Clarifies roles and regulatory authority for the administration of the program involving the repurposing of vacant schools for housing, extends the deadline for conducting feasibility studies and expands access to all municipalities.
Authorizes the Rhode Island infrastructure bank to establish a fund to provide financial assistance to local government units for resiliency and stormwater abatement projects.
Directs RIHousing to work with stakeholders to investigate and determine ways to assist an incorporated homeowners' association to exercise rights to purchase leased land.
Updates and expands the current law to include menopause and menopause related conditions in the law on fair employment practices pertaining to pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions.
Allows food service businesses to provide temporary outdoor dining whenever building/other structure used for food service rendered uninhabitable by casualty fire/flood for 18 months or the building fit for occupancy sunsetting on 6/30/27.
Maddy summaryHB 5493 establishes a mandatory energy benchmarking program for large buildings in Rhode Island. It requires owners of commercial and residential buildings over 25,000 square feet (with larger buildings starting in 2027 and smaller ones in 2029) to annually report energy use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions through the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. The collected data will be publicly posted to increase transparency about building energy performance. Exemptions apply for unoccupied properties, those undergoing demolition, or properties without energy services during the reporting year. The law focuses solely on data collection and reporting, not on requiring energy upgrades.
Makes all causes of action based on sexual abuse or exploitation of a child not subject to any statute of limitations whether the claim has lapsed or was previously time-barred.
Maddy summaryHB 5432 prohibits health insurance providers from requiring preauthorization for in-network mental health or substance use disorder services. This directly affects patients seeking these treatments and insurers who must comply with the new rule. The key provision removes a common administrative barrier, allowing patients to access covered in-network care without prior insurer approval. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, and aligns with existing parity requirements for mental health coverage.
Mandates municipalities to participate in the parking mobility app program where individuals may submit photos on the app of vehicles that are parked in spaces designated for individuals with disabilities and the violator may be cited and fined.
Restructures the Rhode Island Housing and Conservation Trust Fund, increases its membership to 15 members, 11 of whom are to be from the general public and reallocates the percentage of the funds for housing, conservation and other goals.
