Watch List - 2022

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Climate incentives for connecting new gas customers.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.