Bill/Number/(Sponsor) |
Bill Description |
Lobster Trap Tag Program
(H-7847 A aa)
(Naughton) |
Authorizes the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council to institute a lobster trap tag program. Authorizes DEM to establish trap tag fees by regulation, and limits use of fee revenues. Calls upon DEM to create a 5-member industry advisory committee to recommend use of fee revenues. Requires DEM to report annually to the General Assembly on lobster management and trap tag program. |
Commercial Fishing License Moratorium
(H-8340 B aa)
(Caprio) |
Provides for a one-year moratorium on the issuance of new commercial fishing licenses through June 30, 2001. Allows any prior licensee to renew by August 15, 2000. Allows licenses to be transferred among immediate family members during the moratorium. |
Official State Fish - Striped Bass
(H-2190 A)
(Walsh) |
Establishes the striped bass as the official state fish. |
Deer Hunting
(S-2395 A)
(Breene) |
Reduces the safety zone for archery hunting from 500 ft. to 200 ft. Also gives DEM rulemaking authority to adjust the safety zone for archery hunting, on a case-by-case basis, to reflect community interests. |
Heavy Duty Diesel Inspection and Maintenance Program
(H-7741 A)
(Long) |
Provides for the testing of smoke emissions from heavy duty diesel vehicles. Calls upon DMV to establish rules and regulations and to develop testing techniques and emission standards. On-road inspection by the State Police to be initiated by January 2001; annual inspections to take effect by January 2003. |
Warning Signs - Lead Paint Removal Materials
(H-7216 aa)
(McNamara) |
Requires retailers who sell abrasive materials used for lead paint removal to post a warning sign, provided by DOH, saying that removal may increase the risk of childhood lead poisoning. |
Out-of-State Waste
(H-7108 A)
(Russo) |
Clarifies and strengthens the prohibition on the disposal of out-of-state waste at the central landfill. (Extends ban to include transfer stations and other entities that sort, recycle, process, manufacture, or remanufacture out-of-state waste.) |
Construction and Demolition
(C&D) Debris Processing Facilities
(H-7613 aa)
(Watson) |
Brings all C & D debris processing facilities under the regulatory provisions of the Refuse Disposal Act. |
C&D Fire Protection Plans
(H-7676 aa)
(Dennigan) |
Requires C & D debris facilities to have their fire protection plans approved by the local fire chief as a prerequisite for receiving a license from DEM. Authorizes local fire chiefs to conduct inspections. Requires any facility found out of compliance with fire plan to cease operation until deficiency is corrected. Requires license to be revoked if any facility is found to be in violation of its fire plan on 3 inspections within any 3-year period. |
Landfill Monitoring
(H-8093 A aa)
(Lanzi) |
Calls upon DEM, in consultation with DOH, to promulgate rules and regulations by December 31, 2000 requiring the development and implementation of air and/or water monitoring plans by solid waste management facilities in the vicinity of the central landfill. Also establishes new civil penalty provisions in the Refuse Disposal Act. |
Batteries
(S-2841 aa)
(Breene) |
Reforms and streamlines the General Laws and DEM's associated administrative program with regard to battery control. Eliminates vehicle battery deposit and associated reporting requirements. |
Waste Oil
(H-7615)
(Watson) |
Clarifies that waste oil is not a hazardous waste, but rather a special waste regulated under the Hazardous Waste Act. |
AAD - Uniform Appeal Period
(H-7744 A)
(Quick) |
Establishes a 20-day uniform appeal period for all enforcement actions taken by DEM, and a uniform 30-day appeal period for all license and permit decisions. Takes effect on January 1, 2001. |
Tax Incentive for Investment in Pollution Prevention Equipment
(H-7045)
(Naughton) |
Makes air, water or hazardous waste pollution prevention equipment eligible for an amortization deduction. |
Renewable Energy Sales Tax Credit
(S-2280 A)
(Bates) |
Provides a tax credit/refund to purchasers of certain types of renewable systems, including solar, wind and photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Takes effect on January 1, 2001. |
Building Rehabilitation Code
(S-2885 aa) (Kelly)
(H-8179 A) (McCauley) |
Amends the Rhode Island State Building Code by establishing a rehabilitation code for existing buildings and structures. |
Public Trust Doctrine
(H-7504 A aa)
(Ginaitt) |
Reaffirms and strengthens the Public Trust Doctrine in Rhode Island. Provides that no conveyance of title of submerged or filled tidelands can occur without General Assembly approval. Authorizes CRMC to issue licenses for filled tidelands, with General Assembly approval also needed for large-scale projects. Extinguishes all harbor lines. |
Regulation of Personal Watercraft
(S-2862 aa) (Walsh)
(H-8318 aa) (Lewiss) |
Authorizes the towns of Charlestown and Westerly to regulate the operation of personal watercraft on bodies of water within their respective jurisdictions. |
State Vehicles
(H-7580 B aa)
(Quick) |
Amends General Law governing the use of state vehicles for commuting purposes. |
Environmental Labeling
(H-7745)
(Watson) |
Repeales obsolete provisions in the General Laws that establish state standards for environmental labeling. |
Repeal of the Tank Vessel Safety Act
(S-2994)
(Enos) |
Repeals the Tank Vessel Safety Act. |
Uniform Oil Response and Prevention Fee-Reduction for Asphalt Products
(S-2349 A)
(Badeau) |
Reduces the amount of the uniform oil response and prevention fee for asphalt products from 5 cents per barrel to 1 cent per barrel. |
Water Conservation (Farmers)
(S-2623 A aa)
(Sosnowski) |
Provides incentives to farmers to practice water conservation by affording priority status, during any allocation of water withdrawals by the Water Resources Board, to those farmers with agricultural water withdrawal management plans. |
Tree Wardens
(S-2434 aa)
(Paiva-Weed) |
Deletes residency requirement for municipal tree wardens. |
Tree Wardens - Exemption for Jamestown
(H-8049)
(G. Levesque) |
Adds the town of Jamestown as an exempted town for the imposition of any residency requirement on arborist applications.
(Apparently superceded by S-2434.See above.) |
State Planning Council - Addition of two (2) Environmental Representatives
(S-2466 A) (Sosnowski)
(H-8070) (Ginaitt) |
Adds two (2) representatives of a private, non-profit environmental advocacy organization to the state planning council. |
Counseling for Animal Cruelty
(S-2412 A aa)
(Perry) |
Allows courts to determine whether a person found guilty of violating animal cruelty laws should receive counseling. |
Immunity for Reporting Animal Cruelty
(S-2431 A)
(Perry) |
Provides immunity to veterinarians who report animal neglect, abuse or abandonment. |
Private Animal Shelters
(S-2619)
(Sosnowski) |
Adds private animal shelters to the reporting requirements already in place for municipal facilities, and further specifies that all such reports shall be sent to DEM on a monthly basis. |
Exemption for the Importation of Animals
(S-2644 A) (Perry)
(H-7709 A aa) (Slater) |
Exempts animal care facilities accredited by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and licensed by the USDA from obtaining DEM permits for importation of animals, provided each facility complies with DEM import/possession specifications prior to importation. Also eliminates the 6-month limit for variances issued by DEM under the Wild Animal Importation Chapter. |
Animal Shelters - 24 Hour Holding of Animals
(H-6891 A)
(Hensler) |
Authorizes DEM to promulgate regulations governing the voluntary surrender of animals at shelters. |
Animal Husbandry - Dogs - Exemption for Exeter
(H-8091)
(George) |
Includes Exeter in the list of cities and towns that are excepted from appointing appraisers to appraise damage done to livestock by dogs. |
Management of Big River Reservoir
(H-7870)
(S. Anderson) |
Establishes the Water Resources Board as the agency responsible for managing the Big River Reservoir property, while preserving DEM's role regarding forestry operations and the exercise of its enforcement authority in the area. |
Water Testing - Delivery of Consumer Confidence Report
(H-7057 aa)
(Moura) |
Requires water suppliers to notify households within each supplier's service area of the results of water testing via delivery of Consumer Confidence Report. |
Board of Certification of Operators of Public Water Supply Facilities
(H-8066)
(Benoit) |
Updates the definition of operator, adds the definitions of non-community water system and non-community non-transient water system, and brings the requirements for state certification into conformance with federal EPA standards. |
Water Supply System Protection
(H-7864)
(Anderson) |
Corrects an incorrect reference in the RI General Laws pertaining to 'Public Drinking Water Supply System Protection' (Chapter 46-15.3) involving the University of Southern California. |
New Shoreham Water Supply System
(H-7157) (Garvey)
(S-2011 aa) (Sosnowski) |
Authorizes New Shoreham to plan, construct, operate, maintain, extend and improve a water supply system for the town. Must be approved by New Shoreham voters for entire act to take effect. Portions of H-7157 were later repealed by H-8209. |
New Shoreham Water Supply System
(H-8209)
(Garvey) |
Repeals portions of H-7157 which specify the requirements for the Town of New Shoreham to issue future bonds and notes for the construction of a new public water system. As with H-7157, this act authorizes the town to ask the voting public if a new water system should be planed and constructed. |
Babbit Memorial Wildlife Refuge
(S-2566)
(Enos) |
Names a parcel of land in Tiverton, RI the Preston S. and Ann V. Babbitt Memorial Wildlife Refuge. |
Senator John H. Chafee Memorial Park
(H-6948)
(Barr) |
Names park along Blackstone Bikeway in Lincoln (Lonsdale Ave./Rt.123) the "Senator John H. Chafee Memorial Park." |
Thomas Byrnes Bike Path
(H-7559 aa)
(Lally) |
Names the East Bay Bike Path (in the Town of Bristol) the "Thomas Byrnes Bike Path." |
Disaster Response / Emergency Management
(S-2413 aa)
(Patterson) |
Provides technical revisions to the laws pertaining to disaster response and emergency management (G.L. Ch 30-15). This G.L. Chapter is now called the "Rhode Island Emergency Management Act." |
Expansion of Commuter Rail Service
(S-2362)
(Blais) |
Provides for continuation and expansion of commuter rail service within the state of Rhode Island. Amends the General Laws to allow property owned by the state to be leased for up to 99 years so long as the property is used to provide commuter rail service in Rhode Island. |