Creates the division of civil representation within the department of housing and require civil representation by a Designated Legal Organization to provide legal representation to all tenants who qualify in eviction proceedings.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires landlords managing six or more residential units to place tenant security deposits in federally insured interest-bearing accounts, with all accrued interest belonging to the tenant. It maintains existing rules that limit security deposits to one month's rent and outlines specific deductions for unpaid rent, cleaning, trash disposal, and damages beyond ordinary wear and tear. Landlords must return the deposit plus any interest within 20 days of lease termination, while tenants of smaller properties remain unaffected by the interest requirement. The legislation also clarifies that furniture security deposits are permitted for furnished apartments with replacement values of $5,000 or more, provided they follow similar return timelines and deduction rules.
Excludes nuclear power from the office of energy resources and division of public utilities from participation, procuring and entering into long-term contracts.
Maddy summarySB 2441 imposes a $2-per-ton fee on solid waste disposal in Rhode Island, collected from waste haulers and landfill operators. Revenue from this fee funds a Compost Fund that awards grants to support composting facilities, organic waste diversion programs, and municipal waste reduction initiatives. Municipalities must opt into the fee program to qualify for related grants. The bill directly affects waste disposal companies, participating municipalities, and organizations seeking funding for composting infrastructure, aiming to reduce landfill use as Rhode Island's central landfill is projected to fill by 2043.
Raises the minimum fee per barrel of petroleum products or crude oil from five cents ($0.05) to twelve cents ($0.12) per barrel as part of the uniform oil spill response and prevention fee.
Limits how landlords use criminal history in rental decisions by delaying background checks until after a conditional offer has been made, restricting which records may be considered, banning discriminatory ads, and providing enforcement and penalties.
Amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act to clarify housing-status enforcement, ban discriminatory housing notices, align state law with federal standards and remove a ban on public discussion of fair housing cases.
Maddy summarySB 2294 would require landlords to have a valid "just cause" reason to evict most residential tenants in Rhode Island, rather than allowing evictions without justification at the end of a lease term. It prohibits evictions for reasons like arbitrary tenant preferences, and specifies acceptable grounds such as non-payment of rent (unless the increase was unreasonable), lease violations, or property damage. The law applies to most rental housing, excluding owner-occupied buildings with fewer than four units, sublet properties where the sublessor needs the space, and job-site housing. This bill directly affects renters and landlords under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, aiming to prevent arbitrary displacement.
Removes the five (5) year waiting period for filing a motion to seal an eviction court file. It also deletes the numerical limitation on filing seal requests.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution officially designates April as "Holocaust & Genocide Awareness Month" in Rhode Island. It encourages history and social science teachers to include lessons about past and ongoing genocides in their classrooms to promote understanding and prevent future atrocities. The bill directs the Secretary of State to send copies of this proclamation to the Commissioner of Education and the state's Holocaust and Genocide Education Commission.
