2017 -- S 0750

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LC001687

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUILDING PERMIT FEES

     Introduced By: Senator Louis P. DiPalma

     Date Introduced: April 12, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     (by request)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 23-27.3-118.0 and 23-27.3-119.0 of the General Laws in Chapter

23-27.3 entitled "State Building Code" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-27.3-118.0. Fees.

     No permit shall be issued for new construction, alteration, removal, demolition, or other

building operation until the fees prescribed by municipal ordinance in accordance with § 23-27.3-

119.0 shall have been paid to the city or town collector or other municipal agency authorized to

collect the fees.

     23-27.3-119.0. Fee computation.

     The building commissioner shall collect information on types and amounts of municipal

fees set forth in §§ 23-27.3-118 and 23-27.3-118.1 and create a process or formula for

establishing statewide permit fees. Said information and a description of the process or formula

shall be provided to all municipalities, the League of Cities and Towns, and the general assembly

by December 1, 2015. Beginning July 1, 2017, the permit fees assessed by all municipalities shall

be computed according to the process and formula either established by, or approved by, the state

of Rhode Island building code commission, provided that all fees shall have multipliers that go

down as the cost of construction increases in value. The building permit fees as adopted by a city

or town council shall seek to recover no more than the cost of permitting activities during periods

of normal building activity. Those fees which are based upon value shall have multipliers that go

down as the cost of construction goes up. No fee shall be assessed for the first reinspection of

work that has failed the initial inspection; provided, a fee shall be allowed for all necessary

subsequent reinspections of the same work.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUILDING PERMIT FEES

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     This act would require that city and town building permit fees recover no more than the

cost of permitting activities during period of normal building activity.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001687

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