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.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require public utility companies — such as electric, gas, water, or telecommunications providers — to give advance warning to nearby residents and businesses before closing a public road to do work. Specifically, if a utility company needs to shut down a state or local road, it must notify all property owners within 1,000 feet of that closure at least 48 hours ahead of time. This gives people in the immediate area enough time to plan ahead for any disruptions.

The bill affects two main groups: utility companies operating in Rhode Island and the residents or business owners who live or operate near roads where utility work takes place. For property owners, the advance notice could help them adjust travel routes, plan deliveries, warn customers, or make other arrangements before access to their area is blocked. For utility companies, this would add a new step to their planning process, requiring them to identify and contact affected property owners well before any scheduled road closure.

Currently, there is no specific statewide requirement for utility companies to notify nearby property owners before closing a road, so this bill would create a new legal obligation under what it calls the "Rhode Island Utility Fair Share Roadway Repair Act." The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and referred to the House Corporations Committee, where it is scheduled for a hearing in April 2026. No final vote has taken place yet.