Rhode Island

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT - Requires any public utility company that needs to close any state or municipal roadway for work to provide notice to all residential and business property owners located within 1,000 ft of the closed highway at least 48 hrs before the road closure.

ELECTIONS -- RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES REPORTING - Amends various sections of law relating to campaign contributions and expenditures, including prohibitions on self-dealing with committee funds and prohibits donations made in fictitious names.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION - Requires that certain data centers requiring large amounts of electricity be required to fund the cost of necessary infrastructure improvements to supply such electricity.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE - Requires that any new residential construction shall have a minimum of two means of egress consisting of standard exterior doors.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- REGULATORY POWERS OF ADMINISTRATION - Provides that any rate increase with respect to electric distribution companies would be no greater than the increase in the Consumer Price Index or 5.5%, whichever is greater, unless there is approval of a higher rate by the general assembly

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION - Provides that effective July 1, 2026, the profit margin of any electric distribution company or distributor of natural gas, would not exceed four percent (4%), in any given calendar year.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND HOUSING AND MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION - Expands Rhode Island Housing’s authority to revise the qualified allocation plan to prioritize cost-efficient affordable housing production and total units, while reducing the scoring weight of non-production-related criteria.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND CARRIERS - Prohibits public utilities, serving greater 100,000 customers from recovering through rates any direct or indirect cost associated with, amongst other costs, advertising, marketing, communications.

TOWNS AND CITIES -- LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING - Eliminates mandated housing densities/density bonuses for public drinking water supply watersheds/groundwater. Requires densities not exceed water availability, introduce pollution, stay within public water or sewer system capacity limits.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- NONTRANSPARENT WINDSHIELDS AND WINDOWS - Removes the exemption for tinting of the windshield and imposes fines of $250 for a first and second offense and subsequent offenses are punishable by a $250 fine and up to a one year suspension of the vehicle registration.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - Provides that the EOHHS, through Emergency Medicaid, cover dialysis for the treatment of end stage renal disease ("ESRD") and kidney transplants for RI residents who do not qualify for full Medicaid under federal law due to their immigration status.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT OF 2004 -- HEALTH INSURANCE OVERSIGHT - Charges the office of the health insurance commissioner to incorporate uncompensated care as a formula-driven numeric adjustment in the methodology used to establish any affordability standard or rate cap, applicable to hospital contracts.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY - Amends the Rhode Island Transit Authority (RIPTA) board composition by adding the Rhode Island Climate Community to the groups given due consideration for appointment to the board.

ELECTIONS -- RANKED CHOICE VOTING - Establishes a system of ranked choice voting whenever a municipality's charter amendment is approved by its voters.

ELECTIONS -- NOMINATION OF PARTY AND INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES - Makes several amendments to provide for an online nomination paper portal for election nomination papers.

PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- INSURANCE BENEFITS - Allows private employees at nursing homes, developmental disability and home care providers whose salaries are 90% funded with federal or state monies to be eligible to opt into the state healthcare plan.

ELECTIONS -- RHODE ISLAND VOTING RIGHTS ACT - Creates the Rhode Island voting rights act to establish procedures to prevent discrimination in the voting process.