Housing Regulation (Land Use, Zoning, Building Code)
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Amends several sections of chapter 24 of title 45, entitled "zoning ordinances," also known as the "Rhode Island zoning enabling act of 1991," with the intent of preserving neighborhood character and promoting smart growth.

Cities & Towns;  Zoning; 

02/13/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Defines a quorum of the building code standards committee be a majority of the current board members and amends the state building code to require that sections provide that dwelling units from one to four (4) units use the international residential code.

Building Code;  Health & Safety; 

02/21/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/21/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/27/2025)
03/27/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (7-0)

Precludes any legal entity from possessing, controlling or otherwise claiming legal title to real property exceeding an aggregate value of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) in single-family dwellings or multi-family dwellings.

Housing;  Property;  Real Estate; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/28/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/03/2025)
04/03/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (6-0)

Requires cities and towns to permit attached single-family dwellings in any residential zoning districts and each such dwelling would be entitled to its own parcel thorough subdivision regardless lot size or base zone standards.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Permit but not mandate, a municipality to allow certain requirements as exceptions to statewide treatment of ADUs to max of 800 sq. ft., owner, family member and caretaker occupation.

Cities & Towns;  Cumberland;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Eliminates provisions establishing a legislative regulation committee, and would also repeal the provision that codes and standards adopted by the state building code standards committee subject to approval by the legislative regulation committee.

Building Code;  Health & Safety; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/21/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/27/2025)
03/27/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (7-0)

Municipalities required to amend zoning ordinances, to include special listed provisions, to authorize development incentives to increase development density or dimensional flexibility, identify provisions to promote and regulate commercial developments.

Cities & Towns;  Zoning; 

03/07/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Limits municipal minimum lot sizes for residential use to 2,500 sq ft near transit, 5,000 sq. ft with water/sewer, and 1 acre otherwise, while protecting farmlands, forests, and wetlands, and requiring zoning updates to comply.

Cities & Towns;  Sewers;  Water;  Zoning; 

03/07/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Requires that affordable housing would be provided for with some developments.

Cities & Towns;  Construction;  Housing;  Zoning; 

03/07/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Prohibits the restriction of access in and out of a construction site by using locked gates or fences while work is ongoing.

Building Code;  Construction;  Health & Safety; 

03/07/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government
03/21/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/27/2025)
03/27/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (8-0)

Requires that beginning January l, 2027, all contractors supervising structural remodeling or building new residential structures with one to four (4) family dwelling units be licensed by the contractors' registration and licensing board.

Business & Professions;  Construction;  Housing;  Licenses; 

03/07/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Labor and Gaming
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/09/2025)
04/09/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (6-0)

Establish a moratorium on changes to the state energy conservation code from the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code until January 1, 2030, unless approved by the legislature and made effective by the governor.

Building Code;  Energy;  Environment;  Health & Safety; 

03/14/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Commerce

Requires single-family residential zoning in municipalities with populations of over forty-thousand (40,000) to allow middle housing and mandates that those municipalities adopt zoning regulations for middle housing.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

03/14/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Requires all applicants who seek to register as a contractor to produce a legible copy of a valid government issued identification.

Business & Professions;  Construction;  Education;  Licenses; 

03/27/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Labor and Gaming
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/09/2025)
04/09/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study (6-0)

Prohibits an individual who is licensed as both a Rhode Island real estate agent and mortgage loan originator to be compensated for both the sale of the property and the origination or referral of the loan in securing the property.

Dept. of Business Regulation;  Financial Institutions;  Licenses;  Property;  Real Estate; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Commerce

Amends sections of law relative to historic tax credits including increasing the maximum project credit and implementing requirements relative to following prevailing wage requirements.

Historical Sites;  Taxation; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Finance

Requires the state building commissioner to implement electronic permitting for any category of state or local permit authorized under state law to significantly impact the expediency of construction and development.

Building Code;  Construction;  Health & Safety;  State Affairs; 

04/16/2025  Introduced, referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government

Defines a quorum of the building code standards committee be a majority of the current board members and amends the state building code to require that sections provide that dwelling units from one to four (4) units use the international residential code.

Building Code;  Health & Safety;  Housing;  State Affairs; 

02/07/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Requires the state building commissioner to implement electronic permitting for any category of state or local permit authorized under state law to significantly impact the expediency of construction and development.

Building Code;  Construction;  Health & Safety;  State Affairs; 

02/13/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Established crime of real estate title fraud and creates private cause of action.

Criminal Offense;  Housing;  Mortgages;  Real Estate;  State Affairs; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/21/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/25/2025)
03/25/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Defines multi-family housing project as over 60 units in municipality with less than 35k residents, also provides for pre-approval conference with local board for review of plan.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/28/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/02/2025)
04/02/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Requires developer who proposes to develop a project shall submit a comprehensive assessment of the project to each municipality where the project shall be physically located.

Cities & Towns;  East Greenwich;  Housing; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Eliminates provisions establishing a legislative regulation committee, and also repeals the provision that codes and standards adopted by the state building code standards committee would be subject to approval by the legislative regulation committee.

Building Code;  Health & Safety; 

02/26/2025  Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections
02/28/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/06/2025)
03/06/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Provides technical amendments to the chapters on subdivision of land and zoning ordinances for towns and cities.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/18/2025)
03/18/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration (04/08/2025)
04/04/2025  Proposed Substitute
04/08/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A

Amends the administration requirements a zoning ordinance must provide and/or designate and would require that zoning certificates be issued within 20 days of the written request.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/18/2025)
03/18/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration (04/08/2025)
04/08/2025  Committee recommends passage

Adds an additional purpose to the standard provisions list that a zoning ordinance is required to address.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/14/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommends passage
04/04/2025  Placed on House Calendar (04/08/2025)
04/08/2025  House passed as amended (floor amendment)

Adds a definition for "co-living housing" to the zoning ordinance provisions of the general laws and would include such housing as a special provision to be included in a zoning ordinance.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/14/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/20/2025)
03/14/2025  Proposed Substitute
03/20/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A
03/28/2025  Placed on House Calendar (04/01/2025)
04/01/2025  House passed Sub A

Adds the process of permitting the construction of attached single-family dwellings in identified zoning districts as a factor that zoning ordinances must address.

Cities & Towns;  Construction;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/14/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/20/2025)
03/14/2025  Proposed Substitute
03/20/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A
04/04/2025  Placed on House Calendar (04/08/2025)
04/08/2025  House passed Sub A as amended (floor amendment)

Provides that minor subdivisions would include oversized lot subdivisions under certain circumstances and relative to zoning ordinances, permit a modification to allow "neighborhood character-based modifications" under certain circumstances.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/14/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/20/2025)
03/14/2025  Proposed Substitute
03/20/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A

Adds "providing for residential development in all or some of the areas encompassing commercial districts" as a purpose a zoning ordinance must address.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/11/2025)
03/11/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/14/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommends passage
03/28/2025  Placed on House Calendar (04/01/2025)
04/01/2025  House read and passed

Provides amendments to enable the development of state-owned vacant, abandoned or underutilized land for housing and the process therefore.

Housing;  Land/Landfills;  State Affairs; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration (04/10/2025)
04/04/2025  Proposed Substitute
04/10/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A

Provides for the establishment and operation of an electronic permitting platform for all state and local permitting.

Building Code;  Computer Technology;  Health & Safety;  Housing; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for consideration (04/10/2025)
04/04/2025  Proposed Substitute
04/10/2025  Committee recommends passage of Sub A

Amends the composition of the building code standards committee and would make several technical amendments relative to the building code office and would establish a state building code office within the office of state fire marshal.

Building Code;  Health & Safety;  Housing;  State Affairs; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Prohibits an individual who is licensed as both a Rhode Island real estate agent and mortgage loan originator to be compensated for both the sale of the property and the origination or referral of the loan in securing the property.

Dept. of Business Regulation;  Financial Institutions;  Licenses;  Property;  Real Estate; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Corporations
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/13/2025)
03/13/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study
03/21/2025  Scheduled for consideration (03/25/2025)
03/25/2025  Committee recommends passage
04/04/2025  Placed on House Calendar (04/10/2025)
04/10/2025  House read and passed

Requires that beginning January l, 2027, all contractors supervising structural remodeling or building new residential structures with one to four (4) family dwelling units be licensed by the contractors' registration and licensing board.

Business & Professions;  Construction;  Housing;  Licenses; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Corporations
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/07/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/13/2025)
03/13/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Prohibits the restriction of access in and out of a construction site by using locked gates or fences while work is ongoing.

Building Code;  Construction;  Health & Safety; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Labor
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/09/2025)
04/09/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Municipalities required to amend zoning ordinances, to include special listed provisions, to authorize development incentives to increase development density or dimensional flexibility, identify provisions to promote and regulate commercial developments.

Cities & Towns;  Zoning; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
03/14/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/20/2025)
03/20/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Allows the applicant for a land development project to utilize the administrative subdivision process established under 45-23-37 to request approval of a proposed subdivision of an oversized lot.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Land/Landfills; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/10/2025)
04/10/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Caps the minimum lot size that may be required to not exceed three (3) new separate parameters relating to the availability of public water, sewer, and transit.

Cities & Towns;  Land/Landfills;  Public Utilities;  Sewers;  Transportation;  Water;  Zoning; 

02/28/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/10/2025)
04/10/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Requires certain landlords to obtain insurance to cover alternate living accommodations for displaced tenants due to fire or disaster.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Insurance;  Landlord & Tenant;  Property; 

03/19/2025  Introduced, referred to House Corporations
03/21/2025  Committee transferred to House Judiciary

Requires all entities delegated eminent domain powers under this section to adopt a plan and approval prior to exercising such power for a public purpose.

Land/Landfills;  Property;  State Affairs; 

03/19/2025  Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

Requires that affordable housing would be provided for with some developments.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Zoning; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
04/04/2025  Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/10/2025)
04/10/2025  Committee recommended measure be held for further study

Allows the town of Tiverton to determine its density bonuses based upon its underlying zoning.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Tiverton;  Zoning; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

Provides that comprehensive permit projects in Tiverton, involving property not connected to either public water or sewer or both, and for which the property is considered hydric said land be excluded from the building land calculation.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  Property;  Public Utilities;  Sewers;  Tiverton;  Water; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

Ensures that minimum egress requirements for conventional subdivisions in Tiverton apply equally to comprehensive permit applications and cannot be waived, modified, or reduced for such applications.

Cities & Towns;  Construction;  Housing;  Tiverton; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

Permits the town of Tiverton to require additional testing, to be performed by the developer, to ensure that there is no dewatering or loss of effective recharge to surrounding wells within close proximity of the new well.

Cities & Towns;  Housing;  State Departments;  Tiverton;  Water; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

Sets timelines for Tiverton's new construction, including one year for final approval, two (2) years for building permits, and temporary inclusion of units in the town's count until completion or three (3) years, whichever comes first.

Cities & Towns;  Construction;  Housing;  Tiverton; 

04/04/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

Prohibits applications for a comprehensive permit under the Rhode Island comprehensive planning and land use regulation act in any watershed overlay protection district located in the town of Tiverton.

Cities & Towns;  Construction;  Housing;  Land/Landfills;  Tiverton; 

04/09/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing