Growing Smarter Together: Rhode Island’s Legislative Roadmap to a Stronger Future.

As the leading statewide advocate for sustainable, smart-growth development, Grow Smart RI represents a “big-tent” coalition of business and civic leaders, development professionals, and grassroots community change agents. Together we are committed to strengthening our Downtowns and Main Streets, expanding affordable housing, improving transit and access to daily physical activity, and protecting Rhode Island’s beauty, magic and soul.

As a small team managing an ambitious reform agenda, our level of engagement varies by initiative. We lead where our expertise and track record are most robust. On other vital reforms, we play a supportive role, or at times more simply endorse the leadership of our valued community partners. Where our direct legislative involvement is limited, we often provide thought leadership and consciousness-raising. This collaborative approach ensures that we remain a versatile and effective force for smart growth across the state.

Community Revitalization

We believe in prioritizing growth and revitalization of our Main Street and Downtown commercial centers because they are the neighborhoods best equipped to accommodate commercial and residential growth and most likely to benefit from such growth.

Renewed and Expanded Support for the Main Street RI State Coordinating Program

GSRI LEADS [Urso S-2676 / Handy H-8316]

Vibrant, attractive, and activated Main Streets and neighborhood commercial centers will draw more visitors, customers, businesses, and outside private investment to Rhode Island — while deepening the community connections and shared sense of place that make our neighborhoods truly thrive.

After legislation and initial state funding of $125,000 for FY26, Main Street RI now serves as the official State Coordinating Program aligned with Main Street America, the national hub of expertise and manager of a network of thousands of place-based organizations and leaders around the country. This FY27 request of $150,000 will fund the second year of a three-year pilot program managed by Grow Smart RI, the goal of which is to build local capacity for place-based initiatives that increase economic activity in RI’s commercial districts.

Learn more about the Main Street RI advocacy initiative.

View Senate Bill: Urso S-2676 View House Bill: Handy H-8316

Historic Tax Credit Reform and Recapitalization

GSRI CO-LEADS [Bissaillon S-3151/ Speakman H-8408]

Grow Smart RI is co-leading statewide advocacy efforts around these two objectives with Preserve RI along with a coalition of other community partners. These two identical bills advance four specific reforms in the Historic Tax Credit program designed to make it more supportive of housing production and competitive with the programs in nearby Northeastern states.

Increase the tax credit from 20% to 30% for projects where at least 80% of rental area is multi-family housing, and to 35% for any such projects for which at least 20% of the units are affordable rentals or 10% are sold as affordable housing.
Lower the filing fee from 3% to 1% of qualified rehab expenditures and make it refundable upon project completion.
Extend the Program’s sunset five years to June 30, 2031.
Increase waiting list transparency so the public can better understand proposed projects and developers can better plan financing.

There is no specific bill introduced to date for Historic Tax Credit Recapitalization, but we are seeking gubernatorial and legislative support for a $20 million or more level of HTC recapitalization. This is essential considering there are 50 projects on the HTC waiting list as of October 29, 2025 collectively seeking $75.5 million from the state with a projected total investment of more than $360 million.

View Senate Bill: Bissaillon S-3151 View House Bill: Speakman H-8408

Green Economy Bond and Cortvriend’s Amendment

[Cortrivend H-8299]

We support the McKee Administration’s proposed $50 million package, especially its renewed investment in a brownfield clean-up fund and funding for coastal resiliency projects, recreational grants, and further infrastructure enhancement at our major ports.

We also support H-8299 to add $10 million in funding for traditional land and water conservation programs that municipalities, land trusts, and state agencies rely on to be included as part of the measure. These programs include funding to acquire and conserve open space, support outdoor recreation, preserve farmland, and fund an open space matching grant program.

Transportation

We believe that a more robust, integrated, and user-friendly public transportation system and network of bike and pedestrian infrastructure are critical catalysts for a more economically vibrant, opportunity rich, healthy and marketable Rhode Island.

The following Initiatives enable RIPTA to Restore Service Cuts and Expand for the Long Term both our Public Transit System and Bike and Ped Infrastructure:

Increase RIPTA Budget Allocation

$5 million budget allocation in FY ‘27 budget to restore the 2025 service cuts.

View Senate Bill: McKenney S-2825 View House Bill: Alzate H-8256

Increase RIPTA’s share of the Highway Maintenance Account (HMA)

Increases RIPTA’s share of Highway Maintenance Account funds from 10% to 20%. An 80/20 split for surface transportation funding between highways and mass transit has been the standard in Congress since 1982.

View Senate Bill: Zurier S-2095 View House Bill: Cortvriend H-8175

Rideshare Sales Tax Reallocation

Reallocates the current 7% sales tax collected on all Uber/Lyft rides to RIPTA’s RIde Anywhere operational budget.

View Senate Bill: Britto S-3084 View House Bill: Stewart H-8145

Commuter Transportation Benefits Act

Requires any company with 500 or more employees to provide transit passes to employees as a pre-tax transportation fringe benefit, to generate more revenue for RIPTA via its Wave to Work program.

View Senate Bill: Bissaillon S-2323 View House Bill: Hull H-7363

Car Inspection Fee Increase

Raises the standard inspection fee on personal cars and motorcycles, with the increase going to the Highway Maintenance Account. The last increase was in 2014.

View Senate Bill: Vargas S-3013 View House Bill: Furtado H-8369

Motor Fuel Tax Allocation

This bill adjusts RIPTA’s 2025 29% gas tax share for inflation and fixes a calculation gap: currently the biennial review uses only the prior year’s inflation rate, missing a full year of increases. The bill would apply the cumulative two-year rate instead, keeping the tax pace with actual inflation and increasing total revenue.

View Senate Bill: Zurier S-2688 View House Bill: Stewart H-8315

RIPTA Board Restructuring

Reverses the 2023 law making the Director of RIDOT the Board Chair of RIPTA, and updates, clarifies, and strengthens other Board appointment guidelines. Not a revenue bill.

View Senate Bill: TBD View House Bill: Tanzi H-8127

*Transit Master Plan Bond Referenda

GSRI CO-LEADS [Vargas S-2813 /Tanzi H-8202]

Puts forward a $100M bond for capital improvements for implementation of the 2026 Transit Master Plan. Capital assets would include updated technology to grow ridership and improve fare collection, bus stop improvements and safety, and infrastructure for high-capacity transit lines.

View Senate Bill: Vargas S-2813 View House Bill: Tanzi H-8202

*RIDOT Efficiency Study (GSRI LEAD)

GSRI LEADS [S-2124 / H-8298]

Requires an independent efficiency study of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

View Senate Bill: Zurier S-2124 View House Bill: Tanzi H-7499

*Bicycle Bond Referenda (GSRI LEAD)

GSRI LEADS [Tanzi H-8298]

This $25M bond would implement Rhode Island’s Bicycle Mobility Plan — building a safer, connected statewide network that revitalizes downtowns, strengthens the economy, improves public health, and cuts congestion and emissions. It could also unlock up to $125M in federal matching funds while creating good-paying jobs.

View Senate Bill: TBD View House Bill: Tanzi H-8298

Housing

We believe that the most effective, high impact way to address our state’s housing supply and affordability crises is to focus on location efficient development and an integrated, comprehensive approach that includes not only extra funding but land use reform, incentives for transit oriented development, targeted infrastructure investment and enhancement of both the State Historic Tax Credit, and municipal staff capacity.

State Housing Plan Implementation

The plan calls for adding 15,000 housing units to Rhode Island’s housing stock by 2030 and sets production targets for individual communities based on their capacity to absorb housing growth in a location-efficient framework. Grow Smart RI is working on implementing this plan along with Housing Works RI and Weston and Sampson.

Housing Bond

Currently proposed by the Governor at $120 million level. We support efforts by the Housing Network of RI and others to increase this bond to $150 million.

“8” Law Reform

Reform of the “8” Law would encourage attainable housing production and reuse of vacant commercial properties by capping local property tax rates on new residential developments that include a set percentage of affordable units — whether built new or converted from existing structures.

View Senate Bill: tbd View House Bill: Slater H-8006

Minimum Lot Size Reforms

Create more affordable homeownership opportunities by allowing homes to be built on modestly sized lots (5000 sq ft) where public water and sewer are available. Reduces minimum lot size requirements for small apartment buildings.

View Senate Bill: Mack S-2265 View House Bill: TBD

Parking Reform

Cap parking minimum requirements that derail homebuilding or add thousands of dollars in project costs for new housing constructions. Offers more flexibility for affordable housing, small businesses, daycares, and assisted living facilities to manage their own parking spaces.

View Senate Bill: Kallman S-2628 View House Bill: Gilrado H-8005

Conversion Incentive

Offer a new gap-financing tool for converting vacant offices and underused buildings to housing, prioritizing health and education workers. Generates quality union construction jobs.

View Senate Bill: Bissaillon S-3159 View House Bill: Speakman H-8142

Technical Fixes

Clarifies ADU, subdivision, and single-family townhome laws and closes a loophole. based on stakeholder feedback about what is and is not working to get homes built.