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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Provides amendments relative to the state developing state-owned vacant land for housing and the process therefor.

Housing;  Land/Landfills;  State Affairs; 

02/27/2025  Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing

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

Amends the corporation of the building code standards committee and would make several technical amendments relative to the building code office and would establish an 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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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