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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- S 0174 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001920 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- SOLAR PANELS |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators DeLuca, de la Cruz, Paolino, and E Morgan |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 16, 2023 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: Senate Commerce |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Title 5 of the General Laws entitled "BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS" 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | CHAPTER 93 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | SOLAR PANELS 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 5-93-1. Short title. 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Solar Panels Act". 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | 5-93-2. Sales representatives. 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | All sales representatives selling solar panels, either for sale or lease, shall be licensed by 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | the department of business regulation. 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 5-93-3. Transparency in contracts for solar panels. 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | All contracts, whether for purchase or lease of solar panels, shall include a clear and concise 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | statement that is provided to the homeowner separate from the contract. The document shall 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | include: 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) The length of the contract; 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) The owner of the solar panels and their contact information; 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) What occurs upon the sale of the property; 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) What occurs if the solar panel system is damaged; 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (5) Who is responsible if the solar panel system is damaged; 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (6) What incentives have been or are going to be received and by whom; and 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC001920 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (7) The contact information for the individual or company in the event of a grievance. 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | 5-93-4. Mandatory disclosure to buyer of property. 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | The seller of any residential property with solar panels that are still financed at the time of 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | the sale, shall inform the owners of the solar panels, within fifteen (15) days of the sale of the 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | property, of the new owners. The owner of the solar panels shall, within fifteen (15) days, notify 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | the new owner of their interest in the solar panels and make all necessary disclosures, pursuant to 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ยง 5-93-3, to the new owner. This section shall not preempt any requirements under any real estate 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | contract to disclosure to any prospective buyer the presence of the solar panels and any finance or 8 |
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| 52 | 52 | | lease agreements with respect to the solar panels. 9 |
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| 53 | 53 | | 5-93-5. Finance and lease agreements. 10 |
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| 54 | 54 | | Copies of all finance or lease agreements for all solar panels on residential property shall 11 |
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| 55 | 55 | | be recorded and kept on file with the land evidence records of the city or town where the property 12 |
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| 56 | 56 | | is located. 13 |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14 |
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| 58 | 58 | | ======== |
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| 59 | 59 | | LC001920 |
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| 60 | 60 | | ======== |
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| 61 | 61 | | |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | LC001920 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 64 | 64 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 65 | 65 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 66 | 66 | | OF |
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| 67 | 67 | | A N A C T |
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| 68 | 68 | | RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- SOLAR PANELS |
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| 69 | 69 | | *** |
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| 70 | 70 | | This act would require that all sales representatives selling or leasing solar panels are 1 |
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| 71 | 71 | | licensed by the department of business regulation. This act would further require that all contracts 2 |
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| 72 | 72 | | to purchase or lease solar panels include a clear and concise statement to be provided to the 3 |
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| 73 | 73 | | homeowner setting forth: (1) The length of the contract; (2) The owner of the solar panels and their 4 |
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| 74 | 74 | | contact information; (3) What occurs upon the sale of the residential property; (4) What occurs if 5 |
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| 75 | 75 | | the system in damaged; (5) Who is responsible if the system is damaged; (6) What incentives have 6 |
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| 76 | 76 | | been or are going to be received and by whom; and (7) Contact information of the individual or 7 |
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| 77 | 77 | | company in the event of a grievance. This act would further provide that the seller of any residential 8 |
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| 78 | 78 | | property with solar panels that are leased or still financed at the time of sale, inform the owner of 9 |
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| 79 | 79 | | the solar panels within fifteen (15) days of the sale of the home. The owner of the solar panels 10 |
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| 80 | 80 | | would then notify the new owner within fifteen (15) days of their interest in the solar panels and 11 |
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| 81 | 81 | | make all necessary disclosures pertaining to the solar panels to the new owner of the residential 12 |
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| 82 | 82 | | property. Copies of all finance and lease agreements for all solar panels would be recorded with 13 |
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| 83 | 83 | | the land evidence records of the city or town where the property is located. 14 |
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| 84 | 84 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 15 |
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| 85 | 85 | | ======== |
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| 86 | 86 | | LC001920 |
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| 87 | 87 | | ======== |
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| 88 | 88 | | |
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