AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES (Places a cap of twenty percent (20%) on increases in consecutive revaluations of real property in all cities and towns conducting revaluations commencing December 31, 2026, and every December 31 thereafter.)

H7448

2026 -- H 7448
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LC003935
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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 TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES

Introduced By:
Representatives Perez, Fellela, Fascia, Corvese, Cruz, Serpa, Azzinaro,
Hull, Bennett, and Sanchez

Date Introduced:
January 30, 2026

Referred To:
House Municipal Government & Housing
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 44-5-11.6 of the General Laws in Chapter 44-5 entitled "Levy and
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Assessment of Local Taxes" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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44-5-11.6. Assessment of valuations — Apportionment of levies.
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(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 44-5-11 [repealed], beginning on December 31,
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2000, the assessors in the several towns and cities shall conduct an update as defined in this section
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or shall assess all valuations and apportion the levy of all taxes legally ordered under the rules and
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regulations, not repugnant to law, as the town meetings and city councils, respectively, shall, from
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time to time, prescribe; provided, that the update or valuation is performed in accordance with the
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following schedules:
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(1)(i) For a transition period, for cities and towns that conducted or implemented a
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revaluation as of 1993 or in years later:
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Update Revaluation
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Lincoln 2000 2003
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South Kingstown 2000 2003
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Smithfield 2000 2003
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West Warwick 2000 2003
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Johnston 2000 2003
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Burrillville 2000 2003
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North Smithfield 2000 2003

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Central Falls 2000 2003
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North Kingstown 2000 2003
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Jamestown 2000 2003
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North Providence 2001 2004
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Cumberland 2001 2004
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Bristol 2004 2001
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Charlestown 2001 2004
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East Greenwich 2002 2005
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Cranston 2002 2005
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Barrington 2002 2005
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Warwick 2003 2006
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Warren 2003 2006
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East Providence 2003 2006
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(ii) Provided that the reevaluation period for the town of New Shoreham shall be extended
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to 2003 and the update for the town of Hopkinton may be extended to 2007 with no additional
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reimbursements by the state relating to the delay.
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(iii) The implementation date for this schedule is December 31, of the stated year.
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(iv) Those cities and towns not listed in this schedule shall continue the revaluation
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schedule pursuant to § 44-5-11 [repealed].
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(2)(i) For the post-transition period and in years thereafter:
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Update #1 Update #2 Revaluation
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Woonsocket 2002 2005 2008
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Pawtucket 2002 2005 2008
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Portsmouth 2001 2004 2007
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Coventry 2001 2004 2007
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Providence 2003 2006 2009
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Foster 2002 2005 2008
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Middletown 2002 2005 2008
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Little Compton 2003 2006 2009
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Scituate 2003 2006 2009
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Westerly 2003 2006 2009
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West Greenwich 2004 2007 2010
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Glocester 2004 2007 2010
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Richmond 2004 2007 2010

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Bristol 2004 2007 2010
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Tiverton 2005 2008 2011
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Newport 2005 2008 2011
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New Shoreham 2006 2009 2012
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Narragansett 2005 2008 2011
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Exeter 2005 2008 2011
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Hopkinton 2007 2010 2013
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Lincoln 2006 2009 2012
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South Kingstown 2006 2009 2012
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Smithfield 2006 2009 2012
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West Warwick 2006 2009 2012
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Johnston 2006 2009 2012
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Burrillville 2006 2009 2012
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North Smithfield 2006 2009 2012
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Central Falls 2006 2009 2012
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North Kingstown 2006 2009 2012
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Jamestown 2006 2009 2012
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North Providence 2007 2010 2013
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Cumberland 2007 2010 2013
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Charlestown 2007 2010 2013
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East Greenwich 2008 2011 2014
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Cranston 2008 2011 2014
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Barrington 2008 2010 2014
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Warwick 2009 2012 2015
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Warren 2009 2012 2016
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East Providence 2009 2012 2015
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(ii) The implementation date for the schedule is December 31 of the stated year. Upon the
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completion of the update and revaluation according to this schedule, each city and town shall
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conduct a revaluation within nine (9) years of the date of the prior revaluation and shall conduct an
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update of real property every three (3) years from the last revaluation. Provided, that for the town
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of Bristol, the time for the first statistical update following the 2010 revaluation shall be extended
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from 2013 to 2014 and said statistical update shall be based on valuations as of December 31, 2014,
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and the first revaluation following the December 31, 2014, and 2015 statistical revaluation shall be
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extended from 2016 to 2019 and said revaluation shall be based on valuations as of December 31,

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2018; and, that for the city of Woonsocket, the time of the first statistical update following the 2017
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revaluation shall be extended from 2020 to 2021, and the statistical update shall be based on the
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valuations as of December 31, 2021; and, that for the city of Warwick, the time for the second
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statistical update following the 2015 revaluation shall be extended from 2021 to 2022 and said
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statistical update shall be based on valuations as of December 31, 2022; and, that for the town of
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Johnston, the time of the revaluation following the 2012 revaluation shall be extended from 2022
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to 2023, and the statistical update shall be based on the valuations as of December 31, 2022; and,
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that for the town of West Greenwich, the time for a first statistical update following the 2019
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revaluation shall be extended from 2022 to 2023 and said statistical update shall be based on
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valuations as of December 31, 2023; and, that for the town of New Shoreham, the full evaluation
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nine (9) years following the 2012 revaluation based on the valuations of December 31, 2021, shall
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be extended to December 31, 2022, and be based on valuations as of December 31, 2022. Provided
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that for the city of East Providence, the revaluation period as of the December 31, 2021, assessment
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date shall be extended to the December 31, 2022, assessment date, with no additional
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reimbursements by the state relating to the delay. Provided, that for the city of Woonsocket, the
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time of the second statistical update following the 2017 revaluation shall be extended from 2023
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to 2024, and the statistical update shall be based on the valuations as of December 31, 2024; and
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provided, further, that for the city of Woonsocket, the full revaluation nine (9) years following the
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2017 revaluation based on the valuations of December 31, 2026, shall be extended to December
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31, 2027, and be based on valuations as of December 31, 2027, and the first statistical update shall
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be based upon the valuations as of December 31, 2030, and the second statistical update shall be
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based upon the valuations as of December 31, 2033.
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(iii) Cities and towns shall not change the assessment of any property based on the purchase
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price of the property after a transfer occurs except in accordance with a townwide or citywide
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revaluation or update schedule; provided that, this prohibition shall not apply to completed new
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real estate construction.
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(iv) Commencing December 31, 2026, and every December 31 thereafter, all revaluations
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performed shall not increase more than twenty percent (20%) from the last previous revaluation
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performed in accordance with this section.
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(b) No later than February 1, 1998, the director of the department of revenue shall
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promulgate rules and regulations consistent with the provisions of this section to define the
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requirements for the updates that shall include, but not be limited to:
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(1) An analysis of sales;
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(2) A rebuilding of land value tables;

LC003935 - Page 4 of 7
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(3) A rebuilding of cost tables of all improvement items; and
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(4) A rebuilding of depreciation schedules. Upon completion of an update, each city or
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town shall provide for a hearing and/or appeal process for any aggrieved person to address any
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issue that arose during the update.
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(c) The costs incurred by the towns and cities for the first update shall be borne by the state
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in an amount not to exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) per parcel. The costs incurred by the towns and
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cities for the second update shall be borne eighty percent (80%) by the state (in an amount not to
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exceed sixteen dollars ($16.00) per parcel) and twenty percent (20%) by the town or city, and in
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the third update and thereafter, the state shall pay sixty percent (60%) of the update (not to exceed
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twelve dollars ($12.00) per parcel) and the town or city shall pay forty percent (40%); provided,
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that for the second update and in all updates thereafter, that the costs incurred by any city or town
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that is determined to be a distressed community pursuant to § 45-13-12 shall be borne eighty percent
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(80%) by the state and twenty percent (20%) by the city or town for all updates required by this
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section.
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(d) The office of municipal affairs, after consultation with the League of Cities and Towns
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and the Rhode Island Assessors’ Association, shall recommend adjustments to the costs formula
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described in subsection (c) of this section based upon existing market conditions.
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(e) Any property that is either exempt from the local property tax pursuant to § 44-3-3 or
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pays a city or town an amount in lieu of taxes is not required to have its values updated pursuant to
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this section and the property is not eligible for the reimbursement provisions of subsection (c) of
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this section. However, those properties that are exempt from taxation and are eligible for state
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appropriations in lieu of property tax under the provisions of § 45-13-5.1 are eligible for state
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reimbursement pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, provided, that these properties were
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revalued as part of that city or town’s most recent property revaluation.
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(f) No city or town is required to conduct an update pursuant to this section unless the state
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has appropriated sufficient funds to cover the state’s costs as identified in subsection (c) of this
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section.
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(g) Any city or town that fails to conduct an update or revaluation as required by this
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section, or requests and receives an extension of the dates specified in this section, shall receive the
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same amount of state aid under §§ 45-13-1, 45-13-5.1, and 45-13-12 in the budget year for which
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the new values were to apply as the city or town received in state aid in the previous budget year;
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provided, however, if the new year’s entitlement is lower than the prior year’s entitlement, the
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lower amount applies, except for the town of New Shoreham for the fiscal year 2003.
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(h) Any bill or resolution to extend the dates for a city or town to conduct an update or

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revaluation must be approved by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of both houses of the general assembly.
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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 TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES
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This act would place a cap of twenty percent (20%) on increases in consecutive
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revaluations of real property in all cities and towns conducting revaluations commencing December
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31, 2026, and every December 31 thereafter.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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