Environment Council of Rhode Island

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

Watch List - 2015

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
Task force to review EPR programs (RI Regulatory Reform Act)

This act would require the division of planning to submit a report in consultation with a task force to the governor, the house speaker and the senate president by December 31, 2016, to eliminate regulatory conflicts among the department of environmental management, the resource recovery corporation and municipalities and establish a uniform process in the areas of protection of natural resources, recycling and product stewardship programs. 

5673
Arthur Handy
Deferred Legislative Agenda
*Support*
House Resolution Creating A RI House Commission On Economic Risk Due To Flooding & Sea Rise

Create an 11 member commission to study economic risks relating to and resulting from sea rise and flooding, and who would report back no later than January 6, 2016, and expire on February 6, 2016.

5478
Lauren Carson
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Voted out of Committee Legislative Agenda
*Support*
Responsible Recycling, Reuse, and Disposal of Mattresses Act

Clarifies the definition of "mattress" in the "Responsible Recycling, Reuse, and Disposal of Mattresses Act"

5755
Arthur Handy
0539
Dominick J. Ruggerio
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture In Committee In Committee
Wetlands and Buffers

Legislation implementing recommendations of the 2014 Wetlands Taskforce

5962
Arthur Handy
0737
Erin P. Lynch Prata
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture House Vote Signed Legislative Agenda
*Support*
Infrastructure Bank

Expand the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency – an existing quasi-public agency with a AAA credit rating that already loans money for infrastructure work. This is budget article 24 of H5900.

5900
2015-2016 House Committee on Finance Signed Signed Legislative Priority
*Support*
Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Extends the least cost procurement and system reliability programs reporting requirements, regarding utility base rates and adds a charge per kilowatt to be charged to customers to fund demand like management programs.

5904
Arthur Handy
0733
Joshua Miller
2015-2016 House Committee on Corporations 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Commerce Deferred Senate Vote Legislative Priority
*Support*
Sustainable Packaging Advisory Council

Would create a Sustainable Packaging Advisory Council within the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to reduce packaging waste and litter through shared responsibility for recycling. The council would manage the trust and use its funds to promote the collection, recycling, and composting of packaging materials sold in or into the state. RIRRC and the council would collect fees from products of packaging and pay to municipalities and others from the tonnage of materials recycled by each entity.

6095
Christopher R. Blazejewski
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources In Committee
Renewable Energy Standard

This act would extend the 2004 Renewable Energy Standard Schedule Program, which required the suppliers of retail electricity to obtain minimum increasing amounts of renewable energy resources, beyond 2019 to 2035

5079
Deborah Ruggiero
0089
V. Susan Sosnowski
2015-2016 House Committee on Corporations 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture Deferred Deferred Legislative Priority
*Support*
Plastic Bag Ban

This act would establish a plan for the gradual ban on the use of disposable plastic checkout bags by retail establishments.

5151
Gregg Amore
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Deferred Legislative Agenda
*Support*
Incineration

This act would allow the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to consider the use of incineration as a method to dispose of solid waste.

5273
Stephen R. Ucci
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Deferred Legislative Priority
*Oppose*
Encroachment

Regarding encroachment on state, municipal or nonprofit land, conservation organization open space land...

5787
Cale P. Keable
0263
V. Susan Sosnowski
2015-2016 House Committee on Judiciary 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Judiciary Deferred Deferred Legislative Priority
*Support*
MBTA-RIPTA Coordination

This act would enable the authority to work with MBTA to allow commuter rail passes to be used on RIPTA buses.

5005
John Joseph Lombardi
2015-2016 House Committee on Finance In Committee
Carbon Pricing Bill

This bill imposes a $15 per ton of carbon dioxide fee on all fossil fuels at their point of entry into Rhode Island. The fee would then increase by $5 per year. This fee will generate approximately 150 million dollars in revenue in the first year (2016) and will increase by approximately 50 million dollars in each succeeding year. The revenues can be used to generate direct rebates to individuals and business, to capitalize the anticipated green bank, or to fund renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other carbon reducing strategies.

0417
Walter S. Felag Jr.
2015-2016 Senate Committee on Finance Withdrawn Legislative Agenda
*Support*
Mercury Reduction & Education Act

Requires manufacturers of mercury containing lamps to establish and implement a statewide collection for the recycling of mercury containing lamps. Required DEM to develop thermostat recycling goals by regulation and to conduct a study to evaluate the number of thermostats in use that will need to be recycled.

5671
Arthur Handy
0608
Dominick J. Ruggerio
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture House Vote Deferred Legislative Agenda
*Support*
RI Cesspool Act Of 2007

Amend the Rhode Island cesspool act of 2007 by phasing out cesspools.

5668
Teresa Ann Tanzi
0369
V. Susan Sosnowski
2015-2016 House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources 2015-2016 Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture Signed Signed Legislative Priority
*Support*
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