Another Active Legislative Session
The 2025 Rhode Island General Assembly recessed June 21 with the possibility of being called back into session before the end of the calendar year due to budget cuts in Washington, D.C.
This session was unfortunately marked by the death of longtime Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio. In large part due to his illness and passing, this year’s session started slowly. Ruggerio, who served in the General Assembly since 1981, held the position of Senate president from March 2017 until his death April 21, 2025. He was a longtime friend whose friendship I will miss. Valerie J. Lawson was elected by the Senate as his successor.
Despite a slow start, the General Assembly saw 2,594 legislative bills and resolutions introduced—1,429 in the House and 1,165 in the Senate. Many were duplicates filed in both chambers.
Key legislation enacted included an increase in the state minimum wage over a two-year period from $15 to $17 per hour, placing Rhode Island among the highest minimum wages in the country. Lawmakers also approved an increase in funding for primary care doctors, hospitals and nursing homes via a $4-per-month, per-covered-life assessment.
Issues of housing development and affordability, both residential and commercial, were also addressed. The legislature added a 2-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, with funds dedicated to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).
RILBMDA played a key role in successfully opposing legislation that would have mandated climate control in warehouses. The bills, H 5305 and S 586, were supported by organized labor and activists who overlooked the harm such a mandate would cause the industry and the increased costs it would impose on housing construction and renovation. The House heard and agreed with our reasoning, and both bills failed to pass. However, it does not appear the issue will go away.
Other legislation successfully opposed by your association included:
- H 5450, which would have prohibited cities and towns from issuing permits for construction of new buildings that were not all-electric for permits submitted after Dec. 31, 2026.
- H 5490, which would have required business owners to first offer their employees the right to purchase the business if it was put up for sale.
- S 285, which would have prohibited employers from asking job applicants questions related to their financial history, including credit reports, and would have permitted recovery of attorney’s fees and costs along with penalties of up to $10,000.
This legislative session once again underscores the importance of having a trade association—such as RILBMDA—to provide a strong voice in both supporting and opposing legislative and government action.