Rhode Island legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Rhode Island H7972: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- STATE PURCHASES (Amends the process for creating and governing project labor agreements (“PLA”).)
Status: Signed into law, June 18, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2026:
2026 -- H 7972 ======== LC005171 ======== STATEOFRHODEISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ ANACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- STATE PURCHASES Introduced By: Representatives Shanley, Corvese, Cruz, Casimiro, Casey, Solomon, Dawson, Cotter, Spears, and Bennett Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: House Labor It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 37-2 of the General Laws entitled "State Purchases" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 37-2-24.1. Project labor agreements. (a) Legislative purpose. The purpose of this section is to protect investments in public works projects, while promoting successful construction delivery and offsetting performance risks through the use of project labor agreements (PLAs") in accordance with the requirements of this section. (b) Legislative findings. The general assembly recognizes and finds that: (1) Capital investments in public works projects are among the state's largest budget expenditures and construction contracts executed in connection with these projects present substantial risks of cost overruns, schedule delays and other performance problems as the result of weather, material costs, unforeseen site conditions and other factors that cannot be controlled, which underscores the need to maximize effective management of factors that can be controlled. (2) One factor that can be reasonably controlled in public works projects is the sourcing and management of craft labor supply, …
Sponsors
- Evan Shanley (D) · primary sponsor
- Arthur Corvese (D, HD-055)
- Cherie Cruz (D, HD-058)
- Julie Casimiro (D, HD-031)
- Stephen Casey (D, HD-050)
- Joseph Solomon (D)
- Matthew Dawson (D, HD-065)
- Megan Cotter (D, HD-039)
- Tina Spears (D, HD-036)
- David Bennett (D, HD-020)
Latest actions
- : Signed by Governor
- : Transmitted to Governor
- : Senate passed Sub A in concurrence
- : Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar
- : House passed Sub A
- : Placed on House Calendar
- : Committee recommends passage of Sub A
- : Proposed Substitute
- : Scheduled for consideration
- : Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Votes
- House Seq #493: PASSAGE (June 10, 2026): 70 yea, 1 nay, passed
- House Committee on Labor: Passage of Sub A (June 9, 2026): 10 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Gardens
Common questions
- What is H7972?
- H7972 is a bill in the Rhode Island Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS -- STATE PURCHASES (Amends the process for creating and governing project labor agreements (“PLA”).).
- What is the status of H7972?
- Signed into law as of June 18, 2026. Latest action: Signed by Governor (June 18, 2026).
- Who sponsored H7972?
- Evan Shanley (D), with 9 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H7972?
- On the Rhode Island Legislature website: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7972A.pdf
Source: official Rhode Island record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.