Rhode Island

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSES -- VIOLATIONS - Allows the medical advisory board to suspend the license of an operator-- authorizes the medical advisory board to order an operator to use an interlock ignition system.

COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE COST RECOVERY - Creates a civil cause of action for any municipality that incurs extraordinary emergency response costs arising from a mass casualty event may bring a civil action in the superior court to recover such costs from a private property owner.

PROPERTY -- CONDOMINIUM LAW - Restricts increases in monthly common expenses and limit special assessments to cover unforeseen costs not included in the condo association’s approved annual budget for common expenses where the minority of the units are deed-restricted units.

ELECTIONS -- GENERAL PROVISIONS - Redefines "political party" and defines and distinguishes between "major parties" and "minor parties" based on the total number of votes a party's candidate received in the previous election.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- EXECUTIVE CLIMATE CHANGE COORDINATING COUNCIL -- MANDATORY ACT ON CLIMATE COMPLIANCE IN STATE BUDGETING AND PLANNING - Requires that state departments and agencies integrate the recommendations contained in the act on climate strategy report.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE - Exempts homes under two thousand (2,000) square feet from automatic statewide IECC energy mandates, allowing municipalities to decide whether to adopt climate-focused building code requirements for small and modest homes.

LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY - Ensures that the State of Rhode Island adopt the protections afforded under the Occupational Safety and Health Act if its scope or enforcement capacity is diminished.

PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- STATE PURCHASES - Spells out what a public works project includes and the requirements of this section shall apply to all such public works projects.

EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS - Requires inspection and evaluation of indoor air quality in public schools, departments of health shall establish and recommend thresholds and rates for environmental conditions.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES - Establishes a specific statutory pathway for distillery manufacturers to receive a distillery off-premises event endorsement under a class P license.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY FAIRNESS IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES-ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENTS - Requires agencies preparing economic impact statements for small businesses contain findings that the anticipated compliance costs of a proposed rule scale proportionally with the business size, and do not impose fixed costs that favor larger businesses.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ENERGY FACILITY SITING ACT - Removes clean coal as a renewable fuel given priority as an energy generation project.

TAXATION -- REAL ESTATE CONVEYANCE TAX - Requires that the tax imposed be paid to the same municipalities.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- 2021 ACT ON CLIMATE - Repeals the 2021 Act on Climate which established a statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction mandate in its entirety.

PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- LABOR AND PAYMENT OF DEBTS BY CONTRACTORS - Raises the minimum threshold contract price before public works contractors are required to pay prevailing wages to their employees, from $1,000 to $100,000.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS - Allows any truck with a gross vehicle weight of eight thousand eight hundred pounds (8,800 lbs.) or less to be registered as an automobile and issued passenger plates.

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- NEXT GENERATION PUBLIC BUILDINGS ACT - Prohibits the use of heating systems utilizing fossil fuels as well as air or water heating systems in any state or municipal building open to the public constructed, altered or renovated on or after January 1, 2028.

EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION - Directs the commissioner of postsecondary education to prepare a strategic plan for public higher education which is aligned with the goals of the board of education's strategic plan.

LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- PAYMENT OF WAGES - Makes construction contractors civilly liable and/or jointly civilly liable for any claims of wage theft or nonpayment from an employee against the contractor, its subcontractors and any subcontractor.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES - Allows holders of a Class P license to purchase alcoholic beverages from either a retail or wholesale establishment in the State of Rhode Island.

STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND CLIMATE SUPERFUND ACT OF 2026 - Creates the Rhode Island Climate Superfund Act of 2026.

MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES - Modifies the annual registration of commercial vehicles to a biennial registration.

WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- COASTAL RESILIENCE -- NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR EROSION CONTROL, WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND EXPEDITED PERMITTING - Provides that DEM regulations and CRMC in consultation with the chief resilience officer shall update to prioritize nature based solutions for coastal resilience projects that would be coordinated by DEM using an expedited permitting process.