AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- STATE BUILDING CODE--DISABLED VETERAN HOME MODIFICATION ACT (Prohibits the imposition of fees associated with home modifications that are specifically required to accommodate a veteran’s disability.)

S2694

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:
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SECTION 1. Section 23-27.3-108.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State
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Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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23-27.3-108.2. Duties of the state building code commissioner.
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(a) The state building code commissioner shall have the authority to enforce and perform
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the duties required by the state building code, chapter 27.3 of this title, and all codes referenced
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therein and adopted thereunder, and all other provisions of the general laws and public laws insofar
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as such powers and duties relate to building codes and building inspection; provided, however, that
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for the purposes of this section structures constituting tents and/or membrane frame structures as
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defined in this state building code and any regulations promulgated hereunder shall be subject to
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an annual certification process to be established by the state building commissioner in conjunction
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with the state fire marshal and shall not be subject to recurring permit and fee requirements as
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otherwise required by this code.
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(b) The state building code commissioner shall work to standardize building code
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interpretations across the state with input from the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns and
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ensure consistent enforcement of the code throughout the state.
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(c)
Permit fees.

Permit

Except as provided in subsection (c)(iii) of this section, permit
fees
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for the construction under this chapter shall be established by the committee. The fees shall be
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deposited as general revenues.

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(1)
Building permit fees.
The state building official or the local cites and towns, as
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applicable, shall charge each permit applicant an additional one-tenth percent (0.1%) levy of the
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total construction cost for each commercial permit issued, and two-tenths percent (0.2%) levy of
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the total construction cost for each residential permit issued. The levy shall be limited to a
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maximum of one hundred dollars ($100) for each of the permits issued for one-, two (2)-, three (3)-
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, and four (4)-family dwellings. This additional levy shall be transmitted monthly to the state
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building code office; and
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(i) Fifty percent (50%) of this additional levy on residential permits and one hundred
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percent (100%) of this additional levy on commercial permits shall be used to staff and support the
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purchase or lease and operation of a web-accessible service and/or system to be utilized by the state
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and municipalities for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management, and
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inspection system and other programs described in this chapter. This portion of the fee levy shall
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be deposited as general revenues.
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(ii) Fifty percent (50%) of this additional levy on residential permits shall be transferred to
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the department of labor and training and shall be deposited into the contractor training restricted
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receipt account, which shall be exempt from the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-27.
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Subject to appropriation by the general assembly, these funds shall be used to provide residential
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contractor training grants for programs that shall include, but are not limited to, minority business
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enterprises and state local building officials.
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(iii) A veteran with a disability rating from the United States Department of Veteran
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Affairs, or the veteran's caregiver shall not be charged any building fees, including permit fees,
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plan review or plan examination fees, inspection fees, reinspection fees, or other fees required to
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make improvements to the residence of the veteran with a disability if the improvements are
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required to accommodate the disability of the veteran. Nothing in this subsection changes the
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obligation of any person to submit to the city or town applications, forms, or other paperwork to
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obtain a building permit. A veteran or caregiver shall provide proof of a disability rating from the
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and attest to the fact that the improvements to the residence
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are required to accommodate the veteran's disability.
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(iv) A home rule ordinance may not regulate building fees in a manner inconsistent with
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this chapter.
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(2)
Fees for electronic permitting from other state agencies and cities and towns.
The
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local cities and towns and any state agency utilizing an electronic permitting platform, except as
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set forth in this section, shall charge each applicant in accordance with §§ 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46,
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45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30 as applicable.

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(d) Electronic permitting.
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(1) For purposes of this section, “electronic permitting” means the use of computer-based
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tools and services through a platform which automates and streamlines the application and permit
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process to include, but not be limited to, task-specific tools for applications, submission of plans,
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checklists, reports and other documents, reviews, permitting, scheduling, review and project
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tracking, comments from staff and committees, fee calculation and collection; and workflow and
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report management
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(2) On or before July 1, 2013, the building commissioner shall develop a standard statewide
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process for electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection. The process shall include,
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but not be limited to: applications; submission of building plans and plans for developments and
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plots; plan review; permitting; inspections; inspection scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation
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and collections; and workflow and report management.
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(3) On or before December 1, 2013, the building commissioner shall implement the
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standard statewide process for electronic plan review, permit management, and inspection. In
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addition, the building commissioner, through the department of business regulation, shall develop
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a technology and implementation plan for a standard web-accessible service or system to be utilized
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by the state and municipalities for uniform, statewide electronic plan review, permit management,
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and inspection for building permits. The plan shall include, but not be limited to: applications;
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submission of building plans and plans for developments and plots; plan review; permitting;
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inspections; inspection scheduling; project tracking; fee calculation and collections; and workflow
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and report management.
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(4) The building commissioner shall implement the standard statewide process for
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electronic permitting to be utilized pursuant to this section and §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-
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17.1-46, 45-23-36.1, 45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30. In addition, the building commissioner
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shall develop a technology and implementation plan for a web-accessible service or system to be
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utilized by the state and municipalities for these purposes and shall cause the purchase or lease and
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operation of a web-accessible service and/or system to be utilized by the state and municipalities
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for electronic permitting (“electronic permitting platform”).
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(e) All electronic permitting fees collected by the state building code office shall be
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remitted to the department of business regulation, which funds shall be used to staff and support
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the purchase or lease and operation of a web-accessible service or system to be utilized by the state
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and municipalities for electronic permitting.
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(f) The building commissioner shall, upon request by any state contractor described in §
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37-2-38.1, review, and when all conditions for certification have been met, certify to the state

LC004845 - Page 3 of 5
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controller that the payment conditions contained in § 37-2-38.1 have been met.
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(g) The building commissioner shall coordinate the development and implementation of
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this section with the state fire marshal to assist with the implementation of § 23-28.2-6. On or before
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January 1, 2022, the building commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement
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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,
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45-53-16, and 46-23-30.
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(h) The building commissioner shall submit, in coordination with the state fire marshal, a
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report to the governor and general assembly on or before April 1, 2013, and each April 1 thereafter,
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providing the status of the web-accessible service(s) and/or system(s) implementation and any
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recommendations for process or system improvement. In every report submitted on or after April,
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2024, the building commissioner shall provide the following information:
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(1) The identity of every municipality and state agencies, as applicable, in full compliance
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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,
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and 46-23-30 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this section;
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(2) The identity of every municipality or state agencies, as applicable, failing to fully
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implement and comply with the provisions of §§ 23-27.3-115.6, 42-13-10, 42-17.1-46, 45-23-36.1,
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45-24-58.1, 45-53-16, and 46-23-30 and/or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the
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provisions of this section, and the nature, extent, and basis or reason for the failure or
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noncompliance; and
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(3) Recommendations to achieve compliance by all municipalities or state agencies, as
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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,
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45-53-16, and 46-23-30 and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.
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(i) The building commissioner shall assist with facilitating the goals and objectives set forth
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in § 28-42-84(a)(9).
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(j) The state building code commissioner shall serve as the executive secretary to the state
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building code standards committee.
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(k) In addition to the state building code commissioner’s other duties as set forth in this
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chapter, and notwithstanding the same, the state building code commissioner and the
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commissioner’s staff shall assume the authority for the purposes of enforcing the provisions of the
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state building code in a municipality where there is no local building official or alternate as detailed
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in § 23-27.3-107.2, or where there are no local building inspectors.
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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 -- 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
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specifically required to accommodate a veteran’s disability.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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