2013 Legislative Agenda

This act would require that food and food products derived from or containing genetically modified organisms be labeled as such by the manufacturer, retailer or other person before putting it on the market for sale in Rhode Island.

Eliminates the prohibition of incinerating solid waste from the statewide solid waste management plan, would allow non-hazardous contaminated soils originating out of state for use on site as daily cover material, and would allow glass to be used as cover material.

This act would reduce the gasoline tax by five cents ($.05) from thirty-two cents ($0.32) per gallon to twenty-seven cents ($0.27) per gallon.

This act would establish a single set of environmental standards for the state while reducing local regulatory burden and would prohibit cities and towns from enacting future ordinances which are more restrictive than regulations established by the department of environmental management or the coastal resources management council.

Facilitates, promotes, and supports the creation of newly developed renewable energy resources. In addition, the act extends the distributed generation contracts program.

This act would establish the procedure for the recycling, reuse and disposal of mattresses.

This act would provide for the addition of certain definitions relative to "slope of land," and other terms within the chapters of the general laws relating to zoning and subdivision of land. Notably, slope of land shall not be excluded from the calculation of the buildable lot area or the minimum lot size, or in the calculation of the number of buildable lots or units.

This act would reinstate the residential renewable energy system tax credit.

This act would amend the definition of small distributed generation project, and would allow hydroelectric projects to participate in the standard contract enforcement program.

This act would change the method by which members of the Coastal Resource Management Council are appointed, in accordance with the Separation of Powers Constitutional Amendment.

Provides for the payment of costs incurred by the DEM and office of energy resources up to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) or five percent (5%) of the proceeds of any sale or auction of allowances.

5534 SUB A as amended
This act would repeal the provision of the general laws requiring water suppliers to formulate a program for the installation of radio frequency reading systems. This act would also provide that water suppliers bill quarterly or less frequently by December 31, 2013.

This act would add three (3) members to the State Planning Council, namely: The Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources; The Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority; The Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing.

Eliminates the prohibition on inclusion of incineration of solid waste in the statewide resource recovery system development plan.

Establishes a procedure to allow municipalities to purchase, rather than rent, their street lights for the purpose of reducing municipal street lighting costs.

This act would require children's jewelry, manufactured or sold within one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the act, to conform to standards promulgated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Eliminates the statute prohibiting schools from being built on sites containing hazardous material, but provides certain safeguards for schools being built on properties previously used for industrial or manufacturing purposes.

This act would establish a rigid schedule for the covered administrative agencies to publish and adopt rules and amendments. It would also prohibit the promulgation of an emergency rule or amendment without the written consent of the governor. This bill would cripple all of DEM's rule-making ability – especially in their Marine Fisheries and Fish & Wildlife divisions where regulatory changes are frequent and necessary.

This act would regulate the phase-out of wood stoves without EPA certification in densely populated residential areas.

5425Sub A and 0672Sub A
This act would require the Rhode Island division of planning, in consultation with a task force representing diverse interests, to prepare and submit to the governor, the senate president and the speaker of the house, a report that would make recommendations for state standards that addresses onsite waste water treatment systems (OWTS) regulations, and wetlands and watershed planning. This act would not apply to OWTS, maintenance, and cesspool phase-outs.
This act would take effect upon passage.

PACE, or Property-Assessed Clean Energy, creates a financing mechanism for homeowners for clean energy and energy efficiency improvements and allows them to repay the loan on their property taxes.