The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Rhode Island bill eliminates mandatory housing densities in public drinking water watersheds
Last action · April 7, 2026: Committee recommended measure be held for further studySponsors: Megan Cotter and 9 others
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What This Bill Proposed
This legislation eliminates mandated housing densities and es for public drinking water supply s and groundwater areas, while requiring that housing densities do not exceed local water availability, introduce pollution, or exceed public water and sewer system capacity limits.
Real estate developers and municipal planning boards must adhere to new limitations where housing projects cannot outpace available water supplies or exceed sewer system capacity in protected areas.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Municipal Planning Boards
Municipal planning boards must enforce density restrictions based on local water availability, pollution prevention, and sewer capacity limits in protected watersheds.
Real Estate Developers
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this bill change about housing in Rhode Island?
Does this bill apply to all areas of the state?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Apr 7, 2026Committee recommended measure be held for further study
- Apr 3, 2026Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/07/2026)
- Jan 30, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 5 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Statewide Density Mandates to Watershed Protection
The legislation pivots away from uniform or mandated housing density rules by prioritizing local water supply capacity and pollution prevention in designated watersheds.
Connected Entities
Sources
status.rilegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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