Requires an electric distribution company to develop and act pursuant to a vegetation management plan approved by the DPUC to carry out vegetation management activities on and around utility infrastructure along public and private rights of way.
Requires all health care facilities to provide functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and least one person who is properly trained in the operation and use of an AED.
Makes several amendments relative to manufactured homes, including adding a definition for manufactured home and a provision allowing for certain manufactured homes to be considered a single-family home if on a lot zone for such use.
Amends provisions re insurance producer appointments and clarifies language re insurance claims adjusters. Amends the RI life & health guarantee assoc act. Adds insurance data security and pet insurance acts and unfair discrimination prohibitions.
Amends outdated provisions of the banking statutes and the home loan protection act, adds consumer protections, including minimum capital requirements and limits on investments, for currency transmitters, including crypto currency.
Provides amendments to the membership provisions of planning boards or commissions and would enable municipalities to establish "combined review boards" to replace separate planning and zoning boards.
Exempts out-of-state businesses and their employees performing services, during declared state or federal disasters or emergencies, from state or local business requirements, as well as state or local taxes or fees
Maddy summaryThis bill requires every town and city in the state to switch to electronic permitting for all development applications related to zoning, land subdivision, and low-income housing by October 1, 2025. To fund the necessary digital systems and staff, the law mandates that applicants pay an additional fee equal to one-tenth of one percent of their total application cost, which goes to a state office to build a uniform online platform. The legislation also allows the state building commissioner to create specific rules for how these digital tools must be implemented and ensures that local governments can be reimbursed for their compliance costs. Ultimately, the act moves the entire process of submitting plans, reviewing documents, and calculating fees online to streamline how communities handle construction and development projects.
Maddy summaryThis bill grants town councils in several Rhode Island municipalities the authority to increase fines for dog ordinance violations and to allow those fines to be paid by mail. It specifically authorizes officials in towns such as Hopkinton, Bristol, and Newport to issue citations and sets maximum penalty amounts that vary by the number of offenses within a calendar year. Additionally, the legislation permits certain towns to charge owners for the costs of impounding their dogs before the animals are released from the pound. These changes allow local governments to enforce their existing dog laws more strictly while providing a convenient payment option for residents.
Maddy summaryHB 8177 amends vehicle registration laws to allow the surviving spouse of a deceased Rhode Island National Guard member to transfer the late spouse's special "National Guard" license plates to their own name. This transfer is permitted for the lifetime of the surviving spouse or until they remarry, provided the deceased was certified as serving or having retired under honorable conditions. The bill also maintains existing provisions requiring a $25 fee for plate issuance and authorizes active Guard members with these plates to drive on highways during state emergencies.
