The Rhode Island Climate Superfund Act of 2025 establishes a cost recovery program to hold entities that extracted or refined fossil fuels accountable for their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. The act mandates the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to assess climate change response work conducted by the state and municipalities since January 1, 2009, determine the associated costs, and issue demands for payment from responsible parties who are identified as having contributed to more than one billion tons of covered greenhouse gas emissions during the covered period from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2024.

This act introduces a new chapter in Title 42 of the General Laws, which includes definitions of key terms, responsibilities of responsible parties, and procedures for the cost recovery program. It establishes a climate superfund account within the state treasury to collect payments from responsible parties, who will be strictly liable for their share of the costs associated with climate change response work. The DEM is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this chapter, including defining work eligible for funding.

The act also outlines the enforcement mechanisms for compliance, including penalties for late payments and the right for responsible parties to request a hearing if aggrieved by a cost recovery demand. It emphasizes that the provisions of this chapter do not preempt or restrict any existing rights or remedies under common law or other statutes related to greenhouse gas emissions. The act is designed to take effect upon passage, reinforcing the state's commitment to addressing climate change and protecting its residents and natural resources.