Watch List - 2021
ECRI may or may not have an official stance on these bills. People interested in tracking legislation during the session are encouraged to sign up for an account in the General Assembly's Bill Tracker system.
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Bill Title | House Bill # & Sponsor | Senate Bill & Sponsor | House Committee | Senate Committee | House Bill Status | Senate Bill Status | ECRI Position | Updated date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Advanced Recycling" License required for advanced recycling facilities. No licensing within two (2) miles residential zone, school, place of worship or waterway or wetlands, except this prohibition shall not apply to grandfathered operation. H55446: Exempts post-use polymers and recovered feedstocks used in advanced recycling processes from the definition of solid waste |
5446 Carlos E. Tobon |
0254 Frank Lombardo, III |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Judiciary | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:54pm |
Act On Climate Establishes a statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction mandate. |
5445 Lauren Carson |
0078 Dawn Euer |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/11/2022 - 12:53pm |
Appliance Efficiency Standards Act of 2021 Establishes minimum energy and water efficiency standards for appliances and specified equipment purchased or installed after January 1, 2023 |
5966 Arthur Handy |
0339 V. Susan Sosnowski |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:47pm |
Beverage Container Deposit Recycling Act Of 2021 Creates a refundable four cent ($0.04) deposit for non-reusable beverage containers. A ten cent ($0.10) handling fee would be paid by distributors. |
5280 Carol Hagan McEntee |
0106 Jeanine Calkin, 0220 Jeanine Calkin |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | Held For Further Study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/05/2022 - 3:31pm | ||
Climate Literacy Act Implements literacy of climate change for all students enrolled in public schools or other schools managed and controlled by the state in kindergarten through twelve (K-12). |
5625 Terri Cortvriend |
0464 Valarie J. Lawson |
2021-2022 House Committee on Education | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Education | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/11/2022 - 12:22pm |
Disposable Food Service Containers Prohibits a covered establishment from preparing, selling, processing or providing food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam |
5138 David A. Bennett |
0036 Joshua Miller |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:45pm |
Enables Conservation Easements Requires conservation and preservation restrictions to be liberally interpreted in favor of the grants awarded. |
5472 Robert E. Craven Sr. |
0094 Louis P. DiPalma |
2021-2022 House Committee on Judiciary | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Finance | Held For Further Study | Passed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:43pm |
Energy Efficiency - Least Cost Procurement Requires the energy efficiency and resources management council to run a triennial competitive bid process to select an entity to propose and administer system reliability and energy efficiency and conservation procurement until March 1, 2036. (Senate) Requires submission of a triennial system reliability/energy efficiency/conservation procurement plan until 9/1/2036 and continues a charge on gas/electricity to fund energy efficiency/conversation programs until 9/1/2035. (House) |
6144 Deborah Ruggiero |
0634 V. Susan Sosnowski |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Commerce | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:44pm |
Environmental Justice Act Requires the department of environmental management to create environmental justice areas. |
0105 Dawn Euer |
2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Passed Senate - Sent to House |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:58pm | |||
Forest Conservation Act Creates a forest conservation commission, to be coordinated with the department of environmental management, to seek new funding and identify incentives for landowners to maintain their land as forest. |
5760 June S. Speakman |
0470 Frank A. Ciccone III |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:44pm |
Green Buildings Act Amendments Repeals the expiration provisions that major facility projects or other public improvements comply with green building standards, thereby requiring major facility projects of state agencies to be constructed to LEED standards. |
5919 Terri Cortvriend |
0760 Louis P. DiPalma |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Finance | Passed | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:54pm |
Green Justice Zone Act Establishes the first Green Justice Zone, a model that may be replicated in future years to ensure that all communities throughout the state have clean air and clean water. |
5674 David Morales |
0540 Tiara T. Mack |
2021-2022 House Committee on Finance | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Judiciary | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:03pm |
Helium Balloons Prohibits the release of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gas |
5376 Susan R. Donovan |
0038 V. Susan Sosnowski |
2021-2022 House Committee on Judiciary | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/11/2022 - 11:56am |
High Heat Waste Facility Prohibition Prohibits new high-heat waste processing facilities. |
5923 Justine A. Caldwell |
0527 Bridget G. Valverde |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Judiciary | Signed | Deferred |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:47pm |
Home Energy Affordability (PIPP) Creates the Percentage of Income Home Energy Affordability Program, an income-sensitive tiered subsidy program to ensure that home energy utility costs are affordable for eligible low-income households.
|
5809 Scott Slater |
0584 V. Susan Sosnowski |
2021-2022 House Committee on Finance | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Finance | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/09/2022 - 5:09pm |
Miniature Alcoholic Beverage Container Act Creates a refundable fifty cent ($0.50) deposit for miniature alcoholic beverage containers, often referred to as "nips." |
5113 David A. Bennett |
0562 Joshua Miller |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/11/2022 - 12:24pm |
Neonicotinoid Pesticide Regulation Prohibits the use of neonicotinoids which are a class of insecticides. |
5641 Rebecca M. Kislak |
0702 Joshua Miller |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Passed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:05pm | |
Ocean State Climate Adaptation Fund Establishes the Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Fund. Enables municipalities and the state to apply for grants to improve public safety and community climate resilience for coastal habitats, as well as river and stream floodplains. |
5967 Camille F.J. Vella Wilkinson |
0035 Ryan W. Pearson |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/11/2022 - 12:10pm |
PFAS In Drinking Water, Groundwater And Surface Waters Requires DOH to establish maximum contaminate levels of PFAS in drinking water and to set interim standards. Also requires DEM to set standards for PFAS in ground- and surface waters. Defines PFSA as hazardous substances. |
5523 June S. Speakman |
0107 Walter S. Felag Jr. |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Held For Further Study | Passed Senate - Sent to House |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:48pm |
PFAS in Food Packaging Prohibits PFAS, a class of fluorinated organic chemicals, from being used in food packaging. |
5356 Terri Cortvriend |
0110 James A. Seveney |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Passed House - Sent to Senate | Held for further study |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:48pm |
Plastic Waste Reduction Act Creates 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. |
5358 Carol Hagan McEntee |
0037 Dominick J. Ruggerio |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Held For Further Study | Passed Senate - Sent to House |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:46pm |
Prohibit Solar Project Co-location Prohibits the co-location of multiple renewable energy resources one or more contiguous parcels, unless the total capacity of the co-location is less than ten megawatts (10MW) in total. |
6169 June S. Speakman |
0474 Alana DiMario |
2021-2022 House Committee on Corporations | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Held For Further Study | Held for further study |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:45pm |
Public Trust Designation for Municipal Lands Creates a voluntary mechanism for municipalities to use to dedicate a park, conservation or other land they own as public trust land in perpetuity to protect and preserve its future use. |
5259 John G. Edwards |
0172 Dawn Euer |
2021-2022 House Committee on Municipal Government & Housing | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:44pm |
Renewable Energy Standard (Increases the percentage of retail electricity sales from renewable energy sources. Sets forth new renewable energy standards. |
5762 Deborah Ruggiero |
0629 Dominick J. Ruggerio |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Commerce | Held For Further Study | Passed Senate - Sent to House |
Legislative Priority ** |
08/11/2022 - 12:32pm |
Single-Use Plastic Straws Prohibits a food service establishment from providing a consumer with a single-use plastic straw, unless the consumer requests such a straw |
5131 David A. Bennett |
0155 Michael J. McCaffrey |
2021-2022 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | Signed | Signed |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 10:08pm |
Transportation Emission and Mobile (TEAM) Community Act Establishes the Transportation Emission and Mobile (Team) Community Act intended to limit and reduce indirect carbon dioxide emissions throughout the state while promoting the purposes of the transportation climate initiative program. |
6310 Terri Cortvriend |
0872 Alana DiMario |
2021-2022 House Committee on Finance | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture | In Committee | Passed Senate - Sent to House |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:53pm |
Vulnerable Road User Protection Povides for specific fines and sanctions to operators of motor vehicles who fail to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user causing injury, serious injury, or death to the vulnerable road user. |
5093 Joseph M. McNamara |
0318 Stephen R. Archambault |
2021-2022 House Committee on Judiciary | 2021-2022 Senate Committee on Judiciary | Signed | Effective without Governor's signature |
Legislative Agenda ** |
08/04/2022 - 9:52pm |