Round-up of new Rhode Island legislation and how it will affect us

2025 General Assembly session passed 826 new laws. Here are some highlights

By Uprise RI Staff

Uprise RI - Rhode Island's Advocate | RI News & Opinion

This is an ongoing series breaking down the new laws coming out of the General Assembly this summer. The ink is dry on a number of bills that will reshape pieces of daily life here in the Ocean State. Here are the first three installments combined.

No cell phones in school, access to the beach and getting more doctors

First, let’s talk about the classroom. A new law, H5598, will require every public school in the state to implement a policy prohibiting students from physically accessing their personal electronic devices during the school day. Before you panic, there are a few key points here. The law makes clear exceptions for students who need devices for medical reasons, for an IEP or 504 plan, or to assist with language learning. So, a student monitoring their glucose on a smartwatch is fine. The goal is to reduce distractions and get kids focused on learning, not TikTok. School districts have some time to figure this out, as the law doesn’t take effect until August 1, 2026.

Next, for anyone who has ever stared at a stretch of coastline and wondered, “Can I actually walk there?”, bill H5686 offers a bit of clarity. This law amends the duties of the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) by requiring municipalities to officially identify, list, and display all CRMC-designated public rights-of-way on their official maps. We believe this puts the responsibility squarely on towns to make public access points clear to the public, preventing these paths from becoming forgotten or obscured over time. If a town fails to do so, it doesn’t change the legal status of the right-of-way. This is a small but meaningful step in the continuing effort to protect public access to the shore.

Finally, in a move to address the state’s physician shortage, S0347 creates a new, tiered licensing system for internationally-trained physicians. The program allows doctors trained abroad to obtain a limited, supervised license to work in a designated shortage area. After a period of assessment and after passing all required U.S. medical exams, they can progress to a restricted license for independent practice in that shortage area, and eventually, to a full, unrestricted license. It’s a pragmatic approach that could connect underserved communities with qualified doctors who are currently sidelined by licensing hurdles.

Hurricane Erin's likely effects on us

 

As They Become More Common, Heat Waves Will Also Be More Destructive

Getting harder to find relief at the beach with high heat and bad air

By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff

Summertime smog hanging over Ninigret
(photo by Will Collette)

Business closures, soaring visits to emergency rooms, and unhealthy air quality warnings are just some of what Rhode Island has to look forward to as heat waves hit more frequently and for longer periods.

Experts who recently spoke with ecoRI News warned about the risks the state will face going forward, as temperatures creep up and 100-degree days become more of the norm.

Historically a cool summer destination, Rhode Island hasn’t always needed to be ready for the consequences of extreme heat — but that time is coming to end as climate change ramps up.

Why and how is it getting warmer?

The fact Rhode Island is getting hit with more summertime heat waves, when average temperatures have crept up more slowly, isn’t necessarily intuitive, Brown University professor Stephen Porder said.

“Why does a 1-degree change in the average temperature mean all of a sudden you’re going to get so many more 100 degree days?” he asked. “It doesn’t sort of make sense, since the average temperature isn’t 99, right?”

But take a look at a shifting bell curve, and it starts to add up, he said.

As average temperatures start to shift even just a little bit higher, the frequency of more extreme high temperatures increases.

The same goes for warming winter temperatures, too, where an average creep of 1 or 2 degrees Fahrenheit transforms a state that used to be covered in snow all season long to one that only gets snow occasionally.

Repairs to Charlestown Breachway Will Protect the Health of Vital Channel

Channel's west wall damaged by winter storms, affecting health of Ninigret Pond

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Since 1952 the town’s 200-foot-long breachway has split the barrier beaches protecting Ninigret Pond in two, providing access into Block Island Sound and improving the water quality in the state’s largest saltwater lagoon. Now, state and local officials are homing in on a plan for the next 70 years.

“The goal is we’re only going to do this once, and we’re going to do it really well,” Emily Hall, a coastal geologist working for the Coastal Resources Management Council, said Thursday at a community update on the breachway at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center.

It’s been a long 20 months for the breachway, which Charlestown heavily relies on to maintain the health of Ninigret Pond. The winter of 2023-24 was harsh on Rhode Island’s south shore beaches, as a series of intense storms wiped out large portions of the area’s prized coastline.

In Charlestown, the storms tore a gap in the channel’s western wall, sending sand from the breachway’s beach straight into the waterway, making it shallower and more difficult for boaters to navigate. State and local officials, CRMC, and the Salt Ponds Coalition, well aware of the breachway’s role in the commercial, recreational, and ecological life of Charlestown, sprung into action, making temporary emergency repairs, which were completed early last fall.

(While Charlestown is the host community of the breachway, the Department of Environmental Management is actually the owner and responsible for it, working with Charlestown on maintenance and repairs.)

The breachway and Ninigret Pond are important economic and recreational drivers for the town, treasured by boaters, anglers, swimmers, and aquaculturists. About 40% of all aquaculture in Rhode Island is sited in Ninigret Pond, and it remains a popular destination for anglers. Thursday’s community update, which was well attended, was the third such meeting in the past 12 months.

The emergency repairs cost $550,000, with $300,000 paid out by DEM, with the town paying the rest. Over one week last October, a three-man crew began the repair work, hauling in 600 tons of stone and reconstructing a dune protecting the western wall with sandbags.

While officials describe the emergency repairs completed last year as just a “Band-Aid,” the project went a long way toward protecting the health of the breachway.

“You can see how even just the emergency repair has really allowed the breachway to be intact a bit more,” said Casey Tremper, a coastal resilience specialist from the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center. “It’s also started to naturally build back the beach on the forest side of the breachway.”

Ninigret Pond has returned to being “flushed out” by the breachway again after the temporary repairs, removing sedimentation and restoring the original depth of the human-made channel, around 5 feet or so, similar to what existed prior to the major storm damage.

In addition, a sand bar known as the ebb tidal delta, which formed outside the breachway, has, thanks to the emergency repair structure, almost entirely washed away.

With the repairs in place, officials have spent the past 10 months putting together plans for a more permanent restoration that, officials are hoping, will last at least another seven decades.

There’s two major components to the breachway’s restoration. The first is the actual reconstruction of the breachway itself, which will, more or less, look a lot like the original canal built in the 1950s. The stones used for the emergency repair will act as a foundation for the western wall, which will raise the rock wall by at least 8 feet in height. Once the rock walls are steady, the plan is to rebuild the beach by trucking in sand and steeling it with vegetation and, more importantly, fortifying the dunes, with some additional artificial dunes designed to be a line of defense for the breachway.

“They’re being set up in a way that waves will hit the dunes first before they hit where the breachway broke last time,” Hall said. “Dunes are nature’s solution to energy and to storms. We’re trying to lean into that resilient component of how we can work with a natural system to keep the tides flowing, and the currents moving through the breachway.”

It will still be a decade before the dunes grow to their original size, before the breachway was battered by winter storms.

The other major part of the restoration plan is dredging the breachway. All the sand that washed into the breachway has to come out, and Steve McCandless, the town’s geographic information systems coordinator, said he expects, depending on the specific area, to dredge to a depth between 4 and 8 feet. That kind of depth will restore natural water flow and open the back of the breachway for boating again.

The town expects to dredge around 100,000 cubic yards of material from the breachway, much of which will be used to repair the town’s beach or restore the dunes surrounding the breachway.

“We’ll put about 50,000 cubic yards of material on this beach to rebuild the dunes, and the other 50,000 will go down to the Charlestown Beach area where we always put it,” McCandless said. “It’s town property and removes the issues of using federal or public funds to dredge public waters.”

The total cost for the new permanent breachway is estimated to be $8.4 million, with $5 million of the total coming from DEM’s budget by way of a transfer to CRMC, with another $2 million coming from the coastal agency for the dredging itself. The remainder, $1.4 million, will be paid from Charlestown’s dredging fund.

Both DEM and CRMC are expected to approve final permits for the restoration project sometime in the next two weeks, according to Hall and McCandless. The Army Corps of Engineers, the federal entity that traditionally oversees all dredging projects in the United States, has already issued its own permits for the breachway restoration.

Prep work for the restoration project, once permits are in hand, is expected to start as early as Sept. 15, once the local piping plovers, a threatened shorebird species, migrate for the season. Once the DEM campground near the breachway closes for the season, on Nov. 1, the bulk of construction can begin, with the new breachway rock walls to be constructed in December, with dredging to follow in early January. Dune restoration is expected to start in March, and delay for six months in April when the plovers return to nest on barrier beaches.

“All I can tell you for sure is that sometime between Sept. 15 and April 15, my thought is that we’re going to be 90% complete for this project,” McCandless said. “As long as we can get some rocks going, we can get it all going at the same time.”

Charlestown Breachway Update: Thursday Aug 7th 6pm at Kettle Pond Visitor Center

With denial of federal funding, what’s next for the Charlestown Breachway?

Photo by Will Collette

Join us for an informative public session on the current state of the Charlestown Breachway. 

Learn how the Breachway is performing this summer, hear updates on recent repair efforts, and discover what's planned for future improvements and fundraising initiatives.

Featured Speakers:

Steve McCandless, GIS Coordinator & Coastal Geologist, Town of Charlestown

Emily Hall, Coastal Geologist, RI Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)

Alicia Schaffner, Executive Director, Salt Ponds Coalition

This event is proudly presented in partnership with the Town of Charlestown, Salt Ponds Coalition, URI Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant, RI Coastal Resources Management Council, RI Infrastructure Bank, University of Rhode Island, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Date: Thursday, August 7

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Kettle Pond Visitor Center

50 Bend Road, Charlestown, RI 02813

To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/charlestown-breachway-status-update-tickets-1402947055409

Rhode Island funds key storm tools hurt by Trump/MAGA budget cuts

URI programs secure state funding for CHAMP, StormTools, and MyCoast, to continue providing critical services for Rhode Island

Kristen Curry

In the past, hurricanes hit the Rhode Island coastline without warning;
now RI-CHAMP provides early-warning alerts to state
emergency managers on coastal flooding and wind impacts
caused by hurricanes and nor’easters, giving coastal
communities critical time to prepare. (Coastal Resources Center)

EDITOR'S NOTE: GoLocal reports the Trump regime has also wiped out funding for beach restoration, forcing the state and towns to come up with cash to carry on the work. Similarly, GoLocal notes how Charlestown is trying to get state funds for more permanent repairs to the Charlestown Breachway after federal funds were denied. Thank you, MAGA.   - Will Collette

Rhode Island legislators have endorsed a powerful complement of tools developed and housed at the University of Rhode Island so they can continue to benefit the state coastline and residents, approving $200,000 in the 2026 fiscal year budget. Legislators and researchers say that support to keep URI’s critical CHAMP, STORMTOOLS, and MyCoast programs going demonstrates that URI, and Rhode Island, will continue to lead in coastal safety analysis, early warnings, and resilience.

Bringing together URI’s Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant, Graduate School of Oceanography,  Environmental Data Center, and the departments of Marine Affairs and Ocean Engineering, a successful team drawing on the best of URI, the tools were developed and launched to respond to the needs of Rhode Island’s emergency managers, partner communities, state regulatory agencies, and military, to plan for and respond to storms and associated flooding.

“We’ve been working together on these projects for 10 years,” says Austin Becker, chair of URI’s Department of Marine Affairs and director of URI’s graduate certificate in Coastal Resilience, “and the collaboration has been truly wonderful.”

Funding for research and development came from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense, and numerous other sources. In the years since, URI has dedicated significant expertise and resources to develop the powerful suite of tools, which play key roles in addressing coastal storm risks.

The Rhode Island state funding affirms support in the Ocean State for technology and tools that prepare for weather impact in advance.

“This is a huge win,” says Becker. “This will allow us to keep these tools in operation, supporting the climate resilience needs of Rhode Island. It’s gratifying to see the state recognize the value of this work to municipalities and agencies from the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency to the Department of Environmental Management and Department of Health.”

As federal funding priorities changed, Rhode Island pivoted to maintain support for these critical emergency preparation and management tools, as support from community users demonstrated the value of the tools.

The initial bill was sponsored by Rhode Island Rep. Terri Cortvriend (Middletown, Portsmouth), who first came to Rhode Island as a boat captain. She founded a marine plumbing firm here and is familiar with coastal issues as a member of the state’s marine trade association, but says she advocated for the provision out of concern over seeing Rhode Island lose funding for these critical decision support tools.

Introducing the measure, Cortvriend asked her peers to join her in supporting Rhode Island’s homegrown coastal resilience technologies. “As we face increasing risks to our population due to more frequent and severe storms,” she said, “it is imperative that we equip our decision-makers and emergency managers with the tools necessary to mitigate impacts, enhance recovery, and reduce both human suffering and economic losses. These tools provide crucial data and predictions for emergency management, resilience planning, and community engagement across our state.”

Stephen McCandless M.S. ’21, GIS coordinator for the town of Charlestown, said the tools are essential for emergency management, planning, and coastal policy work in Rhode Island.

“These tools have proven indispensable in our ability to manage and prepare for coastal hazards,” he said. “We rely on them regularly in our operations.”

60% of R.I. beaches unsafe for swimming in 2024

Coastal beaches tend to be cleaner than those on the Bay

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Nearly six in 10 of the 66 Rhode Island beaches analyzed by Environment America were marked by one or more days of potentially unsafe bacteria levels in 2024. (Courtesy Environment America)

Steven Spielberg never made a cult-favorite thriller about the dangers of sewage-infested waters.

But the amount of fecal matter lurking in the water surpassed federal safety recommendations at least one time in 2024 at nearly six in 10 of the 66 Rhode Island beaches tested, new data shows.

Even more alarming: 25 state and local beaches exceeded federal water quality safety thresholds on 25% or more of the testing days, according to a report published on July 7 by Environment America’s Research & Policy Center.

 “It’s absurd in today’s society we need to be worried about crap in the water, literally,” said Rex Wilmouth, state director for the Rhode Island chapter of the nonprofit research and advocacy firm. “Even one day is one day too many.”

Wilmouth unveiled the disturbing findings at a press conference at Oakland Beach in Warwick Friday morning. The Rhode Island Department of Health closed the city-run saltwater beach on June 24 due to high bacteria counts, though it was reopened two days later. On Thursday, two other Warwick swimming areas, at City Park and Conimicut Point beaches, were closed due to high bacteria accounts detected by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

The state health department samples and tests water at state and local saltwater beaches during the summer season each year and notifies the public if unsafe bacteria levels are detected. Swimming in contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, respiratory disease, eye and ear infections and skin rashes, with an estimated 57 million cases of illness nationwide each year. However, a majority of the illnesses go unreported.

Environment America’s report compares state and federally reported levels of fecal contamination against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s health safety threshold, or Beach Action Value, to determine which beaches may pose health risks to swimmers, and how often. 

Of the 3,187 beaches tested nationwide in 2024, 61% showed unsafe levels of contamination on at least one testing day. And one in seven of those tested were marked by dangerous levels of bacteria at least 25% of testing days.

And that’s just on days when waters were sampled — suggesting infected waterways were contaminated even more often than data suggests, Wilmouth said. Take Tiverton’s Fogland Beach, for example, which surpassed the federally recommended bacteria cap on five of seven days it was tested in 2024.

“There were a lot more days it was probably unsafe as well,” Wilmouth said. 

Other repeat offenders in 2024 included Matunuck Town Beach in South Kingstown and Jamestown’s Mackerel Cove Beach, which both exceeded recommended bacteria levels on roughly two-thirds of testing days, along with Narragansett’s members-only Dune’s Club. State-run beaches were not immune either: Scarborough State Beach North showed unsafe levels of bacteria on 38% of the 24 testing days, according to the data. 

CRMC reform - always a good policy

CRMC reform didn't happen this year, but it will eventually

Deborah Ruggiero, president, DR Communications Group 

Photo by Will Collette

Back in 2021 and 2022 when I was a member of the House of Representatives, I chaired a study commission that explored and recommended ways to reform the Coastal Resources Management Council. 

The council has long been criticized for both its decisions and its composition as a panel of political appointees without any marine, coastal, or environmental expertise. The members continue to serve long after their terms expire and have often delayed important decisions for lack of a quorum at meetings.

Trump cuts hundreds of EPA grants, leaving municipalities on the hook for climate resiliency

Projects in and around Charlestown face Trump-Musk chainsaw 

Emily Jones

EDITOR'S NOTE: Federal funding to repair the storm-damaged Charlestown Breachway is being cut, if not eliminated altogether. This is an on-going story. Rep. Seth Magaziner and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse are both fighting to save the funding.  - Will Collette

Thomasville, Georgia, has a water problem. Its treatment system is far out of date, posing serious health and environmental risks.

“We have wastewater infrastructure that is old,” said Sheryl Sealy, the assistant city manager for this city of 18,881 near the Florida border, about 45 minutes from Tallahassee. “It’s critical that we do the work to replace this.”

But it’s expensive to replace. The system is especially bad in underserved parts of the city, Sealy said.

In September, Thomasville applied to get some help from the federal government, and just under four months later, the city and its partners were awarded a nearly $20 million Community Change grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make the long-overdue wastewater improvements, build a resilience hub and health clinic, and upgrade homes in several historic neighborhoods.

“The grant itself was really a godsend for us,” Sealy said. 

In early April, as the EPA canceled grants for similar projects across the country, federal officials assured Thomasville that their funding was on track. Then on May 1, the city received a termination notice.

“We felt, you know, a little taken off guard when the bottom did let out for us,” said Sealy.

Thomasville isn’t alone. 

Under the Trump administration, the EPA has canceled or interrupted hundreds of grants aimed at improving health and severe weather preparedness because the agency “determined that the grant applications no longer support administration priorities,” according to an emailed statement to Grist.

The cuts are part of a broader gutting of federal programs aimed at furthering environmental justice, an umbrella term for the effort to help communities that have been hardest hit by pollution and other environmental issues, which often include low-income communities and communities of color. 

Bevy of bills by area legislators advance

As the end of this year's General Assembly nears, local legislators push to get bills passed

Senate OKs Gu bill protecting parking at shore access points

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu to protect the public’s access to the shore by establishing requirements that must be followed before parking can be reduced or restricted near any Coastal Resources Management Council designated right of way.

The bill is part of a package of bills sponsored in the Senate by Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) and in the House by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) to protect public shoreline access.

The bill (2025-S 0716aa) would set requirements that municipalities, private agencies and other organizations would have to follow before they could reduce or restrict parking near designated CRMC rights of way. These requirements would include submitting a comprehensive parking plan, analyzing the impact on accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act and conducting a public comment period of at least 30 days. It would also allow the CRMC and DEM to enforce these requirements and impose fines and penalties if they are violated. Any fines and penalties would go into a newly created Rhode Island Shoreline Access Improvement Fund, a restricted receipt account that will be used to support projects enhancing public access to the shoreline.

The bill now goes to the House, where Representative Cortvriend is sponsoring its companion (2025-H 6093).

“Sometimes, local governments — often pressured by nearby property owners — will remove or reduce public parking near beach access points. This makes it harder for the public to visit, since fewer people will come if they can’t park nearby. This legislation provides guardrails and a public, transparent process if there is any effort to reduce or restrict the parking available near a CRMC-designated right of way to the shore,” said Senator Gu.

In recent years changes to parking near public rights of way have drawn complaints from members of the public who say that they serve to restrict public access to only those who already live on the waterfront.

House approves Fogarty bill that would allow driver education in an instructor-led virtual format

The House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) that would allow virtual driver education classes.

The bill (2025-H 5731A) would permit instructor-led virtual instruction for driver education until July 1, 2027, and calls for an evaluation of the program.

“Not everyone has access to driver’s education classrooms, and many students prefer virtual learning, particularly those with physical or learning challenges,” said Representative Fogarty. “It also provides an alternative for families whose parents may not be able to take the time off to bring their children to driving instruction in traditional classrooms.”

Mary Maguire, vice president of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast, testified in favor of the bill, telling the House Committee on State Government and Elections, “During the pandemic, students could only take driver education virtually, and the format proved to be very effective. During the pandemic, we taught almost 100 virtual classes to more than 2,300 Rhode Island students. We found that our virtually trained students’ average test scores were almost identical to what they were before COVID.”

Under the terms of the legislation, the Board of Education would be required to provide a report comparing test scores of virtual versus in-person instruction to the speaker of the House and president of the Senate no later than Sept. 1, 2027.

The measure now moves to the Senate where similar legislation (2025-S 0832) has been introduced by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton, Little Compton).      

Senate approves Sosnowski legislation creating license to harvest invasive green crabs

Schoodic Institute/Suzannah Buzzell

The Senate approved legislation introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that would create a license for the harvesting of green crabs.

The European green crab is an invasive species in Rhode Island’s coastal waters. Like many invasive species, the green crab poses a threat to the ecosystem and is particularly harmful for shellfish and eelgrass habitats, which serve as nurseries for native marine species.

The bill (2025-S 0938A) would authorize the Department of Environmental Management to offer commercial licenses for the taking of green crabs subject to a fee of $10.

“Not only are green crabs an invasive species, they are also a high-protein food source,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “Under current state law, they can only be caught with a $200 non-lobster crustacean endorsement add-on to the DEM marine license. A $10 license exclusively for green crabs would greatly increase access to the harvesting of a species that is endangering native sea life, including quahogs and blue crabs.”

The measure now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 6157) has been introduced by Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown).           

Senate approves Sosnowski bid to make clean air, soil and climate a state constitutional right

The Senate approved a resolution introduced by Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown) that seeks to add a Green Amendment to the state constitution.

The resolution (2025-S 0327) would ask the state’s voters to amend Article I of the state constitution to provide all people in the state with an inherent, inalienable, indefeasible and self-executing right to clean air, health and uncontaminated soil, a life supporting climate and the preservation of the environment’s natural, scenic and recreational values.

“When it comes to protecting the environment, Rhode Island has always been a leader, and I’m proud that the General Assembly has prioritized protecting the vast natural resources of our small state,” said Senator Sosnowski, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture. “This would ask Rhode Island voters to forever enshrine in our constitution the protection of these resources for present and future generations.”

If enacted, Rhode Island would join Montana, Pennsylvania and New York in preserving environmental rights in its constitution.

The measure, which would be placed on the ballot at the next statewide general election, now moves to the House of Representatives where similar legislation (2025-H 5732) has been introduced by Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), who chairs the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Senate passes DiMario’s textile recycling bill

UpriseRI

The Senate approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) that would create a public outreach campaign about textile recycling.

“This legislation is needed because most of the public does not realize that textiles can be recycled and that recycled textiles are a valuable commodity.  And by increasing the practice of textile recycling, we will also be able to extend the life of the state’s landfill, which is rapidly approaching its capacity.  At a time when we are striving to create a more sustainable way of life, this bill will move us closer to that goal,” said Senator DiMario.

According to the most recent data, an estimated 28,860 tons of textiles from residential, industrial and commercial institutions were delivered to the landfill per year, and the state’s only landfill will reach its capacity by 2046.

The legislation (2025-S 0324) would create a public education outreach program to educate residential households and commercial businesses on the value of, and proper methods to, recycle textiles in the state.  The bill also contains a reporting and accountability requirement to measure if the outreach and education program is effective in helping individuals, businesses, and municipalities increase their textile recycling rates and divert textiles from the landfill.

It was developed with input from the Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, the League of Cities and Towns, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI).  Organizations like BBBSRI recycle non-usable textiles and utilize the profits to fund essential programs.  In addition, cities and towns will benefit from reduced tipping fees if textiles are recycled properly as opposed to being thrown away.

The bill now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence) has introduced the legislation (2025-H 5293).  Representative Hull’s bill was approved by the House on March 20 and was passed by the Senate Environment and Agricultural Committee on May 28.

CRMC Reform Proves to Be No Simple Task

This may not be the year. Again.

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Photo by Will Collette

How do you fix a problem like a coastal regulatory agency?

It’s not just a riff on a Rodgers and Hammerstein number; the question is causing a divide within the General Assembly on how best to overhaul the Coastal Resources Management Council.

The agency, which claims jurisdiction over the hundreds of miles of Rhode Island coastline, regulates all development — homes, docks, boat ramps, offshore wind turbines — within 200 feet of the shore and 3 miles out to sea.

But calling the shots over those projects within CRMC is an infamous 10-member decision-making council, nine members of which are politically appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. They’re not required to have prior expertise or background in coastal policy, planning or management.

It’s an old-fashioned Rhode Island setup that’s led to some thorny criticisms of individual council members. In March, Gov. Dan McKee selected Barrington resident Mark Reuter, a podiatrist, to replace outgoing member Catherine Robinson Hall, a former Department of Environmental Management professor and marine policy professor. Advocates at the time noted the credential gap between the two.

This year in the General Assembly there are two different ideas about agency reform gaining steam as the session races toward a close, and their key difference is how they handle the council.

Bills S0775 and H5706 would abolish the council and hand over its powers to CRMC’s executive director. It’s similar to the way most other state agencies, including land-based counterpart DEM, handle final decision-making. The only political appointments would be regulated to an advisory panel that would give agency staff its input from time to time.

Competing legislation aims for less extensive structural reform. H6126, introduced by Rep. Alex Finkelman, D-Jamestown, instead whittles the council down to a more manageable seven members, six of whom will be appointed by the governor. The seventh member would be appointed by the state attorney general or otherwise designated (a function currently held by DEM in the current iteration of the council).

Don't fry

RI Lifeguard Certification Tests Begin this Weekend

Lifeguard jobs pay up to $20 with up to $1000 in bonuses

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that state lifeguard certification testing begins this weekend. Those interested in working as a lifeguard at any open water facility in Rhode Island must be certified by DEM’s Division of Parks and Recreation as either a Surf or Non-Surf lifeguard. Surf state lifeguard certification testing begins at Scarborough North State Beach, Narragansett on Saturday, May 17 from 9 AM – 3 PM. Non-Surf state lifeguard certification testing begins on May 28 at Lincoln Woods State Park beach from 12 – 5 PM.

All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and bring valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR, including infant, child, and adult.

Full-time lifeguard positions are available at state swimming areas, including surf beaches such as Misquamicut and non-surf beaches such as Goddard Memorial State Park and Lincoln Woods State Park. Lifeguard pay ranges from $18.75 to $20.00 an hour based on location, experience, and position level. Those hired by June 27, 2025, can receive a one-time, $500 sign-on bonus. Staff who remain employed until Sept. 1, 2025 and meet certain conditions will also be eligible for a one-time, $500 retention bonus. 

DEM is still looking for a few more good lifeguards

Up to $20/hr. pay plus up to $1000 in bonuses

By Janine L. Weisman, Rhode Island Current

About 90 lifeguards have already been hired to work at Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) beaches ahead of the summer 2025 season. But more are still needed.

“DEM is actively recruiting for seasonal positions and continues to accept applications throughout the season,” Chief Public Affairs Officer Kim Keough said in an email confirming the number of guards hired so far. “We are still hiring for all seasonal roles, especially our lifeguard positions and encourage anyone interested to apply!”

Keough said DEM’s Division of Parks and Recreation aims to hire over 100 lifeguards for the summer. 

DEM’s seasonal employment webpage still has a posting for seasonal state lifeguards — pay is listed as $18.75 to $19.25 an hour — and seasonal supervising lifeguards — paying $19.50 to $20.00 an hour.

To help with recruiting, DEM offers up to $1,000 in incentive bonuses — a $500 sign-on bonus for those hired by June 27 and an additional $500 for those who remain on the job through Sept. 1

All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR, including infant, child, and adult. 

From Charlestown Residents United...

Fellow Charlestown Residents, The Charlestown Town Council will have their first regular meeting of the month on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The agenda packet can be read here. There is also a link for watching the live stream of the meeting. Discussion and potential action about adoption of the 2025-2026 budget for submission to the voters at the financial town referendum on June 2, 2025. Further discussion and potential action regarding next steps for the Parks & Recreation Commission for planning to move the Charlestown Parks and Recreation Department from the Town Hall to Ninigret Park (memo on page 328 of the agenda packet) I hope to see you there! There are some future meetings and events that may be of interest: Charlestown Land Trust walk at the beautiful and historic Amos Greene Farm, Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m., registration required. Town Council special meeting about a resolution regarding second amendment rights, Monday, May 19, 7:00 p.m. at Charlestown Elementary School. A public panel discussion about Shoreline Access Rights hosted by ecoRI.org, May 22, 5:45 p.m. at the Westerly Armory, Railroad Avenue, Westerly. Town Council Second Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, May 27, 7:00 p.m. at Charlestown Town Hall, Council Chambers Town Council Regular Meeting Monday, June 9, 7:00 p.m. at Charlestown Town Hall, Council Chambers With Thanks, Tim Quillen, Chair Charlestown Residents United Paid for by Charlestown Residents United P.O. Box 412 Charlestown, RI 02813 Visit our Website

Beach More, Wait Less – Buy Your State Beach Parking Pass Now

Don't forget to get your Charlestown beach pass

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) encourages you to purchase your 2025 state beach season parking passes now. DEM starts online sales of these passes annually in January to give you plenty of time to prepare. Don’t wait until the hot weather hits and you want to get to the beach. 

You can purchase resident, non-resident, or senior parking passes online at www.beachparkingri.com. For step-by-step details on purchasing your state beach parking pass online, click here.  

Purchasing passes in advance helps reduce wait times at entry booths.  Once purchased, passes take up to 24 hours to validate, as residency, age and payment are verified.  New this year, returning customers with unchanged registration information can bypass the verification process. These updates are part of DEM’s new contract with parking vendor, LAZ Parking. 

FEMA quietly removes access to New England coastal erosion hazard tool

Wipe out the data and, presto, problem gone!

By Jennifer Smith, Rhode Island Current

At some point between February and early March, as seasonal wind and rain hammered New England coasts, a relatively new but enthusiastically embraced tool for predicting erosion slipped off the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Pioneered on Nantucket in 2020, the Coastal Erosion Hazard viewer that covered all of New England is now unavailable. It predicted erosion risk across the coast for the years 2030, 2050, and 2100, and until recently was publicly accessible on an online map used by planners and individuals alike.

“The tool was really helpful,” said Leah Hill, Nantucket’s coastal resilience coordinator, “because erosion is episodic. So, an area can be stable for five, 10, 15 years, maybe lose like a foot [of beach] or so, or nothing, and then a storm could come and it could lose a bunch.”

Historical erosion data and flood maps kept by the state are useful, she said, but the FEMA maps incorporated sea level rise to project potential future erosion over time.  The Biden administration promoted the tool for homeowners, business owners, and community officials making resiliency decisions based on erosion concerns.

Burlingame, Charlestown Breachway campgrounds open tomorrow

Four State Campgrounds Open April 12

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that four state campgrounds will open for the season on Saturday, April 12. The annual opening of Burlingame, Charlestown Breachway, Fishermen’s Memorial, and George Washington Memorial State Campgrounds aligns with spring school vacation and trout fishing season, offering families a chance to enjoy Rhode Island’s outdoors. East Beach State Campground opens on Saturday, May 24. Find your next adventure at a Rhode Island State Campground at: riparks.ri.gov/campgrounds. 

Fishermen’s Memorial, George Washington, and Burlingame State Campgrounds offer a pre-check-in process to help campers “Camp More, Wait Less.” After booking through Reserve America system, they will receive an email to pre-register, which must be completed at least two days before arrival. Campers needing a second car pass can select and pay for it up to one day before their registration.