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H7882 • 2026

AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT (Requires any public utility company that needs to close any state or municipal roadway for work to provide notice to all residential and business property owners located within 1,000 ft of the closed highway at least 48 hrs before the road closure.)

AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT (Requires any public utility company that needs to close any state or municipal roadway for work to provide notice to all residential and business property owners located within 1,000 ft of the closed highway at least 48 hrs before the road closure.)

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Casey, Phillips, Brien
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Committee

    Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  2. 2026-04-03 Rhode Island General Assembly

    Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/07/2026)

  3. 2026-02-27 Rhode Island General Assembly

    Introduced, referred to House Corporations

Official Summary Text

AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT (Requires any public utility company that needs to close any state or municipal roadway for work to provide notice to all residential and business property owners located within 1,000 ft of the closed highway at least 48 hrs before the road closure.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H7882

2026 -- H 7882
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LC005759
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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 PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR
SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives Casey, Phillips, and J. Brien

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Corporations
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Chapter 39-2.2 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Utility Fair Share
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Roadway Repair Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
3

39-2.2-6. Roadwork closure notice.
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Any public utility company that needs to completely close any portion of any state or
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municipal highway, in order to perform roadway repairs or other related work, shall provide to all
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residential and business property owners located within one thousand feet (1,000 ft) of the road
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closure, with at least forty-eight (48) hours' notice of the scheduled road closure.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005759
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RHODE ISLAND UTILITY FAIR
SHARE ROADWAY REPAIR ACT
***
1
This act would require any public utility company that needs to close any state or municipal
2
roadway to perform related work to provide notice of the scheduled road closure to all residential
3
and business property owners located within one thousand feet (1,000 ft) of the closed highway, at
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least forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled road closure.
5
This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005759
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