H 8301Tourism & Recreation

State Affairs and Government - Department of Environmental Management

This bill requires the state to maintain public boat ramps using funds collected from user fees.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Mar 13, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) assumes responsibility for the maintenance and repair of state-owned or operated boat ramps and docks. It establishes a dedicated "public boat ramps and docks" restricted receipt account to fund these repairs. This account will be financed by fees collected from the use of these facilities. Additionally, the bill requires the DEM to create regulations determining the percentage of fees allocated to this account and to clearly distinguish between state and municipal responsibilities for these structures.

For younger readers

This law says that the state government must take care of the ramps and docks where people put their boats into the water. To pay for fixing these ramps, the state will use money that people pay when they use them. The government department in charge of nature and water will make rules about how to spend this money and exactly which ramps they need to fix versus which ones the towns need to fix. This helps make sure people can safely get their boats into the water to have fun or fish.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

BoatersDepartment of Environmental ManagementMunicipalitiesFishermenMarina Owners

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Ensures safe and reliable public access to waterways for all residents, preventing these recreational resources from becoming unusable due to neglect or lack of maintenance.
Establishes a dedicated funding stream for infrastructure maintenance, ensuring that public assets are preserved without competing directly against social services in the general budget.
Clarifies responsibilities between the state and municipalities, potentially relieving cash-strapped towns of the financial burden of maintaining major water access points.
Relies on user fees to fund maintenance, which could create a financial barrier for low-income residents wishing to access public waterways.
Allows the department to determine the percentage of fees directed to the account, potentially lacking legislative oversight on how much revenue might be diverted from other environmental priorities.
Prioritizes infrastructure for boat owners, who are often wealthier, rather than investing in broader environmental conservation or public transit access to nature.

For Conservatives

Utilizes a "user pays" model where the people utilizing the boat ramps fund the maintenance through fees, rather than relying solely on general taxpayer dollars.
Focuses government spending on the maintenance of existing core infrastructure and tangible assets rather than expanding social programs.
Mandates clear rules to distinguish state versus municipal responsibilities, reducing administrative ambiguity and potential disputes over liability and cost.
Grants the Department of Environmental Management broad regulatory authority to set fee percentages and ownership rules, expanding the power of unelected bureaucrats.
Creates a restricted receipt account which complicates the state budget and limits the legislature's ability to allocate funds based on changing fiscal priorities.
Could lead to increased fees for boaters if the department determines that current revenue levels are insufficient to cover maintenance costs.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 16 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 42-17.1 of the General Laws entitled "Department of Environmental Management" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 42-17.1-47. Boat ramp maintenance.

(a) As used herein, the term “boat ramps and docks” refers to a sloping floor, walk, or roadway into a body of water, for the purpose of launching, hauling or operation of boats into, upon, or out of, the body of water. The term also includes docks, piers, and related in-water structures.

(b) It is the responsibility of the state, through the department of environmental management (the “department”), to maintain and repair state owned or operated boat ramps and docks, thereby maintaining public boating access and infrastructure to facilitate that public access.

(c) There is hereby established a “public boat ramps and docks” restricted receipt account to implement the provisions of this section. This account shall be funded from the receipt of fees for the use of state owned or operated boat ramps and docks. The department shall establish by rule and regulation adopted by the department what percentage of these fees collected shall be placed in the restricted receipt account.

(d) The department shall also promulgate rules and regulations to delineate the division of ownership, maintenance, and repair of boat ramps and docks between municipalities and the department.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.