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S3150A
2026 -- S 3150 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC005440/SUB A
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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 INSURANCE -- WEATHER-RELATED LOSSES
Introduced By:
Senator V. Susan Sosnowski
Date Introduced:
March 27, 2026
Referred To:
Senate Environment & Agriculture
(Dept. of Business Regulation)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 27-76 of the General Laws entitled "Weather-Related Losses" is
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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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27-76-10. Strengthen Rhody homes.
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(a) There is hereby established within the department of business regulation, division of
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insurance, the “strengthen Rhody homes” program.
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(b) This section does not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the state in
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any way to fund the inspection, construction, or retrofitting of residential property in this state.
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Implementation of the program is subject to the receipt of federal grants or funds from other sources
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of grants or funds. The insurance superintendent shall use its best efforts to obtain grants or funds
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from the federal government or other funding sources to supplement the financial
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resources of the strengthen Rhody homes program that may be provided by the state.
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(c) The strengthen Rhody homes program may apply for and receive financial grants or
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gifts to construct or retrofit insurable property to resist loss due to a hurricane or other catastrophic
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events.
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(d) The strengthen Rhody homes program may also make grants or funding available to
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nonprofit entities for projects to construct or retrofit insurable properties to resist loss due to
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hurricane or other catastrophic windstorm if such grants or funding to nonprofit entities are
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allowable under grant or funding rules, requirements, guidelines, or criteria. However, a nonprofit
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entity shall agree to administer the grants or funds as the strengthen Rhody homes program would
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be required to administer grants or funds, and the entity shall provide documentation to the
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insurance superintendent in a timely manner as requested by the insurance superintendent.
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(e) All mitigation shall be based upon the securing of all required local permits and
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applicable inspections in keeping with local building codes and the Insurance Institute for Business
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and Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified Homes Program. Mitigation projects are subject to random
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reinspection of all projects.
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(f) The insurance division may promulgate rules and eligibility requirements necessary for
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the proper administration of this section and pursuant to any instructions or requirements on grants
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or funds received by the insurance superintendent for the strengthen Rhody homes program.
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(g) Strengthen Rhody homes program.
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(1) The strengthen Rhody homes program is hereby created to make grants available to
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residential Rhode Island homeowners to undertake resilience construction or retrofits to make the
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residential home more resilient to a hurricane or other catastrophic risk.
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(2) To be eligible for a grant, residential property owners applying for a grant must be able
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to meet the eligibility requirements as set forth by the insurance division for each grant type. These
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requirements shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
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(i) The residential property owner shall claim their primary residence in a county where
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grants are being approved at the property to be improved;
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(ii) The home to be mitigated shall be an owner-occupied, single family, primary residence,
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and cannot be a condominium or mobile home;
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(iii) The home shall be in good repair unless damaged by a hurricane or other catastrophic
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windstorm event. Strengthen Rhody homes program grant funds cannot be used for maintenance
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or repairs, but may be used in conjunction with repairs or reconstruction necessitated by damages
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from a catastrophic event;
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(iv) A certified IBHS evaluator shall prequalify the insurable property as mitigable and
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identify all improvements required to achieve IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ (Roof), FORTIFIED
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Silver™ (Silver), FORTIFIED Gold™ (Gold), or successor designation, or similar standard
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approved by the insurance division. The residential property owner shall select the evaluator from
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a list provided by the strengthen Rhody homes program and shall pay the evaluator's fee;
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(v) The residential property owner shall obtain bids from at least three (3) IBHS certified
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contractors approved by the strengthen Rhody homes program;
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(vi) The residential property owner shall construct or retrofit the home to the IBHS Roof,
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Silver, Gold, or successor designation or similar standard approved by the insurance
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superintendent;
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(vii) The residential property owner shall provide proof of an in-force policy providing
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wind insurance on the home;
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(viii) If the insurable property is in a special flood hazard area, the residential property
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owner shall provide proof of an in-force flood insurance policy. The flood policy may be from the
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National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private carrier; and
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(ix) Grant applications shall be filed in the manner directed by the insurance division in the
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form and manner prescribed by the insurance superintendent, along with any applicable transaction
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fees.
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(3) Documents, materials, and other information submitted to the insurance superintendent
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by property owners or insurance companies in support of a grant application shall be confidential
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by law and privileged, shall not be subject to open records requests, shall not be subject to subpoena,
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and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action.
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(4) Grants to residential property owners shall be used to construct or retrofit an insurable
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property to resist loss due to a hurricane or other catastrophic event.
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(5) Retrofit projects within three (3) months of the date the residential property owner
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receives notice of the grant approval. New builds shall be completed within the timeframe approved
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by the insurance superintendent. Failure to complete the project timely may result in forfeiture of
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the grant.
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(6) Grant funds shall only be paid once a certificate has been issued for the IBHS standard
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or similar approved by the insurance superintendent. Grant funds shall be paid by the insurance
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superintendent or another designated agency, on behalf of the residential property owner, directly
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to the contractor who performed the mitigation work.
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(7) Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis within each income tier
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established by the superintendent, with priority given to lower-income applicants, applicants who
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live in locations that, based on historical data, have a higher susceptibility to catastrophic weather
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events, and applicants meeting any other criteria the insurance superintendent determines is
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appropriate to meet the purpose of the program.
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(8) Any entity providing funds to the strengthen Rhody homes program shall be permitted
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to establish additional rules and guidelines under which those funds may be used, as long as such
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rules and guidelines do not violate any state or federal law.
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(9) The insurance division may conduct random inspections of funds, records, and/or
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properties to detect any fraud. These inspections may be conducted similarly to those in chapters
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13.1 and 71 of title 27.
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(10) Under the strengthen Rhody homes program, a residential property owner shall hire
LC005440/SUB A - Page 3 of 5
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an IBHS certified contractor who is capable of performing work that satisfies the standards
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prescribed by this section and the rules adopted thereto:
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(i) The insurance superintendent shall not endorse or otherwise provide preferential
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treatment to any contractor;
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(ii) A residential property owner is legally responsible for any amount owed to a contractor
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that exceeds awarded grant monies;
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(iii) To be eligible to work on a project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program as
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a contractor, a contractor shall meet all program requirements including, but not limited to, those
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listed in this section, and maintain a current copy of all applicable certificates, licenses, and proof
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of insurance coverages with the program office;
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(iv) The contractor shall hold a valid and active contractor's registration or license as
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applicable pursuant to the provisions of chapter 65 and 65.4 of title 5 in Rhode Island and be free
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from disqualifying disciplinary actions taken by the contractor registration licensing board as
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determined by the insurance superintendent
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(v) The contractor shall hold an active IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ contractor certification
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or FORTIFIED professional certification. The contractor is responsible for paying all fees
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associated with certification and training;
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(vi) The contractor shall maintain accurate contact information with the strengthen Rhody
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homes program;
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(vii) The contractor shall agree to follow the strengthen Rhody homes program's
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procedures and rules as prescribed by the insurance superintendent;
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(viii) The contractor shall not have a financial interest in any project funded by the
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strengthen Rhody homes program for which they perform work other than receiving payment on
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behalf of the homeowner from the strengthen Rhody homes program and shall report to the
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strengthen Rhody homes program any potential conflicts of interest before work commences; and
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(ix) The contractor shall not be the evaluator for any project funded by the strengthen
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Rhody homes program.
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(11) Evaluators:
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(i) To be eligible to work on a project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program as
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an evaluator, the evaluator shall meet all program requirements including, but not limited to, those
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listed below and maintain a current copy of all applicable certificates and licenses with the
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strengthen Rhody homes program office;
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(ii) The evaluator must be in good standing with IBHS and maintain an active IBHS
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certification as a FORTIFIED roof evaluator. The evaluator is responsible for paying all fees
LC005440/SUB A - Page 4 of 5
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associated with certification and training;
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(iii) The evaluator shall agree to follow the strengthen Rhody homes program's procedures
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and rules as prescribed by the insurance superintendent;
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(iv) The evaluator shall maintain accurate contact information with the strengthen Rhody
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homes program;
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(v) The evaluator shall not have any financial interest in any project which they inspect for
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designation purposes for the strengthen Rhody homes program;
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(vi) The evaluator shall not be a contractor or supplier of any materials and/or products or
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systems installed in any home they inspect for designation purposes for the strengthen Rhody
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homes program;
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(vii) The evaluator shall not be the sales agent for any home being designated for the
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strengthen Rhody homes program; and
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(viii) The evaluator shall inform the strengthen Rhody homes program of any potential
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conflicts of interest.
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(12) Funding:
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(i) There is hereby created a revolving fund in the department of business regulation, to be
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designated the "strengthen Rhody homes revolving fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not
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subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of any monies deposited to the fund from the
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receipt of federal grants or funds or from other sources of grants or funds. All monies accruing to
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the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the insurance
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superintendent for the purpose of assisting the strengthen Rhody homes program in performing all
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acts that relate to the function and purpose of the strengthen Rhody homes program.
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(ii) Monies collected pursuant to this act shall be deposited in the strengthen Rhody homes
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revolving fund. Monies shall not lapse, unless otherwise specified under federal funding or federal
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grant, or a grant or funds from another source, or be transferred to any other state funds and shall
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not be utilized for any other purpose
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005440/SUB A
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- WEATHER-RELATED LOSSES
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This act would provide a framework through which the department of business regulation
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can seek grants to fund a home hardening program.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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