestic abuse protective orders and requires specialized training for prosecutors handling violations. H7134 Criminal Procedure -- The Rhode Island First Step Act This bill reforms prisons by allowing early release for elderly or sick inmates and improving rehabilitation and reentry support. H7135 Health and Safety -- Office of State Fire Marshal This bill requires the DMV to share the locations of electric and hybrid vehicles with local fire departments twice annually. H7136 State Affairs and Government -- Open Meetings This bill excludes weekends and holidays from the 48-hour notice requirement for public meetings. H7137 State Affairs and Government -- The Rhode Island Lobbying Reform Act Lobbyists are prohibited from donating to state legislators between January 1 and July 1 while the assembly is in session. January 14th, 2026 H7064 Business and Professions -- Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists Reduces required clinical hours for marriage and family therapist licenses and simplifies reciprocity for out-of-state therapists. H7065 Health and Safety -- Truth in Food Disclosure Law Starting in 2030, all beverages sold in Rhode Island must contain 50% less added sugar than they did in 2026. H7066 Insurance -- Casualty Insurance Generally -- Limitations on Policy Cancellations and Renewals Requires insurers to give two months' notice for non-renewals or rate hikes over 20% starting September 2026. H7067 Businesses and Professions -- Real Estate Sales Disclosures This bill adds home energy audit results and public shoreline access rights to the mandatory real estate sales disclosure form. H7068 State Affairs and Government -- Energy Facility Siting Act This legislation updates energy facility siting rules to require consideration of climate change goals and modern grid-enhancing technologies. H7069 State Affairs and Government -- Energy Facility Siting Act This bill removes natural gas and clean coal from the state's priority list for new energy facilities, prioritizing only renewable energy. H7070 Businesses and Professions -- Funeral Director/embalmer and Funeral Service Establishments This bill legalizes water cremation and human composting as regulated options for handling human remains in Rhode Island. H7071 Agriculture and Forestry -- Protection of Trees and Plants Generally -- Rhode Island Invasive Plant Management Act This bill prohibits buying, selling, or transporting invasive non-native plants on land or in fresh water in Rhode Island. H7072 Agriculture and Forestry -- Agricultural Functions of Department of Environmental Management This bill redefines "farmer" and "agricultural land," removing income requirements for wetland exemptions and requiring USDA identification. H7073 Health and Safety -- Prohibited Release of Balloons This bill establishes fines for releasing balloons and empowers the Department of Environmental Management to enforce the ban and educate the public. H7074 Highways -- Construction and Maintenance of State Roads This legislation requires the Department of Transportation to plant native, pollinator-friendly vegetation along state roads and highways. H7075 Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies -- The Matthew Federico Diabetic Safety Act This bill requires health insurers to cover two doses of emergency diabetes medication annually without copays or deductibles starting in 2027. H7076 Businesses and Professions -- Certified Surgical First Assistants Act This bill creates a new professional license and government oversight board for surgical assistants who help doctors during operations. H7078 Military Affairs and Defense -- National Guard This bill increases the state reimbursement limit for National Guard life insurance premiums from $400,000 to $500,000 coverage. H7079 Criminal Procedure -- Expungement of Criminal Records This bill allows individuals with two to four non-violent felony convictions to expunge their records after fifteen years. H7080 Commercial Law -- General Regulatory Provisions -- Third-Party Litigation Financing Consumer Protection Act This legislation regulates lawsuit funding companies, requiring registration, contract transparency, and mandatory disclosure of funding agreements to opposing parties. H7081 Health and Safety -- Next Generation Public Buildings Act Starting in 2028, new government buildings and schools cannot use fossil fuels for heating and must meet strict energy codes. H7082 Labor and Labor Relations -- Municipal Employees' Arbitration This bill makes arbitration decisions binding on municipal wages and ensures expired contract terms continue until a new agreement is reached. H7083 Towns and Cities -- General Powers This bill allows Cranston to create a specialized court division to enforce housing, zoning, and building code regulations. H7084 Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation Authorizes all municipalities to grant property tax exemptions to any honorably discharged veteran, regardless of service dates or conflict participation. H7085 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles This bill prohibits the issuance of new Mr. Potato Head license plates and prevents existing plates from being transferred. H7086 State Affairs and Government -- State Emblems This bill designates rhythm and blues as the official state music of Rhode Island. H7087 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles This bill creates a new specialty license plate honoring Governor Roger Williams available to vehicle owners for an extra fee. H7088 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles Establishes a special vehicle license plate to fund the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub for veterans. H7089 Elections -- Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates This bill moves the state primary election to an earlier date and adjusts candidate filing deadlines starting in 2028. H7090 Elections -- Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference Sets the 2024 presidential primary for April 2 and moves future primaries to early March starting in 2028. H7091 Elections -- General Provisions Municipalities may allow sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to vote specifically in local school committee elections. H7092 Elections -- Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference This bill lowers signature requirements for convention delegates and adjusts deadliness for submitting election nomination paperwork. H7093 State Affairs and Government -- The Civil Rights Act of 1990 This bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism for use in state discrimination investigations. H7094 Military Affairs and Defense -- Decorations This bill creates a state medal to honor Rhode Island veterans who developed illnesses due to toxic exposure during military service. H7095 Military Affairs and Defense -- Burial of Veterans Allows Secret War fighters who supported the U.S. in Laos to be buried in the state veterans cemetery. H7096 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration Fees This bill allows veterans deemed "individually unemployable" due to service-related disabilities to register their cars for free. H7097 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles This bill eliminates registration fees and service charges for license plates issued to Distinguished Service Cross recipients. H7098 Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles This bill eliminates all registration fees and service charges for special license plates for Rhode Island National Guard members. H7099 Parks and Recreational Areas -- General Provisions -- Preference for Residents Rhode Island residents get priority booking for state parks, and fully disabled veterans receive half-price camping and facility fees.
| Bill # | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| January 15th, 2026 | ||
| H7122 | Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation | This bill grants a property tax exemption to the nonprofit Community MusicWorks for their property located in Providence. |
| H7123 | Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing | This bill requires the Rhode Island Housing Authority to verify and document Tiverton's affordable housing stock twice a year. |
| H7124 | Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing | This bill allows Tiverton to pause new affordable housing applications if 500 units are already proposed in the town. |
| H7125 | Towns and Cities -- Low and Moderate Income Housing | Developers in Tiverton must build 50% affordable units if the town is below the state's 10% housing goal. |
| H7126 | Making Revised Appropriations in Support of Fy 2026 | This bill establishes the Rhode Island state budget and spending appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. |
| H7127 | Making Appropriations in Support of Fy | Mandates that all licensed cannabis establishments in Rhode Island enter into labor peace agreements with bona fide labor organizations. |
| H7128 | Education -- Maintenance of Order on Campus | This bill requires campus police to carry firearms after training and grants them the same rights as other police officers. |
| H7129 | Property -- Residential Landlord and Tenant Act | This bill bans landlords from using software that utilizes private competitor data to set rent prices or occupancy levels. |
| H7130 | Property -- Residential Landlord and Tenant Act | This bill modifies security deposit rules, allowing deductions for cleaning, separate furniture deposits, and installment payments for deposit increases. |
| H7132 | Criminal Offenses -- Homicide | This bill prohibits sentences of life without parole for offenders aged twenty-one or younger convicted of first-degree murder. |
| H7133 | Domestic Relations -- Domestic Abuse Prevention | This bill allows courts to include pets in domestic abuse protective orders and requires specialized training for prosecutors handling violations. |
| H7134 | Criminal Procedure -- The Rhode Island First Step Act | This bill reforms prisons by allowing early release for elderly or sick inmates and improving rehabilitation and reentry support. |
| H7135 | Health and Safety -- Office of State Fire Marshal | This bill requires the DMV to share the locations of electric and hybrid vehicles with local fire departments twice annually. |
| H7136 | State Affairs and Government -- Open Meetings | This bill excludes weekends and holidays from the 48-hour notice requirement for public meetings. |
| H7137 | State Affairs and Government -- The Rhode Island Lobbying Reform Act | Lobbyists are prohibited from donating to state legislators between January 1 and July 1 while the assembly is in session. |
| January 14th, 2026 | ||
| H7064 | Business and Professions -- Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists | Reduces required clinical hours for marriage and family therapist licenses and simplifies reciprocity for out-of-state therapists. |
| H7065 | Health and Safety -- Truth in Food Disclosure Law | Starting in 2030, all beverages sold in Rhode Island must contain 50% less added sugar than they did in 2026. |
| H7066 | Insurance -- Casualty Insurance Generally -- Limitations on Policy Cancellations and Renewals | Requires insurers to give two months' notice for non-renewals or rate hikes over 20% starting September 2026. |
| H7067 | Businesses and Professions -- Real Estate Sales Disclosures | This bill adds home energy audit results and public shoreline access rights to the mandatory real estate sales disclosure form. |
| H7068 | State Affairs and Government -- Energy Facility Siting Act | This legislation updates energy facility siting rules to require consideration of climate change goals and modern grid-enhancing technologies. |
| H7069 | State Affairs and Government -- Energy Facility Siting Act | This bill removes natural gas and clean coal from the state's priority list for new energy facilities, prioritizing only renewable energy. |
| H7070 | Businesses and Professions -- Funeral Director/embalmer and Funeral Service Establishments | This bill legalizes water cremation and human composting as regulated options for handling human remains in Rhode Island. |
| H7071 | Agriculture and Forestry -- Protection of Trees and Plants Generally -- Rhode Island Invasive Plant Management Act | This bill prohibits buying, selling, or transporting invasive non-native plants on land or in fresh water in Rhode Island. |
| H7072 | Agriculture and Forestry -- Agricultural Functions of Department of Environmental Management | This bill redefines "farmer" and "agricultural land," removing income requirements for wetland exemptions and requiring USDA identification. |
| H7073 | Health and Safety -- Prohibited Release of Balloons | This bill establishes fines for releasing balloons and empowers the Department of Environmental Management to enforce the ban and educate the public. |
| H7074 | Highways -- Construction and Maintenance of State Roads | This legislation requires the Department of Transportation to plant native, pollinator-friendly vegetation along state roads and highways. |
| H7075 | Insurance -- Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies -- The Matthew Federico Diabetic Safety Act | This bill requires health insurers to cover two doses of emergency diabetes medication annually without copays or deductibles starting in 2027. |
| H7076 | Businesses and Professions -- Certified Surgical First Assistants Act | This bill creates a new professional license and government oversight board for surgical assistants who help doctors during operations. |
| H7078 | Military Affairs and Defense -- National Guard | This bill increases the state reimbursement limit for National Guard life insurance premiums from $400,000 to $500,000 coverage. |
| H7079 | Criminal Procedure -- Expungement of Criminal Records | This bill allows individuals with two to four non-violent felony convictions to expunge their records after fifteen years. |
| H7080 | Commercial Law -- General Regulatory Provisions -- Third-Party Litigation Financing Consumer Protection Act | This legislation regulates lawsuit funding companies, requiring registration, contract transparency, and mandatory disclosure of funding agreements to opposing parties. |
| H7081 | Health and Safety -- Next Generation Public Buildings Act | Starting in 2028, new government buildings and schools cannot use fossil fuels for heating and must meet strict energy codes. |
| H7082 | Labor and Labor Relations -- Municipal Employees' Arbitration | This bill makes arbitration decisions binding on municipal wages and ensures expired contract terms continue until a new agreement is reached. |
| H7083 | Towns and Cities -- General Powers | This bill allows Cranston to create a specialized court division to enforce housing, zoning, and building code regulations. |
| H7084 | Taxation -- Property Subject to Taxation | Authorizes all municipalities to grant property tax exemptions to any honorably discharged veteran, regardless of service dates or conflict participation. |
| H7085 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles | This bill prohibits the issuance of new Mr. Potato Head license plates and prevents existing plates from being transferred. |
| H7086 | State Affairs and Government -- State Emblems | This bill designates rhythm and blues as the official state music of Rhode Island. |
| H7087 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles | This bill creates a new specialty license plate honoring Governor Roger Williams available to vehicle owners for an extra fee. |
| H7088 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles | Establishes a special vehicle license plate to fund the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub for veterans. |
| H7089 | Elections -- Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates | This bill moves the state primary election to an earlier date and adjusts candidate filing deadlines starting in 2028. |
| H7090 | Elections -- Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference | Sets the 2024 presidential primary for April 2 and moves future primaries to early March starting in 2028. |
| H7091 | Elections -- General Provisions | Municipalities may allow sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to vote specifically in local school committee elections. |
| H7092 | Elections -- Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference | This bill lowers signature requirements for convention delegates and adjusts deadliness for submitting election nomination paperwork. |
| H7093 | State Affairs and Government -- The Civil Rights Act of 1990 | This bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism for use in state discrimination investigations. |
| H7094 | Military Affairs and Defense -- Decorations | This bill creates a state medal to honor Rhode Island veterans who developed illnesses due to toxic exposure during military service. |
| H7095 | Military Affairs and Defense -- Burial of Veterans | Allows Secret War fighters who supported the U.S. in Laos to be buried in the state veterans cemetery. |
| H7096 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration Fees | This bill allows veterans deemed "individually unemployable" due to service-related disabilities to register their cars for free. |
| H7097 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles | This bill eliminates registration fees and service charges for license plates issued to Distinguished Service Cross recipients. |
| H7098 | Motor and Other Vehicles -- Registration of Vehicles | This bill eliminates all registration fees and service charges for special license plates for Rhode Island National Guard members. |
| H7099 | Parks and Recreational Areas -- General Provisions -- Preference for Residents | Rhode Island residents get priority booking for state parks, and fully disabled veterans receive half-price camping and facility fees. |