Conservation
Browse Rhode Island bills in Conservation with plain-language AI summaries.
Recent Bills
13 billsH8613STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- FARMLAND PRESERVATION ACTConservationThis bill prevents towns from charging farms connection fees for water utility extensions and permanently protects qualifying agricultural land.HouseIntroduced, referred to House Municipal Government & HousingJun 4, 2026H8522FISH AND WILDLIFE -- RECIPROCAL ENFORCEMENT OF FISHING LAWSConservationThis bill lets Rhode Island and Connecticut officers arrest people for boating and fishing violations in shared boundary waters.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyMay 6, 2026S3231CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM -- 2026 BOND REFERENDAConservationThis bill places a $67.5 million bond question on the 2026 ballot to fund environmental and recreational projects.SenateCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyApr 24, 2026S3181THE BLUE WAVE BOND FOR COASTAL PREPAREDNESS -- 2026 BOND REFERENDUMConservationThis bill authorizes a $100 million bond measure for the 2026 ballot to fund climate and coastal resilience projects.SenateCommittee heardApr 3, 2026S3081AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- OLD GROWTH FOREST PROTECTION ACTConservationThis bill bans logging in old-growth forests on public land and creates a new state program to protect rare ecosystems.SenateIntroduced, referred to Senate Environment and AgricultureMar 13, 2026H7914AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- NATURAL FOREST PROTECTION ACTConservationThis bill bans most logging on state-owned land to protect forests and creates a program to manage these preserved areas.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyFeb 27, 2026H8210MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $2,300,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) TO TRANSPLANT QUAHOGS INTO NARRAGANSETT BAY AND ESTABLISH A SHELLFISH HATCHERY PROGRAMConservationAppropriates $2.3 million to the DEM to transplant quahogs into Narragansett Bay and establish a nonprofit-run shellfish hatchery program.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyFeb 27, 2026H8133FISH AND WILDLIFE -- LICENSINGConservationThis bill creates a fee on wastewater treatment facilities based on discharge volume to fund the shellfish transplant program.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyFeb 27, 2026H8151THE BLUE WAVE BOND FOR COASTAL PREPAREDNESS -- 2026 BOND REFERENDUMConservationThis bill proposes a $100 million bond to fund infrastructure projects protecting Rhode Island from flooding and climate change.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyFeb 27, 2026S2546AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- STATE FORESTS AND FORESTRY PROJECTSConservationThis bill mandates funding for ten new Department of Environmental Management employees in 2027 to manage state forests.SenateCommittee heardFeb 13, 2026H7618AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- PROTECTION OF TREES AND PLANTS GENERALLYConservationThis bill increases fines for damaging protected trees and requires planting more replacement trees when violations occur.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyFeb 11, 2026S2224STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- 2021 ACT ON CLIMATEConservationThis bill requires the state climate council to study and recommend carbon removal technology to help meet climate goals.SenateIntroduced, referred to Senate Environment and AgricultureJan 23, 2026H7243AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- STATE FORESTS AND FORESTRY PROJECTSConservationThis bill funds ten new jobs at the Department of Environmental Management to support forestry projects starting in 2027.HouseCommittee recommended measure be held for further studyJan 21, 2026