The bill amends Section 23-24.6-28 of the General Laws under the "Lead Poisoning Prevention Act" to create a structured approach for identifying and replacing lead service lines in water supply systems. Key provisions include a requirement for water suppliers to develop a publicly accessible service line inventory by October 16, 2024, categorizing lines as lead, non-lead, or unknown, and documenting all private lead service replacements since January 1, 2018. Water suppliers must also notify property owners and tenants within 30 days of identifying lead service lines, providing multilingual information on health risks and available mitigation measures, such as water filters. The bill emphasizes the need for water suppliers without a replacement program to collaborate with the Rhode Island infrastructure bank for development and funding assistance, particularly focusing on disadvantaged communities.

Additionally, the bill introduces new legal language that allows municipalities to create ordinances permitting water suppliers to enter properties for lead service line replacements, with a requirement for a written notice of at least seventy-two hours prior to entry, except in emergencies. It also allows tenants to request private side lead service line replacements if property owners are unresponsive. Other stipulations include participation in apprenticeship programs for funded projects, a ten-year timeline for completing replacements, and annual reporting on progress. The bill establishes a reimbursement process for water suppliers that financed private replacements since January 1, 2018, contingent on state appropriations, ultimately aiming to enhance public health and safety by ensuring compliance with lead service line replacement regulations.