This bill proposes amendments to the Rhode Island General Laws in Chapter 44-18, specifically Section 44-18-30, which deals with sales and use taxes. The amendments introduce a range of new exemptions from sales and use tax for various items and services. These exemptions include sales and uses beyond the state's constitutional power, newspapers, school meals, containers, purchases by charitable, educational, and religious organizations, gasoline, purchases for manufacturing, food and food ingredients under certain conditions, medicines, drugs, durable medical equipment, prosthetic devices, mobility enhancing equipment, funeral-related items, motor vehicles sold to nonresidents, sales by blind people in public buildings, air and water pollution control facilities, camps, educational institutions, vehicles and equipment for persons with disabilities, special adaptations for wheelchair accessible taxicabs, heating fuels, electricity, gas, manufacturing machinery, commercial vessels, clothing and footwear (up to $250 per item), and various other specific exemptions.

Additionally, the bill includes exemptions for water for residential use, Bibles, boats sold to nonresidents, youth activities equipment, farm equipment, compressed air, flags, motor vehicles and adaptive equipment for certain veterans, textbooks, hazardous waste recycling, promotional literature for boat manufacturers, food items paid for by food stamps, transportation charges for motor carriers, trade-in value of boats, research and development equipment, coins, farm structure construction materials, telecommunications carrier access service, boats or vessels for winter storage, jewelry display products, banks and regulated investment companies, mobile and manufactured homes, manufacturing business reconstruction materials, floral product processing supplies, horse food products, non-motorized recreational vehicles sold to nonresidents, and sprinkler and fire alarm systems in existing buildings. The bill also introduces exemptions for certain renewable energy products and equipment, such as battery energy storage system equipment, solar thermal collectors for commercial applications, and solar storage tanks that are part of commercial solar water heating or space heating systems, while clarifying that standard hot water tanks are not exempt. The bill is designed to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2961: 44-18-30