Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Rhode Island General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-29. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
H7150 2026 -- H 7150 ======== LC003581 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS Introduced By: Representatives Paplauskas, Hopkins, Fascia, Place, Quattrocchi, Santucci, Roberts, Newberry, Noret, and J. Brien Date Introduced: January 16, 2026 Referred To: House Municipal Government & Housing It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 45-2 of the General Laws entitled General Powers is hereby 2 amended by adding thereto the following section: 3 45-2-71. Regulation of powered landscape equipment. 4 (a) Notwithstanding any provision of a municipal charter, ordinance, rule, or regulation to 5 the contrary, no city or town shall enact or enforce any ordinance or regulation that prohibits, bans, 6 or otherwise restricts the sale, purchase, ownership, or use of powered landscape equipment based 7 solely upon the type of fuel or power source used by such equipment. 8 (b) For purposes of this section, “powered landscape equipment” shall include, but not be 9 limited to, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, edgers, and similar outdoor 10 maintenance equipment, whether powered by gasoline, diesel, electricity, battery, or other energy 11 source. 12 (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a city or town from adopting or 13 enforcing: 14 (1) Reasonable, content-neutral noise regulations of general applicability; 15 (2) Restrictions on hours of operation applicable to all powered equipment; or 16 (3) Regulations necessary to address public safety concerns, provided such regulations do 17 not effectively prohibit the use of powered landscape equipment based on fuel type. 18 (d) Grandfathering. Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, any ordinance or 19 regulation of a city or town that was duly adopted and in effect prior to the effective date of this 1 section and that prohibits or restricts powered landscape equipment based on fuel or power source, 2 including any municipal ban, shall remain valid and enforceable within that municipality; provided 3 that, such ordinance or regulation is not amended, expanded, or reenacted after the effective date 4 of this section. 5 (e) Any ordinance or regulation adopted, amended, expanded, or reenacted after the 6 effective date of this section that is inconsistent with the provisions herein shall be deemed null and 7 void. 8 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003581 ======== LC003581 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS *** 1 This act would prohibit municipalities from restricting certain landscaping equipment 2 based on its power source. 3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003581 ======== LC003581 - Page 3 of 3
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