---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- FACILITATING BUSINESS RAPID RESPONSE TO STATE DECLARED DISASTER ACT OF 2024"
description: "Incorporates broadband, internet, and wireless means into the crime of injuring electric and communication lines and authorizes municipalities to grant zoning relief for the protection of critical infrastructure."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 7173"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 7173 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ackerman", "Azzinaro", "Cotter", "Diaz", "Edwards", "Fellela", "Kennedy", "O'Brien", "Serpa", "Solomon"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 14
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-01-21"
last_action: "2026-06-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/acecfc73-30f3-4420-9657-1f048717f2e1"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "f585bf8bfb32b751fb44a5b64c98196df97cbcb98965b7baa9ee9610e30c45b2"
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 7173 (2026) — AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- FACILITATING BUSINESS RAPID RESPONSE TO STATE DECLARED DISASTER ACT OF 2024

Incorporates broadband, internet, and wireless means into the crime of injuring electric and communication lines and authorizes municipalities to grant zoning relief for the protection of critical infrastructure.

## Version chain

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

1. **7173 as amended** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7173aa.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT — **69–0** (pass) · lower
- AS AMENDED — **68–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ackerman — primary (person)
- Azzinaro — primary (person)
- Cotter — primary (person)
- Diaz — primary (person)
- Edwards — primary (person)
- Fellela — primary (person)
- Kennedy — primary (person)
- O'Brien — primary (person)
- Serpa — primary (person)
- Solomon — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-21** 01/21/2026 Introduced, referred to House Corporations `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2026-01-30** 01/30/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/03/2026)
- **2026-02-03** 02/03/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2026-04-03** 04/03/2026 Scheduled for consideration (04/07/2026)
- **2026-04-07** 04/07/2026 Committee recommends passage `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-24** 04/24/2026 Placed on House Calendar (04/28/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-04-28** 04/28/2026 House passed as amended (floor amendment) `passage`
- **2026-05-01** 05/01/2026 Referred to Senate Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-26** 05/26/2026 Scheduled for consideration (05/28/2026)
- **2026-05-28** 05/28/2026 Committee recommends passage as amended in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-06-05** 06/05/2026 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/09/2026) `reading-3`
- **2026-06-09** 06/09/2026 Senate passed as amended 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/acecfc73-30f3-4420-9657-1f048717f2e1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).