AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- REHABILITATION BUILDING AND FIRE CODE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES (Expands the Rhode Island rehabilitation and fire code to include existing one, two, and three-bedroom homes, removing their current exclusion and promoting the continued use and reuse of existing residential buildings.)

H7148

2026 -- H 7148
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- REHABILITATION BUILDING AND FIRE
CODE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

Introduced By:
Representatives Place, Newberry, Nardone, Roberts, Quattrocchi,
Hopkins, Chippendale, and Fascia

Date Introduced:
January 16, 2026

Referred To:
House Municipal Government & Housing
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 23-29.1-1 and 23-29.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-29.1
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entitled "Rehabilitation Building and Fire Code for Existing Buildings and Structures" are hereby
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amended to read as follows:
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23-29.1-1. Legislative findings and purpose.
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The general assembly finds and declares:
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(1) That there are throughout Rhode Island existing buildings and structures that are vacant
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or partially vacant and/or underutilized because rehabilitation of such buildings and structures to
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conform to the requirements for new structures under building and fire safety codes, is prohibitively
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expensive or impractical;
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(2) That buildings and structures that are vacant or partially vacant constitute a public
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safety threat because of a lack of occupancy and a lack of investment in modernization and
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maintenance;
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(3) That the presence of vacant and or partially vacant buildings and structures contributes
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to blight and or to the loss of economic viability of traditional city, town or village centers;
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(4) That reinvestment in existing buildings and structures will strengthen local tax bases
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and provide employment opportunities in construction and building trades;
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(5) That it is the purpose of this chapter to provide a code and regulations for repairing,
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rehabilitating, altering, improving, adding to and changing the use of existing buildings and

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structures in a manner that assures the health, welfare and safety of occupants and that facilitates
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designing improvements to existing buildings and structures to the code in an optimum manner
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with a minimum need to for variances;
and
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(6) That it is
further
the purpose of this chapter to provide a single uniform, statewide,
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harmonious rehabilitation building code with building code and fire safety code elements
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applicable to existing buildings and structures
.
; and
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(7) That it is further the purpose of this chapter to encourage the continued use and reuse
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of existing buildings and structures.
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23-29.1-3. Content, adoption, and administration of the rehabilitation building code
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for existing buildings and structures.
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(a) Content. The rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures
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shall have a building code element and a fire safety code element and shall make provisions for the
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repair, renovation, alteration, reconstruction, and change of use of and additions to existing
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buildings and structures. The code shall set forth standards for different types of uses; and for
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mixed-use buildings and structures, each portion of the building or structure shall be separately
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classified as to use. The standards shall include, but not be limited to, standards for building; for
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load bearing and structural elements; for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems; for fire
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resistant walls and for fire suppression, fire alarm, and fire detection systems; for accessibility,
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including accessibility for persons with disabilities, means of egress, elevators, escalators,
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stairways, doors, ramps, fire alarms, floor surfaces, restrooms and corridors; for vents and
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ventilation systems; and for historic buildings; provided however that such standards shall not
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affect minimum standards for habitancy.
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(b) Committee on drafting. There shall be a sixteen (16) member committee on drafting
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the rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures which shall have as
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its members the ten (10) voting members of the joint committee, the state fire marshal, the state
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building code commissioner, a representative of grow smart RI appointed by the chairperson of
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grow smart RI, a representative of the Rhode Island builders association appointed by the president
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of the Rhode Island builders association, a representative of the governor’s commission on
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disabilities, appointed by the chairperson of the governor’s commission on disabilities, and an
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historical preservation architect appointed by the executive director of the Rhode Island historical
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preservation and heritage commission. The executive secretary of the joint committee shall serve
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as secretary of the committee on drafting and be a nonvoting member of the committee. It shall be
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the duty of the joint committee to develop a rehabilitation building and fire code for existing
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buildings and structures, which shall have an element pertaining to fire safety and an element

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pertaining to building standards, and to recommend said rehabilitation building and fire code for
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consideration by the joint committee. The committee on drafting shall terminate upon an
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affirmative vote of the joint committee to recommend the rehabilitation building and fire code for
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existing buildings and structures for adoption by the building code standards committee and the
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fire safety code board of appeal and review.
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(c) Adoption. The building code element shall be effective upon adoption by the building
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code standards committee pursuant to § 23-27.3-100.1.3 and the fire safety code element shall be
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effective upon adoption by the fire safety code board of appeal and review pursuant to § 23-28.3-
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3. Public hearings required by chapter 35 of title 42 for the adoption, amendment, or revision of the
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rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and structures and each of the elements
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thereof shall be conducted by the joint committee.
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(d) Administration. Except as set forth in this chapter, the building code element shall be
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administered as a building code in accordance with the provisions of chapter 27.3 of this title, the
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fire safety code element shall be administered as a fire safety code by the division of fire safety in
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accordance with the provisions of chapter 28.2 of this title.
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(e) Applicability to residential dwellings. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or
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regulation to the contrary, the rehabilitation building and fire code for existing buildings and
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structures shall apply to existing residential dwellings for one, two (2), or three (3) families. Any
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provision of law, rule, or regulation that expressly excludes one family, two (2) family, or three (3)
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family residential dwellings from the applicability of the rehabilitation building and fire code is
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hereby repealed.
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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 -- REHABILITATION BUILDING AND FIRE
CODE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
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This act would expand the Rhode Island rehabilitation and fire code to include existing
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one, two, and three family homes, removing their current exclusion and promoting the continued
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use and reuse of existing residential buildings.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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