Rep. Alex Finkelman

Maddy summaryHB 5796 amends Rhode Island's zoning law to require municipalities to include new residential options in their zoning ordinances. Specifically, it adds a requirement that zoning rules must permit "residential use options that are not limited to single-family detached structures" in areas with existing public water and sewer capacity within urban service boundaries. This change directly affects towns and cities as they update their zoning codes, enabling more housing types like duplexes or townhomes without requiring new infrastructure. The key mechanism is mandating this flexibility in zoning districts where water and sewer systems already exist, aiming to increase housing diversity. The bill does not override existing single-family zoning but expands permissible options in eligible areas.

Maddy summaryHB 5803 creates a standardized online permitting platform for all state and local building permits, zoning applications, and related services (including environmental and transportation permits) across Rhode Island. It requires local municipalities and state agencies to use this electronic system for processing applications, plan reviews, inspections, and fee collection by December 2013. The bill establishes new fees: 0.1% of construction costs for commercial permits and 0.2% for residential permits (capped at $100), with 50% of residential fees funding contractor training programs for minority businesses. These fees will fund the platform’s development and maintenance, replacing paper-based processes with a uniform statewide system.

Maddy summaryHB 6126 reduces the Coastal Resources Management Council from 10 to 7 voting members, effective March 1, 2026. It requires six public members appointed by the governor (with Senate approval), including one engineer, one coastal biologist, and one environmental organization representative, while mandating that at least five of these six must come from coastal municipalities. The council’s ex-officio director (from the Department of Environmental Management) remains, and all members must have environmental or coastal management expertise. The bill, signed by the governor on June 30, 2025, updates appointment rules but does not change the council’s policy responsibilities.

Amends the composition of the building code standards committee and would make several technical amendments relative to the building code office and would establish a state building code office within the office of state fire marshal.

Maddy summaryHB 5235 caps interest rates on medical debt owed to healthcare providers. It limits interest to the weekly average one-year Treasury yield (with a minimum of 1.5% and maximum of 4% annually), as reported by the Federal Reserve. This applies only to new medical debt incurred after the bill takes effect, directly affecting consumers with unpaid medical bills. The law aims to prevent excessive interest charges on healthcare costs without altering existing debt.

Maddy summaryHB 5695 allows municipalities to hold local tax amnesty events once every three years, enabling residents to avoid late fees on overdue real estate, property, and vehicle taxes. The bill permits cities to create two separate 60-day periods annually (during 2024-2025) where taxpayers can submit written requests to waive interest and penalties. It excludes taxes owed for the current tax year during amnesty periods and requires tax officials to provide written decisions, with appeals to city councils within 10 days if denied. This directly affects taxpayers with overdue local tax payments and gives municipalities a structured process to encourage payment without penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 5421 requires all school buses in the state to be equipped with live digital video monitoring systems that record license plates, location, time, and date of traffic violations. School districts must install these systems on new buses starting July 1, 2027, and on all buses by July 1, 2032. The systems enable remote monitoring of drivers passing stopped school buses, with violations documented through video evidence and processed via traffic tribunals. This directly affects school bus operators, drivers who violate stop-arm laws, and local governments handling enforcement and fines.

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.

Makes certain technical amendments /clarifications to the statutes relating to the assessment of real property and the timing and process to appeals thereof.

Creates process for condominium associations to give notice to and obtain approval from unit mortgage holders for certain association actions by mailing a written request for approval to the unit mortgagees via regular and certified mail.