Environment Council of Rhode Island

...building an ecologically healthy future in a sustainable economy

2022 Legislative Agenda

ECRI has considered these bills and has decided to support or oppose them at hearings. People interested in tracking legislation during the session are encouraged to sign up for an account in the General Assembly's Bill Tracker system.

FYI, all blue-headed columns are sortable, e.g., by bill number, topic, support/oppose, etc.

Legislative Agenda
Legislative Topic Title and Description House Bill#sort descending Senate Bill # Link(s) to Bill text pdfs ECRI's Position
Climate and Energy Stops Incentivizing Gas Hookups.

Climate incentives for connecting new gas customers.

2687 S2687 Support
Resilience and Adaptatiion Ocean State Climate And Resilience (OSCAR) Petroleum Fund.

This bill would Impose an adaption fee on every barrel of petroleum products and asphalt products received at a marine terminal within this state.

2293 S2293 Support
Climate and Energy Energy Facility Siting Act (Revises EFSA and EFSB).

This bill increases membership of the EFSB from 3 to 5 members & revises siting process to mandate public/municipal participation.

2392 S2392 Oppose
Waste Polystyrene Foam Ban.

This act would prohibit a covered establishment from preparing, selling, processing orproviding food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam.

7063 2050 H7063, S2050 Support
Waste Nip Ban.

This act would prohibit the sale of miniature alcoholic beverage containers in Rhode Island. This act would exempt the sale or distribution of miniature alcoholic beverage containers to passengers on commercial railroad trains or aircraft, as long as the containers are collected prior to passengers disembarking off the train or aircraft.

7064 2140 H7064, S2140 Support
Waste Plastic Checkout Bag Ban.

This act would create the "Plastic Waste Reduction Act" designed to reduce the use of plastic bags by retail establishments by offering recyclable bag options and providing penalties for violations.

7065 2446 H7065, H7065subA, S2446 Support
Transportation Parking Facilities - EV Charging Stations.

Requires installation of designated electric vehicle parking spaces, with charging capabilities, by certain business/municipalities/housing developments in existing/new/expanded parking lots as of 1/1/23.

7112 2209 H7112, S2209 Support
Budget Green School Building Referendum.

This bill will allow for a statewide voter referendum seeking approval of capital development bonds for school buildings in the amount of three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000) on the November 2022 ballot. Included are incentives for energy-efficient building practices.

7125 2596 H7125, S2596, S2596subA Support
Climate and Energy Solar Panel Fee.

Requires a yearly deposit of $200 per solar panel into an escrow account for the future disposal and exempts residential homeowners from the deposit.

7126 H7126 Oppose
Water and Toxics Restricting Neonicotinoids.

Restricts the use of neonicotinoids which are a class of insecticides.

7129 2299 H7129, S2299 Support
Water and Toxics PFAS – Water Standards & Testing.

This act would provide for the Dept of Health to take action to establish maximum contaminant levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and set interim standards. The act would also provide that the Dept of Environmental Management set standards for PFAS in ground and surface waters, and adopt standards for PFAS monitoring at landfills.

7233 2298 H7233, H7233subA, S2298, S2298subA Support
Water and Toxics PFAS – Industrial Property Remediation & Reuse.

This act would define and provide that "per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances" (PFAS) be included within the definition of "hazardous substances" for purposes of industrial property remediation and reuse.

7234 2447 H7234, S2447 Support
Climate and Energy Climate Literacy Act.

Requires RI Dept of Education to implement a plan ensuring that students enrolled in public schools become climate literate by graduation from high school.

7275 2039 H7275, S2039 Support
Buildings Green Buildings Act Expansion.

This act would expand the definition of public buildings under the green buildings act and would include those buildings in any subdivision of the state; would include private major facility projects, if those projects received any economic benefit from the state; would mandate public reports for all such projects; and would authorize the establishment of a green buildings advisory committee.

7278 2700 H7278, S2700, S2700subA Support
Waste Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging.

This act would enact the extended producer responsibility for packaging act requiring producers of packaging material to make changes to their product design in an effort to reduce the use of non-reusable, non-recyclable and toxic packaging. This act would further create the producer responsibility program requiring producers to make necessary changes to their product design(s) to reduce packaging consumption and waste, and assess fees based on the packaging.

7279 2296 H7279, S2296 Support
Climate and Energy Net Metering – Prior Use & Credits.

This bill does not limit installation of a net metering system based on 3 years prior, and would also credit consumer for energy not used.

7333 2301 H7333, S2301 Support
Climate and Energy EFSA Requires GHG Consideration .

This legislation requires carbon-emissions-reduction goals be considered in energy plant siting proceedings.

7336 2179 H7336, S2179 Support
Buildings All-Electric Building Act.

This bill would provide that no city or town would issue a permit for the construction of new buildings that are not an all-electric building, if the initial application for a permit was submitted after December 31, 2023, unless certain circumstances apply. Exceptions would be for restaurants, hospitals, medical facilities or biolabs.

7374 H7374 Support
Waste Bottle Deposit Required .10 + .04.

This act would create a refundable ten cent ($0.10) deposit for non-reusable beverage containers. A four cent ($0.04) handling fee would be paid by distributors.

7378 2300 H7378, S2300 Support
Waste Prohibits Waste in Construction Fill.

Prohibits the use of hazardous waste or solid waste as fill on any construction site project and renders the use of such soil as fill a felony.

7413 H7413 Support
Water and Toxics Comprehensive PFAS Ban Act 2022.

Prohibits use of PFAS in carpets, upholstered furniture, textile furnishings, apparel, cosmetics, juvenile products, cookware, firefighting foam and gives authority to the department of environmental management to regulate and the use.

7436 2449 H7436, S2449 Support
Water and Toxics No PFAS in Food Packaging.

Prohibits the sale or promotional distribution of any food package in Rhode Island which contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), effective January 1, 2024.

7438 2044 S2044, H7438, H7438subA Support
Land and Forest Prohibits Canned Hunting (Slater).

This act would prohibit captive hunting for domestic or wild animals. This act does not prohibit the release of upland game birds for hunting on licensed shooting preserves.

7439 2651 H7439, S2651 Support
Transportation Free RIPTA.

This act would prohibit the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) from imposing any fares and/or charges for service provided to the general public.

7448 2015 S2015, S2015subA, H7448 Support
Environmental Justice LIHEAP With Tiered Enhancement.

This bill creates an income-sensitive, tiered subsidy program to ensure that home energy utility costs are affordable for eligible low-income households.

7530 2182 S2182, H7530 Support
Climate and Energy Gas distribution revenue decoupling.

Amends the revenue decoupling reconciliation mechanism used by a gas distribution company for the purposes of revenue decoupling to not require that distribution be determined on a revenue-per-customer basis.

7600 2737 S2737, H7600 Support
Environmental Justice EC4 EJ Advisory Board.

Establishes the Rhode Island executive climate change coordinating council equity and environmental justice advisory board to advise on decision-making and equitable outcomes.

7611 3043 H7611, H7611subA, S3043 Support
Transportation Electric Transportation Act.

Provides for a plan and structure to transition to green energy in motor and other vehicles

7653 2448 S2448, H7653 Support
Labor and Workforce Transition Clean Energy Workforce Commission.

Creates the Governor’s Clean Energy Workforce Transition Commission.

7755 2585 H7755, S2585, S2585subAaa Support
Water and Toxics Mercury reduction (no CFLs, etc.).

Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2024, any compact fluorescent lamp or linear fluorescent lamp to be offered for final sale, sold at final sale, or distributed in the state as a new manufactured product.

7788 2866 H7788, S2866, H7788subA Support
Buildings Green Buildings Act #2.

 Creates the building performance standards act to, by way of benchmarking and reporting, create a statewide analysis of energy use and ways to increase energy efficiency.

7850 H7850 Support
Transportation Greenhouse Gas Pollution Standards.

Establishes the greenhouse gas pollution standards project to ensure the state achieves the emission reduction goals of the act on climate as those projects pertain to transportation alternatives and projects.

7851 H7851 Support
Climate and Energy Affordable Clean Energy Act.

Amends the affordable clean energy security act and the long-term contracting standard for renewable energy.

7971 2583 H7971, H7971subA, S2583, S2583subA Support
Land and Forest Public Use of Private Lands.

Changes the definition of owner to exclude the state and municipalities for the purposes of liability limitations relating to public use of private lands.

8037 H8037 Support
Land and Forest Defines high tide line re public access.

Provides a definition of the Recognizable High Tide Line for the Public's Rights and Privileges of the Shore.

8055 H8055, H8055subA Support
Labor and Workforce Transition Labor standards in renewable energy projects.

 Adds a new chapter known as the Labor Standards in Renewable Energy Projects.

8074 2740 S2740, S2740subA, H8074, H8074subA Support
Transportation Bond Request for Transit Improvement.

Submits 2022 capital development program requesting the issuance of $100,000,000 in general obligation bonds to the voters for approval at the November 8, 2022, general election.

8112 H8112 Support
Transportation Bond Request for Bicycle Mobility.

Submits 2022 capital development program requesting the issuance of $25,000,000 in general obligation bonds to the voters for approval at the November 8, 2022, general election.

8113 H8113 Support
Water and Toxics Lead Poisoning Prevention Act.

Establishes a lead water supply replacement program for public and private service lines and requires disclosure to tenants and buyers of real property of the presence of lead service lines.

8153 2765 S2765, S2765Aaa, H8153 Support
Budget Funds DeM AoC Outreach and Engagement.

This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $150,000 to the Department of Environmental Management.

8179 H8179 Support
Budget Funds DEM AoC Public Education and PR.

This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $150,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for the creation of a public relations and communications plan.

8180 H8180 Support
Budget Funds DEM AoC Climate Dashboard.

This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $250,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for the creation of a climate dashboard.)

8181 H8181 Support
Legislative Priority
Legislative Topic Title and Description House Bill#sort descending Senate Bill # Link(s) to Bill text pdfs ECRI's Position
Budget State Budget 2023.

State Budget for 2023

7123 H7123, H7123subAaa Support
Climate and Energy 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030.

Increases the percentage of retail electricity sales from renewable energy sources.

7277 2274 H7277, H7277subA, S2274, S2274subA, S2274subAaa Support
Climate and Energy Solar on developed sites and schools.

Provides that certain eligible net metering systems projects, including solar siting, cannot be sited in Conservation Opportunity Areas (C)As) [also referred to as "solar on developed sites and schools"].

7531 H7531 Support
Environmental Justice The Environmental Justice Act.

Requires the Dept of Environmental Management to create environmental justice areas.

8036 2087 S2087, H8036 Support
Waste "advanced recycling" = refuse disposal.

Adds advanced recycling as a definition for refuse disposal. Adds the advanced recycling facility that means a facility that receives, stores and converts post-use polymers and recovered feedstocks using advanced recycling.

8089 2788 S2788, H8089, S2788subA Oppose