PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft will now be regulated in Rhode Island.
Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Thursday that the legislation establishing the new rules was among 45 bills she signed into law this week.
The law takes effect in the fall. It will put the app companies under the oversight of the state’s public utilities commission, the same agency that regulates traditional taxi operators.
It will require the companies to do their own driver background checks, set minimum insurance requirements and pay an annual $30,000 permit if they have 200 or more drivers.
Uber supports the rules. It strongly opposed earlier legislation that would have required its drivers to be fingerprinted. The fingerprinting provision was dropped from compromise legislation approved by state lawmakers last month.
