R.I. lawmakers pass bill to let bars stay open until 4 a.m. during World Cup

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island lawmakers have given final approval to to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.

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On Thursday, the House voted 54 to 8 for the Senate version of the bill, and the Senate then voted 30 to 6 for the House version of the bill. And Governor Daniel J. McKee signed the bill into law on Friday.

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu is backing a proposal on Beacon Hill that would allow communities across Massachusetts to temporarily extend last call as late as 3 a.m. during the tournament, and allow public drinking in designated districts. Wu has said the bill would help local businesses benefit from an expected surge of visitors for the World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The Rhode Island legislation would enable — but not require — local licensing authorities to extend the hours that bars and restaurants can remain open until 4 a.m., and to serve liquor until 3 a.m., during World Cup matches between June 11 and July 3.

“The FIFA World Cup is by far the largest sporting event in the world and presents Rhode Island with a unique economic opportunity,” said Representative Joshua J. Giraldo, the Central Falls Democrat who sponsored the .

“The bill provides municipalities with the flexibility to participate in the economic opportunities of this tournament by providing patrons with a safe venue to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event,” he said in a statement.

But some legislators warned about the dangers of allowing bars to remain open that late.

Senator Leonidas P. Raptakis, a Coventry Democrat, voted against the House bill on Thursday, saying, “I want to pray for all our first responders that will be working those hours, after hours, trying to stop anyone who is inebriated or drunk on your highways and also pray for all Rhode Islanders on those given days.”

During a May 5 vote on the legislation, House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale, a Foster Republican, called it “a reckless bill.”

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“That same outstanding experience of bringing folks from all over the world to Rhode Island brings with them their unfamiliarity with our laws and cultures and rules,” he said. “It almost signals, ‘Party hearty, friends — Rhode Island is a great place to get wasted.’”

Rhode Island has made great strides in reducing drunken driving, Chippendale said. While some bars will make more money with extended hours, cities and towns won’t be able to recoup the money spent dispatching police officers and ambulances to accidents. “God, I pray there’s no deaths,” he said.

But in a statement, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Matthew L. LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat, said the World Cup matches provide “a huge economic opportunity for Rhode Island.

“As these matches are taking place at various times, this bill will give bars and restaurants the option of remaining open to provide a safe place for fans to watch and enjoy those games, as long as local licensing authorities agree,” he said.

Rhode Island is less than 30 miles from Gillette Stadium, which has been dubbed Boston Stadium for purposes of the World Cup, and it will be hosting seven matches. And state officials are hoping to reap economic benefits from having an international sporting event just down the road.

Giraldo said more than 5 billion people watched at least part of the last World Cup, and with matches being played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., it’s expected to have a $330 million economic impact on Rhode Island. For example, the La Casona Colombian restaurant in Central Falls backs the legislation, and reports the soccer matches bring in some of the biggest crowds, he said.

Giraldo said he has faith in Rhode Island’s local governments and licensing authorities to regulate what’s appropriate for their communities. “They know what needs to happen, what sort of police detail is necessary for the different kinds of businesses,” he said.

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