The bill proposes a comprehensive restructuring of Rhode Island's coastal resource management by transitioning from the "Coastal Resources Management Council" to the "Department of Coastal Resources." This involves replacing the term "council" with "department" throughout the legislation, reflecting the shift from a council-based approach to a departmental structure. The bill assigns the new department the responsibility for managing the state's coastal zone, including the protection of public health, safety, and general welfare. It also designates the department as the lead state agency for tidal water dredging and establishes a comprehensive plan for dredge material management. The bill requires legislative approval for large-scale filling projects, leases of tidal lands, or licenses to use those lands, while the department has sole authority for leasing submerged and filled lands for other projects. Additionally, the bill authorizes the department to impose a maximum fee for transatlantic cables making landfall in Rhode Island.

The bill eliminates the previous provisions for the Coastal Resources Management Council, including its composition and appointment process, and introduces definitions for the "department" and "director." It maintains the state's authority to regulate filling or dredging affecting tidal lands and ensures that water quality certification and leasing of submerged land for aquaculture remain unchanged. The bill also removes the requirement for public members appointed by the governor and the stipulations regarding council composition. Instead, it establishes a new Department of Coastal Resources led by a director appointed by the governor. The bill further stipulates that references to the "council" or "CRMC" in any law or regulation shall be deemed to refer to the new department, and it creates a community advisory committee to provide input on policy and program improvements. The bill also transfers all employees of the CRMC to the new department, retaining their status and benefits, and empowers the department to exercise all functions previously vested in the CRMC.