Increases insurance coverage for hearing aids from one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) to one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750), per ear, for all people regardless of age effective January 1, 2026.
Maddy summarySB 1091 adjusts property tax growth limits for cities and towns, gradually reducing the allowable annual increase from 5.5% (through 2007) to 4% (starting in 2013). It permits exceptions for emergencies, revenue losses, debt service increases, or substantial tax base growth from new construction. Crucially, it allows cities to exceed the 4% cap for taxes on new housing units added to the tax base, including newly built homes and converted properties, starting in 2025. The bill also requires cities to report tax levies to the state and sets annual compliance monitoring. This law, signed by the governor on July 1, 2025, directly affects local governments' budgeting for property taxes.
Maddy summarySB 1092 requires Rhode Island towns and cities to allow residential options beyond single-family homes in areas with available public water and sewer capacity, specifically within designated urban service boundaries on state planning maps. The bill amends zoning ordinance standards to explicitly include "non-single-family residential use" as a required consideration for municipalities. This change applies only to neighborhoods meeting infrastructure conditions, aiming to expand housing diversity without mandating new construction. Municipalities must integrate this requirement into their zoning plans for eligible areas.
Maddy summarySB 1087 creates a statewide electronic permitting platform for all building-related applications, including construction permits, zoning reviews, and environmental permits managed by state and local agencies. It requires municipalities and state departments (like environmental management and transportation) to use this unified digital system for processing applications, inspections, and fee collection. The bill establishes new permit fees (0.1% for commercial, 0.2% for residential projects) with 50% of residential fees funding contractor training programs for minority businesses and local officials. These fees will fund the platform's development and operation, replacing paper-based processes and standardizing building code enforcement across Rhode Island.
Adds a definition for "co-living housing" to the zoning ordinance provisions of the general laws and would include such housing as a special provision to be included in a zoning ordinance.
Grants the director of the department of health the authority to approve or deny any applications for professional licensure pending before certain boards of licensure that have been unable to establish a quorum for 30 business days.
Amends the definition of affordable housing to create separate categories for housing using private or state financing as opposed to financing from the federal government.
Maddy summarySB 471 establishes licensing standards for speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Rhode Island, affecting professionals who provide these services. It sets license terms (two years, renewable biennially), requires maintaining a clinical competence certificate for renewal, and creates an inactive status option for two years without fees. The bill also details specific requirements for speech-language pathology assistants, including 18 graduate credit hours, 25 observation hours, and 100 clinical hours under supervision. These changes update procedural rules for professional licensing under Rhode Island law.
Maddy summarySB 1086 clarifies and updates procedures for local planning boards and commissions in Rhode Island towns and cities regarding land use planning. It requires planning board members to complete floodplain and sea-level rise training biennially, mandates that public access requests be filed simultaneously with project documents, and specifies how comprehensive plans must be adopted and reviewed. The bill directly affects municipal planning boards, their staff, and developers submitting land development or subdivision projects, ensuring consistent processes for plan adoption, public input, and compliance with state review requirements.
Amends the administration requirements a zoning ordinance must provide and/or designate and would require that zoning certificates be issued within 20 days of the written request.
