Rep. Dick Fascia

Requires that any costs, tariffs or other mandates related to the state’s renewable energy growth program be reviewed and approved by the general assembly.

Creates the certified community behavioral health clinic accountability and oversight act to ensure transparency, fiscal responsibility, and service quality by certified community behavioral health clinics.

Maddy summaryHB 7176 repeals Rhode Island's Renewable Energy Growth Program, which had provided state-financed incentives for renewable energy projects. The program, established to meet climate goals, supported distributed solar and other renewable projects through performance-based incentives over five years, with requirements to protect core forests and prioritize disturbed sites. By eliminating this program, the bill ends the state's specific mechanism for financing and encouraging renewable energy development within electric distribution company load zones. This directly affects electric distribution companies, the Distributed-Generation Board, and future renewable energy developers who would have relied on the program's funding structure.

Maddy summaryHB 7177 places a moratorium on new or renewed net metering contracts (which allow solar power customers to sell excess electricity back to the grid), long-term contracts (over five years) for purchasing solar or wind energy, and state subsidies for heat pump installations. This bill directly affects residential solar customers, utilities, and homeowners seeking heat pump incentives by prohibiting these programs starting January 1, 2027. Key provisions ban state-funded heat pump subsidies, prevent new solar/wind energy procurement contracts exceeding five years, and halt all new net metering agreements under state law. The law suspends these specific energy programs without altering broader renewable energy policies.

Maddy summaryHB 7174 repeals a 0.3 mills per kilowatt-hour charge on electricity that funded renewable energy programs in Rhode Island, ending this specific funding mechanism effective December 31, 2028. The bill directly affects electric distribution companies, which previously collected this fee to support renewable energy initiatives like solar installations and energy efficiency projects. This change removes a dedicated funding source for renewable energy programs without altering separate demand-side management charges for energy efficiency or gas utility programs. The repeal simplifies utility billing by eliminating this specific renewable energy funding stream.

Maddy summaryHB 7182 limits utility-scale solar projects (10 MW or larger) to developments on urban residential/commercial properties or developed areas like rooftops and parking lots. It prohibits such projects on forested land, farmland, or undeveloped rural land (1 acre or more). The bill directly affects solar developers and landowners seeking to build large solar installations outside urban zones. It takes effect upon passage and is currently pending in the House Corporations committee.

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment would grant governors the power to veto specific spending items within state budget and appropriation bills, rather than requiring them to approve or reject entire bills. If approved, it would allow governors to remove individual line items from budget proposals without blocking the entire funding package. The change directly affects the state budget process and the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches during budget negotiations.

Maddy summaryHB 7563, the Development Review Efficiency Act, allows property owners or their contractors to hire licensed architects, engineers, or building code administrators (called "independent providers") to review construction plans and perform building inspections instead of relying solely on local government staff. This directly affects developers, contractors, and property owners by potentially speeding up project approvals, as the bill requires local governments to reduce fees by the amount they save when using third-party reviews. Key safeguards include mandatory professional liability insurance ($1M-$4M coverage depending on project size), restrictions against providers having ownership stakes in projects, and a requirement that local governments issue occupancy certificates within 7 business days (or 3 days for single-family homes) after inspections are completed. The law aims to streamline development while maintaining safety standards through regulated third-party oversight.

Requires Rhode Island Energy to enter into at least one long-term contract, for at least a four (4) year period, to procure natural gas pipeline capacity with an interstate pipeline operator.

Maddy summaryHB 7233 automatically registers Rhode Islanders to vote when they apply for or renew a hunting or fishing license, directly affecting license applicants. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Management to offer voter registration forms simultaneously with license applications, allowing applicants to opt in or decline while keeping registration decisions confidential. Completed forms must be transmitted electronically to the state voter system within 24 hours, with privacy protections for those who decline registration or provide license details. The law aligns with federal voter registration standards and mirrors existing automatic registration processes at motor vehicle offices.