Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0495 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0495
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7	7	LC001644
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
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14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND COMMERCE
16	16	CORPORATION -- HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Gu, Burke, Kallman, Bissaillon, and Tikoian
18	18	Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
19	19	Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Chapter 42-64 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Commerce 1
24	24	Corporation" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2
25	25	42-64-13.3. Rhode Island housing champion designation. 3
26	26	(a) The commerce corporation shall develop a Rhode Island housing champion designation 4
27	27	program for all qualifying municipalities. The Rhode Island housing champion designation 5
28	28	program shall be voluntary. Each municipality shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to apply 6
29	29	to the commerce corporation to receive the Rhode Island housing champion designation. In 7
30	30	exchange for obtaining the Rhode Island housing champion designation, a municipality shall 8
31	31	receive preferential access to state resources including, but not limited to, discretionary state 9
32	32	infrastructure funds, as available. 10
33	33	(b) The corporation shall adopt rules to establish qualifications and procedures for a 11
34	34	municipality to receive the Rhode Island housing champion designation. The designation procedure 12
35	35	shall be based on a scoring system. 13
36	36	(c) Qualifications to receive the Rhode Island housing champion designation shall include: 14
37	37	(1) Adoption of such land use regulations and ordinances which the corporation determines 15
38	38	to be necessary to promote the development of workforce housing, and other types of housing 16
39	39	necessary for the economic development of the state. In this subsection, "land use regulations and 17
40	40	ordinances" may include, but are not limited to, zoning ordinances to innovative land use controls, 18
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44	44	subdivision and the site plan regulations. 1
45	45	(2) Training of planning and zoning board members using, training materials and programs, 2
46	46	provided by the department that cover the processes, procedures, regulations, and statutes related 3
47	47	to the board on which the member serves; approved by the corporation. 4
48	48	(3) Implementation of sewer and water infrastructure improvements intended to support 5
49	49	the development of workforce housing, and other types of housing necessary for the economic 6
50	50	development of the state. 7
51	51	(4) Implementation of public transportation, sidewalks, or other walkability infrastructure 8
52	52	intended to support the development of workforce housing, and other types of housing necessary 9
53	53	for the economic development of the state. 10
54	54	(d) Qualifications to receive the Rhode Island housing champion designation may also 11
55	55	include, but are not limited to adoption of financial tools that incentivize the development of 12
56	56	workforce housing, including adoption of the community revitalization tax relief incentive program 13
57	57	and establishment of municipal economic development and revitalization districts. 14
58	58	(e) Municipalities that receive a Rhode Island housing champion designation, shall 15
59	59	annually report in a form required by the department. The annual report shall include such measures 16
60	60	as the corporation may determine including, but not limited to, land use board applications, 17
61	61	approvals and building permits. 18
62	62	(f) A Rhode Island housing champion designation shall be valid for three (3) years from 19
63	63	the date such designation is awarded. A municipality may seek renewal of its Rhode Island housing 20
64	64	champion designation for subsequent three (3) year periods. The corporation shall include in the 21
65	65	criteria for renewal performance metrics including, but not limited to, the qualifications listed in 22
66	66	subsection § 42-64-13.3 (c). 23
67	67	(g) Each year the corporation shall develop a report which describes all actions taken 24
68	68	related to the operation of the Rhode Island housing champion designation program in the 25
69	69	preceding state fiscal year and assesses the overall impact of the Rhode Island housing champion 26
70	70	designation program, including an assessment of the additional housing units produced in the state 27
71	71	as a result of the program's operation and incentives. The report required by this section shall be 28
72	72	submitted to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the 29
73	73	senate on or before November 1 of each year, beginning in 2026, and upon such submission, the 30
74	74	report shall be posted online on the website of the department. 31
75	75	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 32
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82	82	EXPLANATION
83	83	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
84	84	OF
85	85	A N A C T
86	86	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND COMMERCE
87	87	CORPORATION -- HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
88	88	***
89	89	This act would authorize the establishment of a Rhode Island housing champion 1
90	90	designation program. This program would make qualified municipalities eligible to receive 2
91	91	preferential access to state resources, including discretionary state infrastructure funds, as available. 3
92	92	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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