New RI Laws Take Effect In 2025: What Changes To Expect?

RHODE ISLAND — With the dawn of 2025 comes new laws in effect across the state that may have a considerable effect on businesses, residents, and municipalities across Rhode Island.

Likely the most well known of those laws is the increase in minimum wage, as wages for the lowest earning Ocean State workers have increased annually since 2021. The pay raises taking effect Wednesday will increase from $14 to $17 an hour. The tipped minimum wage stayed the same at $3.89 an hour.

But other bills signed into new laws may have gone more under the radar. Here's some o the key law changes for Rhode Island in 2025:

Flavored Vape Ban

Selling flavored vaping products will be illegal in Rhode Island, beginning Wednesday.

Local businesses have challenged the ban, filing a lawsuit against the Rhode Island Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation, and the Department of Health. But on Dec. 20, U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy denied a motion for a restraining order to stop the enforcement of the new law before Jan. 1.

Changes to Laws Governing Police Misconduct Hearings

Rhode Island lawmakers approved several changes to the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR), which govern due process for police officers accused of serious misconduct. The changes include increasing the maximum suspension to 14 days before triggering a LEOBOR hearing and increasing the number hearing panel members from three to five.

The panel will include three randomly selected officers, an attorney in good standing, and a retired judge, which is appointed by the chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Police chiefs can also publicly comment on the officer in question and release video evidence.

Medical Debt

Debt collectors will no longer be allowed to report medical debt to credit bureaus. This also includes debt from EMT services.

Also read: New Medical Debt Relief Program Launches In Rhode Island.

Cameras in Nursing Homes

Beginning Thursday, people living in nursing homes can choose to have cameras installed in their rooms for their families to monitor.

Tax Relief for Retirees

At the start of the new year, the exemption for taxable retirement income for Rhode Islanders will increase from $20,000 to $50,000, for residents who earn less than $101,000 as a single filer, and less than $126,250 for joint filers.

Changes Intended to Make Building Housing Easier

Legislation aimed at making it easier to build new housing in Rhode Island will take effect Thursday. Most notable among the package of new laws is allowing cities and towns to combine their zoning and planning boards into one governing authority, to help expedite approval on housing construction.

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