H 8038Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - Ordinances

Authorizes East Providence to license hotels and caterers, requiring approval from the mayor, police chief, and building inspector.

Held for study

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Affected

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Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This bill grants the city of East Providence the authority to regulate and license hotels, motels, inns, boardinghouses, and catering establishments. It allows the city to create ordinances that set fees, rules, and limits on these businesses. A key feature of the legislation is that before a license can be issued by the city clerk, the business owner must obtain specific approval from three city officials: the chief of police, the building inspector, and the mayor.

For younger readers

This new rule is for the city of East Providence. It says that if someone wants to open a hotel, a place where people sleep for money, or a catering business that makes food for parties, they need special permission first. The city can make rules about where these businesses can be and how much money they have to pay to the city to open. Before they get the official paper saying they are allowed to open, the police chief, the building inspector, and the mayor all have to say "yes."

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Hotel ownersMotel ownersInnkeepersBoardinghouse operatorsCatering business owners

Impacted communities

East Providence

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

The bill grants "discretionary" authority to issue or revoke licenses and requires approval from specific officials without establishing objective criteria in the state statute. This creates a potential Due Process risk if the resulting municipal ordinance lacks specific standards, allowing for arbitrary denial or revocation of a business license. However, as enabling legislation for local police powers, it is generally facially constitutional provided the city drafts the ordinance with clear standards.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Empowers local government to strictly regulate hospitality businesses, potentially ensuring higher safety and health standards for workers and guests through required inspections.
Provides a mechanism to address community concerns regarding problem properties or "nuisance" motels that may negatively impact neighborhood welfare and safety.
Increases accountability by requiring direct approval from the mayor and police chief, ensuring city leadership is aware of and consents to new establishments entering the community.
Grants the police chief veto power over business licenses, which could lead to disjointed policing or potential discrimination against specific business owners without clear due process.
Creates bureaucratic hurdles that may disproportionately affect small, minority-owned businesses lacking the political connections to secure mayoral approval compared to large corporate chains.
Allows for "discretionary issuance" without specific criteria in the state law, potentially leading to arbitrary denials based on bias rather than objective safety or operational standards.

For Conservatives

Strengthens law and order by requiring police chief approval, helping to prevent the operation of establishments that serve as hubs for criminal activity or illegal immigration.
Empowers local municipal leadership to manage their own commercial zones and protect the character of the community from unwanted development without state interference.
Provides tools to revoke licenses from bad actors who fail to maintain standards, potentially protecting property values and public safety in the surrounding area.
Increases government red tape and regulatory burdens on business owners, stifling economic growth and entrepreneurship in the local hospitality sector.
Grants excessive power to government officials to arbitrarily deny the right to conduct business based on the discretionary approval of the mayor and police.
Allows the city to invent new fees and regulations without limit in the state statute, essentially acting as a hidden tax on business operations.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 11 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 45-6 of the General Laws entitled "Ordinances" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 45-6-13. Hotel, motel, inn, boardinghouse, or catering establishment – Application; approval. The city of East Providence, is hereby authorized and empowered to provide, by ordinance, for the discretionary issuance and revocation of licenses to any person or business entity seeking to engage in the business of operating a hotel, motel, inn, boardinghouse, or catering establishment, to establish reasonable fees for the issuance and revocation, and to promulgate, by ordinance, reasonable rules and regulations as to the duration, location, number, and operation of those licenses within the city. Prior to issuance of a license by the city clerk, pursuant to this section, any person or business entity seeking to engage in the business of operating a hotel, motel, inn, boardinghouse, or catering establishment shall first obtain approval of the chief of police, the building inspector and the mayor.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.