---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES"
description: "Sets the zoning statewide for “family child care homes” to no fewer than twelve (12) children maximum."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 7371"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 7371 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ackerman", "Diaz", "Donovan", "Fellela", "Fogarty", "Hull", "McNamara", "Messier", "Shallcross Smith", "Slater"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 16
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2026-01-28"
last_action: "2026-06-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/93a9d768-5726-4f37-bd35-5db79d4fa82f"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "1326b958082da86eae0e14efa9a512d79333cc84d895c1f271ad310123632f0c"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ri"]
---

# Rhode Island HB 7371 (2026) — AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ZONING ORDINANCES

Sets the zoning statewide for “family child care homes” to no fewer than twelve (12) children maximum.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **7371** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7371.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **69–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ackerman — primary (person)
- Diaz — primary (person)
- Donovan — primary (person)
- Fellela — primary (person)
- Fogarty — primary (person)
- Hull — primary (person)
- McNamara — primary (person)
- Messier — primary (person)
- Shallcross Smith — primary (person)
- Slater — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-28** 01/28/2026 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-06** 02/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/11/2026)
- **2026-02-11** 02/11/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2026-04-10** 04/10/2026 Scheduled for consideration (04/15/2026)
- **2026-04-15** 04/15/2026 Committee recommends passage `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-24** 04/24/2026 Placed on House Calendar (04/30/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-04-30** 04/30/2026 House read and passed `passage`
- **2026-05-01** 05/01/2026 Referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-26** 05/26/2026 Scheduled for consideration
- **2026-05-27** 05/27/2026 Meeting postponed (05/28/2026)
- **2026-06-05** 06/05/2026 Scheduled for consideration (06/09/2026)
- **2026-06-09** 06/09/2026 Committee recommends passage in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-06-10** 06/10/2026 Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (06/11/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-06-11** 06/11/2026 Senate passed in concurrence `passage`
- **2026-06-16** 06/16/2026 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-06-19** 06/19/2026 Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/93a9d768-5726-4f37-bd35-5db79d4fa82f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).