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6/11/2026
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General Assembly passes bill to create grant framework for home hardening programs
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STATE HOUSE — The General Assembly today passed legislation introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski and House Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Patrick Kennedy that would provide a framework through which the Department of Business Regulation can seek grants to fund a home hardening program. The measure now moves to the governor’s office.
The bill (2026-S 3150A, 2026-H 7865A) would establish a “Strengthen Rhody Homes” program, which would be used to 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. The legislation was developed with the assistance of the Department of Business Regulation and modeled on legislation that was passed in Alabama.
“With the ongoing realities of climate change bringing more severe weather and greater unpredictability to Rhode Island’s climate, this legislation will help protect Rhode Island’s residents,” said Senator Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown). “The grants that this legislation creates will help homeowners to afford upgrades that will make their homes more resilient to those climate changes.”
Speaker Pro Tempore Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly), who attended sessions on resiliency at national meetings, said, “This is an important step to assist homeowners with making homes stronger during major storm events. By utilizing science-based standards to protect at-risk homes, we clear a path to making these enhanced protections available, which may also result in reduced home insurance premiums.”
To be eligible for a grant, residential property owners applying for it must be able to meet the eligibility requirements as set forth by the insurance division for each grant type.
Brian Powell with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners testified in support of the legislation at the invitation of Representative Kennedy, telling the House Corporations Committee, “This bill allows Rhode Island citizens to invest in a stronger home. We’re seeing a number of these programs established in several states — 22 are in the pipeline. And we would love to see Rhode Island be the 23rd. These programs create what we call a culture of resilience, where we change the dynamic of how people think about protecting their homes. In Alabama, there are about 70,000 homes that have been mitigated to these standards. When storms do hit these homes, we’ve seen losses reduced by 40 to 60 percent.”
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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