Welcome back to our ongoing series breaking down the new laws coming out of the Rhode Island State House. This summer’s legislative session produced a mixed bag of bills, and in this segment, we’re looking at a critical public health expansion for our state parks and a significant, if wonky, shift in how some cities can tax property. These are changes that will be felt everywhere from a sunny day at the beach to the monthly rent check.

First up is a straightforward, common-sense public health measure. Thanks to H5273, all lifeguards, park rangers, and forest rangers working at state and municipal beaches and facilities are now required to be trained in administering opioid antagonists like Narcan. Furthermore, these locations must stock a minimum of four doses. With the opioid crisis continuing to affect every community, expanding the network of first responders who can reverse an overdose is a logical and life-saving step. This law took effect immediately upon its passage this summer.

Now for a change that’s a bit more in the weeds but carries major financial implications. The legislature gave two cities, Providence and Pawtucket, new powers to adjust their property tax systems. For Providence, a bill, S0351, now allows the city to tax commercial properties and large apartment buildings (Class 2) at a rate up to three-and-a-half times that of owner-occupied homes. Down the road in Pawtucket, S0979 creates a new property class specifically for non-owner-occupied residential properties (think small-to-midsize apartment buildings), allowing the city to tax them at a rate 75% higher than that for homeowners.

Both bills give the cities a powerful tool to shift the local tax burden away from homeowners and onto commercial and residential property investors. While this may play well with homeowner constituents, it’s a move that could have downstream consequences, with larger landlords possibly passing at least some of that cost along to their tenants in the form of higher rents, potentially squeezing an already tight rental market.

These laws are already on the books and in effect, so their impact could be felt as soon as the next tax bills go out. We’ll be keeping an eye on how these cities choose to use their new authority. Be sure to check back for our next installment, where we’ll unpack more of the legislation passed this year.