AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW EFFICIENCY ACT (Provides property owners to hire licensed third-party to review development documents and performs building inspections.)

H7563

2026 -- H 7563
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LC003617
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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 TOWNS AND CITIES -- THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW EFFICIENCY
ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives Quattrocchi, Fascia, Nardone, Santucci, Perez, Place,
Chippendale, Cotter, and Hopkins

Date Introduced:
February 06, 2026

Referred To:
House Municipal Government & Housing
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 45 of the General Laws entitled "TOWNS AND CITIES" is hereby
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amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 22.5
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THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW EFFICIENCY ACT
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45-22.5-1. Short title.

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This act shall be known and may be cited as “The Development Review Efficiency Act.”
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45-22.5-2. Purpose.

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The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate speedier and more efficient development while
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ensuring public safety, by authorizing licensed or certified third parties to certify documents and
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inspect buildings in compliance with applicable building and other codes.
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45-22.5-3. Definitions.

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For the purposes of this section:
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(1) “Development document” means a document, to include a building plan, site plan, or
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an application for a building permit, relating to improvements to land required by state or local law
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or regulation or by a regulatory authority to initiate, engage in, or complete an improvement, but
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does not include applications or documents for zoning or planning approvals.
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(2) “Building inspection” means the inspection of an improvement to land required by a
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regulatory authority as part of a project to develop or improve real estate pursuant to the provisions

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of § 23-27.3-111.2.
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(3) “Building permit” means a permit required by a regulatory authority to construct or
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improve or complete an improvement to real estate as required pursuant to § 23-27.3-113.1.
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(4) “Independent provider” means a person licensed or certified as a building code
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administrator, engineer, or architect.
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(5) “Regulatory authority” means a department, board, commission, or other entity of the
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State of Rhode Island or of the political subdivision responsible for processing or approving
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development documents and building permits or conducting building inspections.
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45-22.5-4. Allowance for use of independent providers.

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(a) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation, the fee owner of land or a building or
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structure, or the fee owner’s contractor upon written authorization from the fee owner, may contract
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with an independent provider to review development documents or provide building inspections
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with regard to the land, building, or structure, and may make payment directly to the independent
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provider for the provision of the services.
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(b) The fee owner or fee owner’s contractor shall not have an ownership stake in the
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independent provider, and the independent provider shall not provide legal counsel to the fee owner
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or fee owner’s contractor.
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(c) If a fee owner or contractor retains an independent provider for the purposes of
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reviewing development documents or providing building inspections, the regulatory authority shall
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reduce the fee charged for the services by the amount of cost savings realized by the regulatory
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authority.
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(d)(1) An independent provider shall only review development documents or provide
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building inspections if the independent provider maintains insurance for professional liability
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covering all services performed as an independent provider, unless the regulatory authority waives
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or modifies the insurance requirement of subsection (d)(2) of this section.
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(2) Unless waived or modified by the regulatory authority, the independent provider shall
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maintain minimum policy limits of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and two million
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dollars ($2,000,000) in the aggregate for any project with a construction cost of five million dollars
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($5,000,000) or less and two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence and four million dollars
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($4,000,000) in the aggregate for any project with a construction cost of over five million dollars
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($5,000,000).
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(e) Before any development document reviews or building inspections are performed, the
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fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor shall provide to the regulatory authority:
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(1) The name, firm, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of each independent

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provider who is performing, or will perform, such services, his or her professional license or
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certification number, qualification statements or résumés, and, unless the regulatory authority
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waives insurance coverage, a certificate of insurance demonstrating that professional liability-
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insurance coverage is in place for the independent provider’s firm in the amounts required by
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subsection (b)(2) of this section and the list of any lots or structures that the independent provider
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assist on, along with the scheduled dates.
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(2) The following acknowledgment:
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"By executing this form, I acknowledge that I have made inquiry regarding the competence
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of the licensed or certified independent provider and the level of his/her insurance and am satisfied
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that my interests are adequately protected. I agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless any
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regulatory authority from any and all claims arising from my use of these licensed or certified
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personnel to provide development documents reviews and building inspections with respect to the
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building or structure that is the subject of the enclosed application."
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(f) If an owner or an owner’s contractor contracts with an independent provider to review
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development documents or provide building inspections, the regulatory authority shall provide
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equal access to all permitting and inspection documents and reports to the independent provider,
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owner, or contractor that would be provided to regulatory authority personnel in completing
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development documents or building inspections.
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(g) If such access is normally provided by software that protects exempt records from
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disclosure, the regulatory authority shall provide requested permitting or inspection documents and
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reports to the independent provider, owner, or contractor within two (2) business days of a request
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in electronic format.
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45-22.5-5. Qualifications and requirements for independent providers for building
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inspections.

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(a) An independent provider may only provide building inspections that are within the
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disciplines covered by that person’s licensure or;
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(b) Each regulatory authority may audit the performance of independent providers
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operating within their jurisdiction and demand the owner or owner’s contractor to be present during
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the times of requested building inspections by the independent provider, although the fact or
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findings of the audit shall not be given to the independent provider.
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(1) Audits may be conducted only after the regulatory authority has created a formal audit
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evaluation. The regulatory authority may, upon clear and convincing evidence, decide that an
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independent provider has been negligent in providing building inspections and suspend the
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independent provider for not more than one year.

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(2) An independent provider may be audited no more than four (4) times in a month, unless
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the regulatory authority determines that the condition of a building constitutes an immediate threat
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to public safety and welfare.
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(3) Work may not be delayed for the completion of an audit by the regulatory authority.
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(c) If an independent provider is providing building inspections, upon completion of all
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required inspections, the independent provider shall submit to the regulatory authority a certificate
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of compliance summarizing the inspections performed in accordance with the approved plans and
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applicable codes.
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(d) No more than seven (7) business days, or, if the independent provider is inspecting
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single-family or two (2) family dwellings, no more than three (3) business days, after the receipt of
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the certificate of compliance with all necessary inspections, and after the payment of all outstanding
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required fees, a certificate of occupancy or completion shall be issued by the regulatory authority,
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or the regulatory authority shall provide a notice to the independent provider of any specific
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deficiencies in the certificate of compliance, with reference to specific code chapters and if the
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regulatory authority does not issue the certificate of occupancy or completion or provide notice
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within the required number of days, the certificate of occupancy or completion is considered
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granted as a matter of law and shall be issued the next business day.
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(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, any decisions regarding a building
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inspection, certificate of occupancy, completion, or the suspension of an independent provider by
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a regulatory authority after an audit, may be appealed to the Rhode Island building code standards
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commission, which shall adjudicate the dispute.
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45-22.5-6. Requirements for reviews of development documents and permits.

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(a) An independent provider performing reviews of development documents under this
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chapter shall review them to determine compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Upon
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determining compliance, the independent provider shall prepare an affidavit or affidavits certifying
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that the documents were reviewed pursuant to this chapter, that the documents meet all applicable
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codes, and that he or she holds the appropriate license or certificate. The affidavit should be
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submitted to the regulatory authority.
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(b) No more than ten (10) business days after receipt of a development document or
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application for a building permit, the regulatory authority shall approve such document or provide
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a written notice to the applicant identifying the specific features that do not comply with the
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applicable codes, as well as the specific code chapters. If no written notice of the document or
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permit deficiencies is provided within the ten (10) business days, the document or permit shall be
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deemed approved as a matter of law, and any necessary permit or permits shall be issued by the

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regulatory authority on the next business day.
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(c) If the applicant submits revisions, the regulatory authority has the remainder of the
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tolled ten (10) business days plus one business day from the date of resubmittal to approve the
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development documents, issue the requested building permit, or provide a second written notice to
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the permit applicant stating which of the previously identified documents or permit features remain
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in noncompliance with the applicable codes, with specific reference to the relevant code chapters
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and sections. If the regulatory authority does not provide the second written notice within the tolling
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ten (10) business days, plus one additional business day, the development document or building
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permit shall be deemed approved as a matter of law, and any necessary permits shall be issued by
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the regulatory authority on the next business day.
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(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, any decisions regarding the issuance of
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a development document or building permit by a regulatory authority may be appealed to the Rhode
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Island building code standards commission, which shall adjudicate the dispute.
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45-22.5-7. Limits on regulatory authorities.

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(a) A regulatory authority may not adopt or enforce any laws, rules, procedures, policies,
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qualifications, or standards regarding independent providers more restrictive than those prescribed
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by this chapter.
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(b) This section shall not be construed to limit or deny the authority of the regulatory
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authority to issue a stop-work order for a building project or any portion of the project, as provided
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by law, if the regulatory authority determines that a condition on the building site constitutes an
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immediate threat to public safety and welfare.
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(c) If an applicant believes that the regulatory authority or the Rhode Island building code
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standards commission has interpreted existing ordinances, codes, and laws in error, or any of the
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following:
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(1) Rejected a certificate of compliance;
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(2) Rejected a development document in error;
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(3) Has not provided a sufficient reduction in fees due to cost-savings resulting from the
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use of an independent provider;
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(4) Refused to issue any valid building permit; or
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(5) Suspended an independent provider from performing building inspections in their
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jurisdiction in error, an independent provider, owner, or owner’s contractor may file an action in a
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court of competent jurisdiction seeking a determination that the inspection or document or permit
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complies with all relevant requirements, and may petition the court for an order requiring the
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regulatory authority to accept the document or inspection and issue any necessary building permits

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or certificate of occupancy or completion.
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45-22.5-8. Severability.

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The provisions of this chapter are severable. If any provision of this chapter or the
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application of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared or held to be invalid for any
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reason, such declaration or holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this
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chapter and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect sixty (60) days after passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW EFFICIENCY
ACT
***
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This act would allow property owners or their contractors to hire licensed third-party
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professionals to review development documents and perform building inspections. It would
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establish standards, timelines, fee reductions, and appeal rights to streamline permitting and
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inspections and improve efficiency in the development review process.
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This act would take effect sixty (60) days after passage.
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LC003617
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