The bill under consideration seeks to clarify and reinforce the public's rights to access the shore in Rhode Island, a matter rooted in historical rights dating back to the 1663 Rhode Island Charter and upheld in subsequent state constitutions and voter decisions. It addresses the inadequacy of the mean high water (MHW) line, as established by the state supreme court in 1982, as a determinant for public access due to its invisibility, daily changes, and failure to account for the dynamic nature of the surf. The bill suggests that a new method for determining shoreline access is necessary to ensure public rights are not unduly restricted.

The bill proposes defining a "recognizable high tide line" to delineate the extent of public access, allowing the public to use wet sand, dry sand, or rocky beach areas up to ten feet landward of this line, while respecting private property by excluding areas such as lawns, cliffs, and sea walls. It also aims to limit the liability of landowners adjacent to the shore in relation to the public's use of these areas. The Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the attorney general, is charged with creating educational materials and determining appropriate signage to inform the public about these rights. The bill is set to be enacted upon passage, and there are no deletions indicated in the provided text.