RIA Advocate Update | 10.13.26
Policy changes that reach your next restoration job
Imagine the first call of the morning. A supply line has failed, the homeowner is worried, and your crew is ready to help. Before the drying equipment goes inside, someone needs to explain the work and get the right authorization. Later, the job may require repairs and licensed trade partners.
That imagined job helps explain this month’s policy report. The proposals below could affect the paperwork at the kitchen table and who can oversee the rebuild. For members working in Rhode Island, the immediate opportunity is to comment before November 1. In New Jersey, two bills deserve a close look as they move through the legislature.
Explaining the work before it begins. AI-generated illustration of a fictional scene.
Key Takeaways
• Rhode Island’s proposed residential licensing rules raise questions about structural work and supervision. A hearing is scheduled for October 21.
• New Jersey proposals address emergency authorizations, cancellation rights and subcontractor credentials. These bills are not enacted requirements.
• Disaster funding and public contracts still depend on eligibility, approved work and supporting records. I suggest keeping those details close at hand.
General Contracting
Rhode Island needs to hear how restoration work happens
At our imagined water loss, drying may reveal structural damage. Who supervises the repairs? Rhode Island’s proposed rule 440-RICR-10-00-7 makes this a timely question.
The proposal would implement two individual licenses: Residential Structure Construction Supervisor and Residential Structure Remodeler. Nonstructural home improvements would remain under contractor registration. The agency identifies January 1, 2028 as the licensing deadline for covered homebuilding and structural remodeling. The implementing rule is still proposed.
An owner or an employee with written owner authorization could hold the license for work through a business. The proposed personal-supervision requirements deserve attention when one company runs several jobs at once. Training, insurance, examinations and recordkeeping are also addressed.
I suggest reviewing your services against the proposed definitions with the Board or qualified Rhode Island counsel. Tell us how jobs move from emergency mitigation into structural work and how your supervisors cover multiple sites. Those examples can inform comments.
Public hearing: October 21, 2026 at 10 a.m. in Cranston. Comments are due November 1, 2026. The official notice provides hearing details and accepts comments at dbr.contractorregistration@dbr.ri.gov. Your RIA advocacy team has and will continue to submit comments.
Proposed rule and official hearing notice
New Jersey puts subcontractor credentials in focus
As the rebuild begins, your project manager may call an electrician or plumber. New Jersey A5574, introduced October 5, would require subcontractors doing regulated trade work to hold their own appropriate state licenses. A prime contractor’s license would not cover an unlicensed subcontractor’s work.
The bill would require proof before work begins, permit documentation and three years of retained records. It proposes penalties and shared liability for knowingly hiring or retaining an unlicensed subcontractor. This remains a proposal. I suggest checking how your team verifies credentials and retrieves those records.
North Carolina considers a limited plumbing license pathway
A proposed amendment to 21 NCAC 50 .0306 would give certain licensed well contractors an education-based route to qualify for the Restricted Limited Plumbing Contractor examination. Applicants would still have to pass its business-and-law and technical portions. Members working with well contractors may want to review the proposal’s limits. The hearing is November 4, comments close November 30, and the proposed effective date is March 1, 2027.
North Carolina Register notice on pages 574 to 576
Oregon public work requires attention to the buyer
The report flags Oregon Parks and Recreation Department procurement rules. I suggest checking its current solicitation and contracting requirements before quoting. The agency’s website provides vendor information and bidding procedures. These requirements should not be assumed to apply to every Oregon public customer.
OPRD procurement and contract services
Restoration Insurance
Federal flood map proposal moves forward
The Senate passed S.1564 on September 30. The Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act would waive certain flood-map review fees for ecosystem restoration projects, which restore natural aquatic or floodplain functions. The October 7 report records it as awaiting House action. This proposal does not create a payment program for building restoration.
Senate-passed bill text | Legislative status
Restorer Rights
New Jersey connects emergency work with clear authorization
Return to the homeowner at the start of our imagined job. They want help immediately, while your team needs a clear agreement about the work. New Jersey A3341 addresses that moment. As amended October 5, it would give consumers age 65 or older five business days to cancel a covered home-improvement contract. The general three-business-day cancellation period would remain.
The proposal also would allow consumers to waive cancellation rights for defined emergency restoration services by signing an emergency authorization that includes a cost estimate. If the cost exceeds that estimate, the business would have to obtain a new signed authorization. The definition covers services such as extraction and drying, but limits the inclusion of repair and replacement when structural, electrical, plumbing or air-conditioning work is involved.
The bill remains proposed. I suggest asking qualified New Jersey counsel how your present forms address urgent work and changes in cost. A crew needs to know when to pause for another conversation with the customer.
A3341 text as amended October 5
Disaster Response
Documenting damage during recovery. AI-generated illustration of a fictional scene.
Illinois funding proposal makes documentation relevant
When the customer is a community recovering from a disaster, the job file can become part of a funding request. Illinois HB5819, introduced October 6, proposes grants for eligible local governments in 15 named counties for costs tied to the Governor’s August 18, 2026 disaster proclamation. Funding would depend on an appropriation.
This is proposed reimbursement to local governments, not an automatic payment program for contractors or homeowners. If you support an affected public customer, I suggest keeping invoices, damage records and approved scopes organized by event. Confirm eligibility and purchasing authority with that customer before relying on possible funding.
Illinois HB5819 legislative record
Stay Connected and Support Advocacy
Think about a recent job where an authorization, licensing question or public-contract requirement affected your response. What happened, and what would have helped? Please send me a brief example at vscarfo@restorationindustry.org, leaving out customer names and confidential details. I believe those practical experiences can help policymakers understand the decisions restoration professionals make every day.
This update is general educational information, not legal advice. Proposals may change. Confirm current requirements with the responsible agency or qualified counsel before making business decisions.