2026 -- S 2694

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LC004845

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE--DISABLED

VETERAN HOME MODIFICATION ACT

     Introduced By: Senators Felag, Raptakis, Burke, Tikoian, Appollonio, Euer, Britto,
Bissaillon, Ciccone, E Morgan, and DiPalma

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-108.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State

Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-27.3-108.2. Duties of the state building code commissioner.

     (a) The state building code commissioner shall have the authority to enforce and perform

the duties required by the state building code, chapter 27.3 of this title, and all codes referenced

therein and adopted thereunder, and all other provisions of the general laws and public laws insofar

as such powers and duties relate to building codes and building inspection; provided, however, that

for the purposes of this section structures constituting tents and/or membrane frame structures as

defined in this state building code and any regulations promulgated hereunder shall be subject to

an annual certification process to be established by the state building commissioner in conjunction

with the state fire marshal and shall not be subject to recurring permit and fee requirements as

otherwise required by this code.

     (b) The state building code commissioner shall work to standardize building code

interpretations across the state with input from the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns and

ensure consistent enforcement of the code throughout the state.

     (c) Permit fees. Permit Except as provided in subsection (c)(iii) of this section, permit fees

for the construction under this chapter shall be established by the committee. The fees shall be

deposited as general revenues.

     (1) Building permit fees. The state building official or the local cites and towns, as

applicable, shall charge each permit applicant an additional one-tenth percent (0.1%) levy of the

total construction cost for each commercial permit issued, and two-tenths percent (0.2%) levy of

the total construction cost for each residential permit issued. The levy shall be limited to a

maximum of one hundred dollars ($100) for each of the permits issued for one-, two (2)-, three (3)-

, and four (4)-family dwellings. This additional levy shall be transmitted monthly to the state

building code office; and

     (i) Fifty percent (50%) of this additional levy on residential permits and one hundred

percent (100%) of this additional levy on commercial permits shall be used to staff and support the

purchase or lease and operation of a web-accessible service and/or system to be utilized by the state

and municipalities for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management, and

inspection system and other programs described in this chapter. This portion of the fee levy shall

be deposited as general revenues.

     (ii) Fifty percent (50%) of this additional levy on residential permits shall be transferred to

the department of labor and training and shall be deposited into the contractor training restricted

receipt account, which shall be exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-27.

Subject to appropriation by the general assembly, these funds shall be used to provide residential

contractor training grants for programs that shall include, but are not limited to, minority business

enterprises and state local building officials.

     (iii) A veteran with a disability rating from the United States Department of Veteran

Affairs, or the veteran's caregiver shall not be charged any building fees, including permit fees,

plan review or plan examination fees, inspection fees, reinspection fees, or other fees required to

make improvements to the residence of the veteran with a disability if the improvements are

required to accommodate the disability of the veteran. Nothing in this subsection changes the

obligation of any person to submit to the city or town applications, forms, or other paperwork to

obtain a building permit. A veteran or caregiver shall provide proof of a disability rating from the

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and attest to the fact that the improvements to the residence

are required to accommodate the veteran's disability.

     (iv) A home rule ordinance may not regulate building fees in a manner inconsistent with

this chapter.

     (2) Fees for electronic permitting from other state agencies and cities and towns. The

local cities and towns and any state agency utilizing an electronic permitting platform, except as

set forth in this section, shall charge each applicant in accordance with §§ 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46,

45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30 as applicable.

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     (d) Electronic permitting.

     (1) For purposes of this section, “electronic permitting” means the use of computer-based

tools and services through a platform which automates and streamlines the application and permit

process to include, but not be limited to, task-specific tools for applications, submission of plans,

checklists, reports and other documents, reviews, permitting, scheduling, review and project

tracking, comments from staff and committees, fee calculation and collection; and workflow and

report management

     (2) On or before July 1, 2013, the building commissioner shall develop a standard statewide

process for electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection. The process shall include,

but not be limited to: applications; submission of building plans and plans for developments and

plots; plan review; permitting; inspections; inspection scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation

and collections; and workflow and report management.

     (3) On or before December 1, 2013, the building commissioner shall implement the

standard statewide process for electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection. In

addition, the building commissioner, through the department of business regulation, shall develop

a technology and implementation plan for a standard web-accessible service or system to be utilized

by the state and municipalities for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management,

and inspection for building permits. The plan shall include, but not be limited to: applications;

submission of building plans and plans for developments and plots; plan review; permitting;

inspections; inspection scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation and collections; and workflow

and report management.

     (4) The building commissioner shall implement the standard statewide process for

electronic permitting to be utilized pursuant to this section and §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-

17.1-46, 45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30. In addition, the building commissioner

shall develop a technology and implementation plan for a web-accessible service or system to be

utilized by the state and municipalities for these purposes and shall cause the purchase or lease and

operation of a web-accessible service and/or system to be utilized by the state and municipalities

for electronic permitting (“electronic permitting platform”).

     (e) All electronic permitting fees collected by the state building code office shall be

remitted to the department of business regulation, which funds shall be used to staff and support

the purchase or lease and operation of a web-accessible service or system to be utilized by the state

and municipalities for electronic permitting.

     (f) The building commissioner shall, upon request by any state contractor described in §

37-2-38.1, review, and when all conditions for certification have been met, certify to the state

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controller that the payment conditions contained in § 37-2-38.1 have been met.

     (g) The building commissioner shall coordinate the development and implementation of

this section with the state fire marshal to assist with the implementation of § 23-28.2-6. On or before

January 1, 2022, the building commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement

the provisions of this section and §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46, 45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1,

45-53-16, and 46-23-30.

     (h) The building commissioner shall submit, in coordination with the state fire marshal, a

report to the governor and general assembly on or before April 1, 2013, and each April 1 thereafter,

providing the status of the web-accessible service(s) and/or system(s) implementation and any

recommendations for process or system improvement. In every report submitted on or after April,

2024, the building commissioner shall provide the following information:

     (1) The identity of every municipality and state agencies, as applicable, in full compliance

with the provisions of §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46, 45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1, 45-53-16,

and 46-23-30 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this section;

     (2) The identity of every municipality or state agencies, as applicable, failing to fully

implement and comply with the provisions of §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46, 45-23-36.1,

45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30 and/or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the

provisions of this section, and the nature, extent, and basis or reason for the failure or

noncompliance; and

     (3) Recommendations to achieve compliance by all municipalities or state agencies, as

applicable, with the provisions of §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46, 45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1,

45-53-16, and 46-23-30 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

     (i) The building commissioner shall assist with facilitating the goals and objectives set forth

in § 28-42-84(a)(9).

     (j) The state building code commissioner shall serve as the executive secretary to the state

building code standards committee.

     (k) In addition to the state building code commissioner’s other duties as set forth in this

chapter, and notwithstanding the same, the state building code commissioner and the

commissioner’s staff shall assume the authority for the purposes of enforcing the provisions of the

state building code in a municipality where there is no local building official or alternate as detailed

in § 23-27.3-107.2, or where there are no local building inspectors.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE--DISABLED

VETERAN HOME MODIFICATION ACT

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     This act would prohibit the imposition of fees associated with home modifications that are

specifically required to accommodate a veteran’s disability.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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