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H7146aaLicensing & Accreditation

Labor and Labor Relations - Division of Professional Regulation

This bill lets licensed professionals aged 65 and older pay $20 to switch to a retired license status.

On the floor63 Yea0 Nay12 Not voting
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 16, 2026Committee House Labor

Plain-English Summary

This bill creates a "retirement status license" for professionals regulated by the state's Division of Professional Regulation. Licensed workers who are at least 65 years old can choose this status by paying a $20 fee. They will receive their original license back with a "Retired" stamp. While holding a retirement license, the individual is not allowed to practice their trade or occupation. If a retired professional later wants to return to work, they can restore their active license by paying the regular annual fee and completing the required continuing education or training.

For younger readers

When grown-ups have certain jobs, like being an electrician or a plumber, they need a special permission card from the state called a license. This bill says that when these workers turn 65 and want to retire, they can pay $20 to get a special "Retired" stamp on their license. They are not allowed to do their job for money anymore once they have this stamp. If they ever change their minds and want to work again, they can pay the normal fee, take some catch-up classes, and get their regular license back.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Licensed professionalsRetirees aged 65 and olderThe Division of Professional RegulationConsumers of professional servicesDisabled professionals seeking early retirement
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill simply creates a voluntary administrative license status and enforces standard licensing requirements, which falls well within the state's police power to regulate professions and protect public safety.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
$20/fee per retirement status license applicant

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Provides an affordable, dignified way for older workers to formally retire and keep their credentials for a nominal fee, recognizing their lifelong contributions to the community.
  • Ensures public safety and consumer protection by strictly prohibiting retired professionals from practicing without completing the necessary continuing education to ensure their skills are up to date.
  • Includes a "good cause" exception allowing professionals under the age of 65, such as those forced to retire early due to disability or health issues, to utilize this status, offering flexibility for vulnerable individuals.
  • The $20 fee, while small, could still be seen as an unnecessary financial burden on elderly individuals living on fixed or low incomes who simply want to retain their hard-earned credentials.
  • Does not provide a pathway for retired professionals to offer pro bono or heavily discounted services to low-income communities, missing an opportunity to expand the social safety net.
  • Reinstating a license requires paying the full current annual fee and completing continuing education, which could pose a significant financial hurdle for retirees who need to re-enter the workforce due to economic hardship.
For Conservatives
  • Creates a voluntary, low-cost option for professionals to maintain a connection to their life's work and trade without being burdened by the high fees and continuing education mandates of an active license.
  • Establishes a clear enforcement mechanism against unauthorized practice, protecting legitimate, active businesses from unfair competition by retirees who are no longer maintaining their active credentials.
  • Offers a straightforward, deregulatory pathway for individuals to re-enter the workforce if they choose, providing flexibility for older workers to return to the labor market.
  • Imposes a $20 government fee just for an individual to declare themselves retired and keep a piece of paper they already earned, which can be viewed as an unnecessary government money grab.
  • Strictly prohibits individuals from practicing their trade even in limited, private, or informal capacities, restricting personal freedom and the right to work.
  • Gives the state division broad, subjective authority to grant the retirement status to those under 65 for "good cause," potentially leading to arbitrary government decision-making and unequal application of the law.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 27 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 28-22 of the General Laws entitled "Division of Professional Regulation" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 28-22-4. Retirement status license.

(a) Any person currently holding a license issued or overseen by the division of professional regulation who has attained the age of sixty-five (65) may renew their license as a retirement status license subject and pursuant to subsections (b) through (d) of this section.

(b) An applicant for a retirement status license shall submit their original license to the division of professional regulation, along with a form, to be provided by the division of professional regulation, for such classification, which shall contain a statement expressing the licensee’s status as retired and acknowledging that the applicant shall not actively engage in the practice of the occupation or trade for which a license was originally issued, while possessing a retirement status license.

(c) A licensee issued a retirement status license shall not practice or offer to practice the occupation or trade for which a license was originally issued. The division of professional regulation and any licensing boards associated therewith are authorized to investigate violations of this provision in the same manner and bearing the same penalties as the unauthorized or unlicensed practice of a regulated occupation or trade.

(d) If the division of professional regulation issues a retirement status license pursuant to this section, it shall return the original license submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to the applicant. Such original license shall bear a designation or be stamped “Retired”.

(e) The fee for a retirement status license shall be twenty dollars ($20.00).

(f) A licensee issued a retirement status license may restore such licensee’s original license by submitting a form, to be provided by the division of professional regulation, requesting reinstatement by paying the then-current annual fee for such license, and demonstrating completion of the most recent continuing education requirements or any other continuing or ongoing training requirements applicable to the license, as though the licensee had remained in active status during the year immediately preceding reinstatement.

(g) The division of professional regulation may, for good cause shown, grant a retirement status license to a person who does not meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.