The bill amends the General Laws of Rhode Island to establish prohibitions on the importation, disbursement, distribution, introduction, and sale of non-native (exotic) terrestrial invasive plants. It introduces a new section, 2-15-5.1, which prohibits any person from engaging in these activities with terrestrial invasive plants as defined by the director. The director is tasked with promulgating rules and regulations to govern the prohibition and its applicability, which will not take effect until those regulations are in place. Violations of this section can result in fines of up to $500. Additionally, the director is required to maintain a listing of all prohibited terrestrial plants.

The bill also amends Section 20-1-26 to include similar prohibitions for freshwater invasive aquatic plants, stating that no person shall import, transport, distribute, or possess these species within the state. Like the terrestrial plants, the enforcement of this prohibition is contingent upon the director's regulations taking effect, and violations are subject to the same fine of up to $500. The director will also maintain a list of prohibited aquatic plants, which will be updated alongside the list of terrestrial plants. This act is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
7071: 20-1-26
7071  SUB A: 20-1-26