H 8522Conservation

Fish and Wildlife - Reciprocal Enforcement of Fishing Laws

This bill lets Rhode Island and Connecticut officers arrest people for boating and fishing violations in shared boundary waters.

Held for study

Population
Affected

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Introduced May 6, 2026Committee House Environment and Natural Resources

Plain-English Summary

This bill allows law enforcement officers from Rhode Island and Connecticut to arrest people for breaking boating, fishing, or hunting laws in the waters shared between the two states. Officers from either state can make an arrest anywhere in these shared boundary waters. The arrested person will then be taken to the state where the crime happened to face trial. This rule only goes into effect if Connecticut has or passes a similar law allowing the same shared enforcement.

For younger readers

This bill is about the water that is right between Rhode Island and Connecticut. Sometimes people break the rules while driving boats or fishing in that water. This bill says that police officers from either state can stop and arrest rule-breakers anywhere in that shared water. If someone breaks a Rhode Island rule, a Connecticut officer can arrest them and send them to Rhode Island for a timeout, and vice versa. This will only happen if Connecticut agrees to follow the exact same plan.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

BoatersFishermenHuntersConservation officersLaw enforcement personnel

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. Interstate compacts and reciprocal enforcement agreements for boundary waters are common and generally recognized as constitutional under the Compact Clause. Due process is maintained by explicitly requiring trials to occur in the state where the violation was committed, ensuring proper legal jurisdiction is respected.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Enhances the protection of shared natural resources by ensuring environmental, fishing, and conservation regulations are consistently enforced in boundary waters.
Improves public safety on the water by increasing the pool of officers available to respond to boating violations or maritime emergencies in shared areas.
Promotes government efficiency and interstate cooperation, ensuring that jurisdictional loopholes do not prevent accountability for environmental damage or unsafe behavior.
Expands police authority and cross-border jurisdiction, which could lead to increased encounters with law enforcement and potential over-policing in recreational areas.
Could create confusion for individuals regarding which state's laws apply to them at any given moment, potentially leading to unfair arrests for minor regulatory differences.
Increased enforcement and resulting fines for fishing violations could disproportionately impact low-income individuals who rely on fishing for food or affordable recreation.

For Conservatives

Strengthens the rule of law by closing jurisdictional loopholes that allow individuals to evade arrest by simply crossing the state line on the water.
Maximizes the use of existing law enforcement resources without requiring the state to spend taxpayer money to hire additional officers to patrol the border.
Represents a voluntary, state-level agreement to solve local issues, avoiding the need for federal government intervention or oversight in state boundary waters.
Increases government policing of recreational activities like boating and fishing, potentially infringing on personal freedoms and the unhindered enjoyment of the outdoors.
Allows out-of-state officers to exercise police powers over Rhode Island citizens, which some may view as a violation of state sovereignty.
May subject boaters and fishermen to confusing, overlapping regulations and strict enforcement from officers who might be unfamiliar with the nuances of the other state's specific laws.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 12 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 20-23 of the General Laws entitled "Reciprocal Enforcement of Fishing Laws" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 20-23-2. Enforcement in state boundary waters of boating or fish and game laws.

(a) If and when the state of Connecticut enacts a similar law for arrest and punishment for violations of boating or fish and game laws of this state, or of the state of Connecticut, committed or attempted to be committed by any person or persons boating or fishing in that portion of any waters lying between Connecticut and this state, any game protector, conservation officer, fish and game warden, special conservation officer, patrolman or other person of either state who is authorized to make arrests for such violations of boating or fish and game laws of any such other state or this state shall have authority to make arrests on any part of any such waters lying between such states and to take the person or persons so arrested for trial to the state in which the violation was committed, for prosecution according to the laws of such state.

(b) This section shall also apply and take effect if the state of Connecticut has such a law in effect as of the effective date of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.