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H7865AInsurance

Insurance - Weather-Related Losses

This bill creates a grant program to help Rhode Island homeowners upgrade their houses to withstand severe weather.

In committee36 Yea1 Nay1 Not voting
Population
Affected
35
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

The bill creates the "Strengthen Rhody Homes" program to provide grants to homeowners for construction or upgrades that protect their houses from hurricanes and severe weather. It uses federal and outside grants, not state funds, to provide this money. To qualify, homeowners must live in an owner-occupied single-family house, hire certified evaluators and contractors, and carry wind and flood insurance. The program prioritizes lower-income residents and those living in high-risk areas. Payments are made directly to the contractors once the upgrade meets specific safety standards.

For younger readers

This bill creates a program called "Strengthen Rhody Homes." It helps families get money to make their houses stronger so they don't break when really big storms or hurricanes hit. The money comes from outside grants, and families who don't have a lot of money get help first. To get the money, families have to hire special workers who know exactly how to build strong roofs and walls. The money goes right to the workers after they finish the job and prove the house is safe.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Residential property ownersBuilding contractorsProperty evaluatorsLow-income residentsInsurance companies
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill exempts grant application documents from open records requests, subpoenas, and discovery in civil actions. While this limits transparency, it does not violate Constitutional rights such as free speech, due process, or protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Prioritizes grants for lower-income applicants, ensuring that disadvantaged populations have access to home safety upgrades they otherwise could not afford.
  • Protects vulnerable communities from the devastating impacts of climate change and extreme weather by providing financial resources to fortify homes.
  • Creates a state-administered public service that distributes federal and outside funds directly to community members, strengthening the social safety net without burdening state taxpayers.
  • Excludes renters, mobile home residents, and those in multi-family housing or condominiums, leaving many marginalized and low-income populations without access to this protection.
  • Requires homeowners to pay upfront for the evaluator's fee and maintain active wind and flood insurance policies, creating financial barriers that could prevent the poorest residents from participating.
  • Operates strictly subject to the receipt of federal or outside grants, meaning the program lacks guaranteed, systemic state funding and could fail to deliver reliable assistance if outside money dries up.
For Conservatives
  • Explicitly states that the program does not create an entitlement or obligate state funds, relying entirely on federal or outside grants, which protects state taxpayers from increased financial burdens.
  • Funnels grant money directly to private contractors and evaluators, stimulating local businesses and the construction industry without expanding government bureaucracy.
  • Requires homeowners to maintain private wind and flood insurance policies, promoting personal responsibility and strengthening the private insurance market.
  • Expands the size and scope of the state's Department of Business Regulation by creating a new government-administered program to distribute funds.
  • Imposes strict regulatory requirements on contractors and evaluators, including mandated certifications, standardized rules, and random state inspections, which limits corporate freedom and free market competition.
  • Distributes funds based on income tiers and prioritizes lower-income applicants over a strictly merit-based or equal-access system, which conservatives may view as inappropriate wealth redistribution.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 145 additions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 27-76 of the General Laws entitled "Weather-Related Losses" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 27-76-10. Strengthen Rhody homes.

(a) There is hereby established within the department of business regulation, division of insurance, the “strengthen Rhody homes” program.

(b) This section does not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the state in any way to fund the inspection, construction, or retrofitting of residential property in this state. Implementation of the program is subject to the receipt of federal grants or funds from other sources of grants or funds. The insurance superintendent shall use its best efforts to obtain grants or funds from the federal government or other funding sources to supplement the financial resources of the strengthen Rhody homes program that may be provided by the state.

(c) The strengthen Rhody homes program may apply for and receive financial grants or gifts to construct or retrofit insurable property to resist loss due to a hurricane or other catastrophic events.

(d) The strengthen Rhody homes program may also make grants or funding available to nonprofit entities for projects to construct or retrofit insurable properties to resist loss due to hurricane or other catastrophic windstorm if such grants or funding to nonprofit entities are allowable under grant or funding rules, requirements, guidelines, or criteria. However, a nonprofit entity shall agree to administer the grants or funds as the strengthen Rhody homes program would be required to administer grants or funds, and the entity shall provide documentation to the insurance superintendent in a timely manner as requested by the insurance superintendent.

(e) All mitigation shall be based upon the securing of all required local permits and applicable inspections in keeping with local building codes and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified Homes Program. Mitigation projects are subject to random reinspection of all projects.

(f) The insurance division may promulgate rules and eligibility requirements necessary for the proper administration of this section and pursuant to any instructions or requirements on grants or funds received by the insurance superintendent for the strengthen Rhody homes program.

(g) Strengthen Rhody homes program.

(1) The strengthen Rhody homes program is hereby created to make grants available to residential Rhode Island homeowners to undertake resilience construction or retrofits to make the residential home more resilient to a hurricane or other catastrophic risk.

(2) To be eligible for a grant, residential property owners applying for a grant must be able to meet the eligibility requirements as set forth by the insurance division for each grant type. These requirements shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(i) The residential property owner shall claim their primary residence in a county where grants are being approved at the property to be improved;

(ii) The home to be mitigated shall be an owner-occupied, single family, primary residence, and cannot be a condominium or mobile home;

(iii) The home shall be in good repair unless damaged by a hurricane or other catastrophic windstorm event. Strengthen Rhody homes program grant funds cannot be used for maintenance or repairs, but may be used in conjunction with repairs or reconstruction necessitated by damages from a catastrophic event;

(iv) A certified IBHS evaluator shall prequalify the insurable property as mitigable and identify all improvements required to achieve IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ (Roof), FORTIFIED Silver™ (Silver), FORTIFIED Gold™ (Gold), or successor designation, or similar standard approved by the insurance division. The residential property owner shall select the evaluator from a list provided by the strengthen Rhody homes program and shall pay the evaluator's fee;

(v) The residential property owner shall obtain bids from at least three (3) IBHS certified contractors approved by the strengthen Rhody homes program;

(vi) The residential property owner shall construct or retrofit the home to the IBHS Roof, Silver, Gold, or successor designation or similar standard approved by the insurance superintendent;

(vii) The residential property owner shall provide proof of an in-force policy providing wind insurance on the home;

(viii) If the insurable property is in a special flood hazard area, the residential property owner shall provide proof of an in-force flood insurance policy. The flood policy may be from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private carrier; and

(ix) Grant applications shall be filed in the manner directed by the insurance division in the form and manner prescribed by the insurance superintendent, along with any applicable transaction fees.

(3) Documents, materials, and other information submitted to the insurance superintendent by property owners or insurance companies in support of a grant application shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to open records requests, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action.

(4) Grants to residential property owners shall be used to construct or retrofit an insurable property to resist loss due to a hurricane or other catastrophic event.

(5) Retrofit projects within three (3) months of the date the residential property owner receives notice of the grant approval. New builds shall be completed within the timeframe approved by the insurance superintendent. Failure to complete the project timely may result in forfeiture of the grant.

(6) Grant funds shall only be paid once a certificate has been issued for the IBHS standard or similar approved by the insurance superintendent. Grant funds shall be paid by the insurance superintendent or another designated agency, on behalf of the residential property owner, directly to the contractor who performed the mitigation work.

(7) Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis within each income tier established by the superintendent, with priority given to lower-income applicants, applicants who live in locations that, based on historical data, have a higher susceptibility to catastrophic weather events, and applicants meeting any other criteria the insurance superintendent determines is appropriate to meet the purpose of the program.

(8) Any entity providing funds to the strengthen Rhody homes program shall be permitted to establish additional rules and guidelines under which those funds may be used, as long as such rules and guidelines do not violate any state or federal law.

(9) The insurance division may conduct random inspections of funds, records, and/or properties to detect any fraud. These inspections may be conducted similarly to those in chapters 13.1 and 71 of title 27.

(10) Under the strengthen Rhody homes program, a residential property owner shall hire an IBHS certified contractor who is capable of performing work that satisfies the standards prescribed by this section and the rules adopted thereto:

(i) The insurance superintendent shall not endorse or otherwise provide preferential treatment to any contractor;

(ii) A residential property owner is legally responsible for any amount owed to a contractor that exceeds awarded grant monies;

(iii) To be eligible to work on a project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program as a contractor, a contractor shall meet all program requirements including, but not limited to, those listed in this section, and maintain a current copy of all applicable certificates, licenses, and proof of insurance coverages with the program office;

(iv) The contractor shall hold a valid and active contractor's registration or license as applicable pursuant to the provisions of chapter 65 and 65.4 of title 5 in Rhode Island and be free from disqualifying disciplinary actions taken by the contractor registration licensing board as determined by the insurance superintendent

(v) The contractor shall hold an active IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ contractor certification or FORTIFIED professional certification. The contractor is responsible for paying all fees associated with certification and training;

(vi) The contractor shall maintain accurate contact information with the strengthen Rhody homes program;

(vii) The contractor shall agree to follow the strengthen Rhody homes program's procedures and rules as prescribed by the insurance superintendent;

(viii) The contractor shall not have a financial interest in any project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program for which they perform work other than receiving payment on behalf of the homeowner from the strengthen Rhody homes program and shall report to the strengthen Rhody homes program any potential conflicts of interest before work commences; and

(ix) The contractor shall not be the evaluator for any project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program.

(11) Evaluators:

(i) To be eligible to work on a project funded by the strengthen Rhody homes program as an evaluator, the evaluator shall meet all program requirements including, but not limited to, those listed below and maintain a current copy of all applicable certificates and licenses with the strengthen Rhody homes program office;

(ii) The evaluator must be in good standing with IBHS and maintain an active IBHS certification as a FORTIFIED roof evaluator. The evaluator is responsible for paying all fees associated with certification and training;

(iii) The evaluator shall agree to follow the strengthen Rhody homes program's procedures and rules as prescribed by the insurance superintendent;

(iv) The evaluator shall maintain accurate contact information with the strengthen Rhody homes program;

(v) The evaluator shall not have any financial interest in any project which they inspect for designation purposes for the strengthen Rhody homes program;

(vi) The evaluator shall not be a contractor or supplier of any materials and/or products or systems installed in any home they inspect for designation purposes for the strengthen Rhody homes program;

(vii) The evaluator shall not be the sales agent for any home being designated for the strengthen Rhody homes program; and

(viii) The evaluator shall inform the strengthen Rhody homes program of any potential conflicts of interest.

(12) Funding:

(i) There is hereby created a revolving fund in the department of business regulation, to be designated the "strengthen Rhody homes revolving fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of any monies deposited to the fund from the receipt of federal grants or funds or from other sources of grants or funds. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the insurance superintendent for the purpose of assisting the strengthen Rhody homes program in performing all acts that relate to the function and purpose of the strengthen Rhody homes program.

(ii) Monies collected pursuant to this act shall be deposited in the strengthen Rhody homes revolving fund. Monies shall not lapse, unless otherwise specified under federal funding or federal grant, or a grant or funds from another source, or be transferred to any other state funds and shall not be utilized for any other purpose

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.