---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- OPERATION OF RAILROADS GENERALLY"
description: "Provides that no train or light engine would be used in connection with the movement of freight could be operated unless it had a crew consisting of at least 2 persons, would also include the imposition of fines upon a company for violation of the act."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 7608"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 7608 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dawson"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 16
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2026-02-11"
last_action: "2026-06-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5005e797-e68d-48e8-8785-865b712b1945"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "cbb3ed711441e9b9d33fb52135b8504fea6a89336061eadc3ac3bc62f94536e6"
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 7608 (2026) — AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- OPERATION OF RAILROADS GENERALLY

Provides that no train or light engine would be used in connection with the movement of freight could be operated unless it had a crew consisting of at least 2 persons, would also include the imposition of fines upon a company for violation of the act.

## Version chain

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

1. **7608** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7608.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **72–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Dawson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-02-11** 02/11/2026 Introduced, referred to House Corporations `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2026-02-19** 02/19/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
- **2026-02-23** 02/23/2026 Meeting postponed (02/24/2026)
- **2026-02-27** 02/27/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/03/2026)
- **2026-03-03** 03/03/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2026-04-24** 04/24/2026 Scheduled for consideration (04/28/2026)
- **2026-04-28** 04/28/2026 Committee recommends passage `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-01** 05/01/2026 Placed on House Calendar (05/12/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-05-12** 05/12/2026 House read and passed `passage`
- **2026-05-15** 05/15/2026 Referred to Senate Housing and Municipal Government `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-26** 05/26/2026 Scheduled for consideration (05/28/2026)
- **2026-05-28** 05/28/2026 Committee recommends passage in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-06-05** 06/05/2026 Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (06/09/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-06-09** 06/09/2026 Senate passed in concurrence `passage`
- **2026-06-16** 06/16/2026 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2026-06-18** 06/18/2026 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/5005e797-e68d-48e8-8785-865b712b1945`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).