2023 -- H 6449
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LC002990
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICIES THAT DEAL WITH NUMEROUS ECONOMI C
AND SOCIAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS ISSUES CONCURRENTLY
Introduced By: Representative Lauren H. Carson
Date Introduced: May 26, 2023
Referred To: House Municipal Government & Housing
WHEREAS, Short-term rental accommodations account for more than 25 percent of the 1
United States lodging market with the rise of companies like Airbnb creating a booming market 2
that provides affordable short-term rentals for travelers; and 3
WHEREAS, A short-term rental (STR) is usually defined as a rental of a residential 4
dwelling unit or accessory building for periods of less than 30 consecutive days and may be 5
referred to as vacation rentals, transient rentals, short-term vacation rentals, or resort dwelling 6
units; and 7
WHEREAS, While beneficial to the individual homeowner, oftentimes, the use of short-8
term rentals produces significant consequences for the surrounding community, creating the need 9
to balance the rights of individual property owners with those of the community; and 10
WHEREAS, While current studies have examined the economic and social benefits of 11
short-term rentals with recommendations to lower the potential drawbacks, it is necessary to 12
review the creation of policies that deal with numerous issues concurrently rather than addressing 13
each potential issue individually; now, therefore be it 14
RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 15
consisting of fifteen (15) members: four (4) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island 16
House of Representatives, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed 17
by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Hospitality 18
Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island League of Cities 19
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and Towns, or designee; one of whom shall be the Tax Administrator at Rhode Island Division of 1
Taxation, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of a regional Tourism District 2
Organization, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Mayor of 3
the City of Newport, or designee; one of whom shall be the Mayor of the City of Warwick, or 4
designee; one of whom shall be the owner of a small, owner-occupied, short-term rental (STR), to 5
be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the owner of a large (over 8 6
units), short-term rental (STR) property, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of 7
whom shall be a representative of a RI Planning/Zoning Association, to be appointed by the 8
Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the President of the RI Association of REALTORS, 9
or designee; and one of whom shall be the Executive Director of The Rhode Island Short Term 10
Rental Association, or designee. 11
In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 12
commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing 13
authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator; provided 14
that, the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the 15
appointment consent to the member of the general public. 16
The purpose of said commission shall be to study the effects of short-term rentals on the 17
State of Rhode Island and on Rhode Island municipalities. The study shall include, but not be 18
limited to: 19
• Review of all current and existing RI Statutes on short-term rentals; 20
• An update on DBR registrations process and enforcement; 21
• Municipal vs. state regulation: pre-emption; 22
• Taxation: whole house, impact fee; 23
• Taxation: accuracy of hotel and sales tax collection/review of the process; 24
• Impact on year-round and local housing market and neighborhoods; 25
• Health and safety concerns and issues; and 26
• Best practice in other states/communities. 27
In addition, the commission shall: 28
• Establish a working definition of "short term rentals"; 29
• Engage the public and community stakeholders including property owners, 30
industry representatives, Police and Fire Chiefs, and zoning and planning officials, etc., for input; 31
• Develop an understanding of the nature, extent, and scope of short-term rental 32
activity and identify specific benefits, problems, or issues associated with "short-term rentals" and 33
how it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, and municipality to municipality. 34
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Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at 1
the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select, from among the legislators, a 2
chairperson. 3
Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 4
The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 5
All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 6
documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or 7
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 8
The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters 9
for said commission; and be it further 10
RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its initial findings and recommendations 11
to the House of Representatives on or before March 15, 2024, with submission of subsequent 12
findings reported biannually, and said commission shall expire on April 15, 2026. 13
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LC002990
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICIES THAT DEAL WITH NUMEROUS ECONOMI C
AND SOCIAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS ISSUES CONCURRENTLY
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This resolution would create a fifteen (15) member legislative commission to review and 1
provide recommendations for concurrent policies dealing with numerous economic and social 2
short-term rentals issues, and said commission would report back by March 15, 2024, with 3
submission of subsequent findings reported biannually, and said commission would expire on 4
April 15, 2026. 5
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LC002990
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