 |
|
6/24/2026
|
Successful session sees several bills from Speaker of the House Pro Tempore Kennedy become law
|
STATE HOUSE — The General Assembly has passed several bills introduced by Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Patrick Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly) on issues ranging from infrastructure protection to real estate fraud.
The new laws include a measure (2026-H 7551aa) to criminalize deed theft — an increasingly common practice that bold scammers use to actually steal homes and real estate.
Deed theft typically involves forged documents, such as a quit claim deed, to record a phony transfer of property ownership. Scammers will then seek to sell either the stolen vacant land or home or even rent it to turn a profit, forcing the real owners to head to court to reclaim their property.
“These scams, which often prey upon older homeowners, are becoming increasingly more common,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly). “It’s a particular risk to those who own unoccupied property and it can be a mess to untangle, with complicated and lengthy court hearings. This legislation would create a process to validate a person’s identity when he or she files a title deed and other real estate and personal property records.”
Another measure (2026-H 7173aa) adds telecommunications infrastructure to a law protecting electric and communications lines from tampering.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the theft of copper and engineering equipment from these sites,” said Representative Kennedy, who attended a presentation on the issue at a September event sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures. “Perpetrators steal batteries and power cables from wireless towers and small cell sites, cut copper and other communication lines, and willfully and intentionally destroy wireless sites and fiber optic lines.”
He also introduced a new law (2026-H 7865A) to establish a “Strengthen Rhody Homes” program, which will 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.
Kennedy, 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.”
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
|
|