The bill amends several sections of the General Laws related to climate change and oil spill prevention in Rhode Island. It raises the uniform oil spill response and prevention fee from five cents ($0.05) to ten cents ($0.10) per barrel of petroleum products or crude oil. The bill expands the purposes of the oil spill prevention fund to include support for projects and initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and meeting the goals set forth in the 2021 Act on Climate, as directed by the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4).

Additionally, the bill establishes a restricted receipt account within the general fund for the EC4 projects and mandates annual reporting on fund usage to the governor and the general assembly. It also allocates a portion of the fund for scientific research and monitoring relevant to state legislation, the cleanup and containment of refined fuel oils, and projects approved by the EC4 that are determined to reduce emissions and support the Act on Climate. The act takes effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
246: 42-6.2-3.1, 46-12.9-5
246  SUB A: 42-6.2-3.1, 46-12.9-5