Increases the additional permit fee cap on residential construction that supports electronic permitting and residential construction workforce training from one hundred dollars ($100) to one hundred fifty dollars ($150).

Plain-English Summary

This bill would increase a special fee that homeowners and builders pay when applying for residential construction permits in Rhode Island. Currently, there is an extra charge of up to $100 added on top of standard permit fees, and this bill would raise that cap to $150. The money collected from this fee goes toward two specific purposes: funding electronic (online) permitting systems and supporting workforce training programs for the residential construction industry.

In practical terms, anyone who applies for a permit to build, renovate, or make significant improvements to a home in Rhode Island could see this additional fee increase by up to $50. This would affect homeowners doing major renovations, as well as contractors and developers building new homes. The fee is a cap, meaning local permitting authorities can charge up to that amount — but not necessarily the full amount.

The funds raised support two goals: modernizing the permitting process through digital systems (which can make the process faster and more convenient for applicants) and training workers in the residential construction trades (which aims to address labor shortages in the building industry). The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the Municipal Government & Housing Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study, meaning it has not yet moved forward in the legislative process.