2020 Legislative Agenda

Sets new renewable energy standards which increase annually beginning in 2021 so that by 2030 all obligated entities shall obtain 100% of electricity sold at retail to Rhode Island end-use customers from eligible renewable-energy resources.

Re: Litter Control & Recycling, this bill adds "cigarette butts" to the definition of "litter".

Creates a refundable ten cent ($0.10) deposit for non-reusable beverage containers.

This bill adds climate change/sea-level rise/coastal resiliency to data analysis in long-term economic planning. Changes number of members of the economic development planning council from 17 to 19 by adding the Directors of Environmental Management and Coastal Resources Council.

Establishes the Commuter Transportation Benefit Act such that employers with five hundred (500) or more employees would provide a pre-tax transportation fringe benefit program or provide transportation to their employees.

Requires conservation and preservation restrictions to be liberally interpreted in favor of the grants awarded.

This bill establishes a program to control mosquitoes and ticks by the Dept of Health & DEM to coordinate the state's response to combatting the spread of mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases. It engages stakeholders before aerial spraying for mosquitos and ticks; monitor afterwards.

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.

This bill creates a fee on companies that sell fossil fuels in Rhode Island and establishes an "economic and climate resilience fund" to disburse the collected funds to all residents and businesses in RI for climate resilience, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate adaptation programs, including low-income residents and small businesses.

Instructs the Department of Health to establish maximum PFAS levels in water.

Would expand the prohibition against idling of engines to include all types of engines, not just diesel engines.

Prohibits the 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.

This bill establishes the Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Fund (OSCAR) which allows 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.

Provides for 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.

Prohibits captive hunting/possession, sale, breeding, importation of any mammal for purpose of captive hunting.

This bill would prohibit PFAS, a class of fluorinated organic chemicals, from being used in food packaging.

Prohibits the importation, transportation, disbursement, distribution, sale, purchase, or possession of any species of non-native (exotic) invasive plants.

Establishes a pilot program to promote the creation of roof solar installations on school property to generate electricity for school buildings in order to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Amends the 2007 Cesspool Act by exempting a residential homeowner who has abandoned an on-site system from obtaining a contractor to pump out and to fill in with material, as long as the residential homeowner has taken the necessary steps to secure the abandoned on-site system.

This bill requires schools to comply with recycling & composting laws and promotes the donation of unspoiled nonperishable food by schools.

Amends the membership of the special Senate Commission to study the effect and procedures for the reorganization of the CRMC from 15 to 11, and extends the reporting and expiration dates from January 2, 2020, to June 9, 2020, and expires on January 12, 2021.