RI House passes bill for pets in divorces, other bills to head to senate

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island House of Representatives have passed legislation that would create custody procedures for pets in divorces.

Representative Charlene M. Lima, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that pets are often treated as property to be used as leverage, without regard for the pet’s well-being.

The bill would now direct the courts to consider factors such as who owned the animal first, who took care of it the most, and whether or not any children helped raised it during the divorce proceedings.

The bill will head to the senate for vote. If passed, it will head to Governor Dan McKee’s desk for signage.

The House of Representative have also passed a bill that addresses the local zoning ordinances related to the number of unrelated individuals living in the same home.

Rep. Jacquelin Baginski of Cranston is the main sponsor of this bill and is looking at the 17 communities that still limit the number of unrelated residents living in homes, some of them setting that number at 3, regardless of the home size.

“The goal of this bill is to increase available housing supply. In light of someone starting to build more affordable housing at a rapid rate the only way we can increase the current supply is to maximize what we already have,” she told ABC6 earlier this month.

The bill’s proponents cite the housing crisis for the new zoning definitions in the bill.

The bill will also head to the senate for a vote.