Bill
HB 6276
Creates a statewide Rhode Island Flood Audit program and Flood Mitigation Council to assess flood risk for homes and businesses and guide retrofits to boost resilience.
Title: AN ACT RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION — RHODE ISLAND PROPERTY RESILIENCE ACT
Introduced: April 25, 2025 (Rep. Lauren H. Carson)
Referred to: House Finance
Status: 05/13/2025 — Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Note on source materials: the provided packet included unrelated legislative text from another jurisdiction (Michigan) mixed into the file. This summary focuses on the Rhode Island bill text (LC002441) titled the “Rhode Island Property Resilience Act.”
Purpose and intent
- Establish a statewide, coordinated approach to reduce flood risk to residential and commercial properties in Rhode Island by creating a state‑administered flood audit program and a coordinating council.
- Improve community resilience to sea level rise, storm surge, increased precipitation, and extreme weather; protect property values and municipal tax bases; and provide property owners with actionable recommendations to reduce flood risk.
Key provisions
- Legislative findings and intent: Recognizes increased flood risk statewide (coastal and inland), the need for coordinated action, and the public benefit of encouraging resilient rehabilitation and renovation of buildings.
- New chapter added to Title 46 (Waters and Navigation): “Rhode Island Property Resilience Act” (Chapter 23.5).
- Definitions: Provides definitions for terms used in the chapter, including “flood audit,” “dry floodproofing,” “wet floodproofing,” “structural elevation,” “relocation,” “demolition,” “levee/floodwall,” “public‑private partnership (PPP),” and “resilience” (aligned to FEMA/Hazard Mitigation Unified Guidance).
- Rhode Island Flood Mitigation Council:
- Establishes a council within the executive branch to assess, integrate, and coordinate the flood audit program.
- Proposed membership includes: the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO); director (or designee) of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA); executive director (or designee) of the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC); and governor‑appointed representatives from the flood mitigation association, builders association, Act on Coasts advisory council, a municipal planner, and the insurance industry.
- The council will receive staff and support from RIEMA (text truncated in the available draft).
- Flood audit program concept:
- Envisions programs for residential and commercial property owners that assess flood risk and recommend mitigation strategies (e.g., elevation, dry/wet floodproofing, relocation, demolition where appropriate).
- Encourages use of private‑sector expertise and public‑private partnerships to deliver audits and implement measures.
- Policy emphasis: Encouraging retrofit/rehabilitation to strengthen buildings against flooding, limiting interruptions to economic activity, and protecting long‑term municipal revenues.
Who would be affected
- Primary: homeowners and commercial property owners in flood‑prone areas (coastal and inland), especially those in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs).
- Municipalities: planning and tax base stability; municipal planners participate on the council.
- State agencies: RIEMA, CRMC, the CRO’s office and others would have responsibilities in implementation and support.
- Private sector: builders, flood mitigation consultants, insurers, and potential PPP partners.
- Insurers and property markets: potential long‑term impacts on premiums, insurability, and property values depending on uptake and program design.
Procedural / timeline aspects
- Introduced April 25, 2025; referred to House Finance.
- Scheduled for hearing/consideration for week of 05/13/2025.
- On 05/13/2025 the committee recommended the measure be held for further study (no enactment or appropriation recorded in the available text).
- Next steps (if revived): committee amendments, House floor vote, Senate consideration, and governor’s signature or veto.
Unresolved / omitted details in draft
- No appropriation or dedicated funding stream specified in the included text excerpt.
- Program mechanics are high level: eligibility criteria for audits, whether audits are voluntary or mandated, cost‑sharing, timeline for audits, standards for audit reports, and enforcement/land‑use changes are not detailed in the available draft.
- Implementation responsibilities beyond council membership (standards, contracting, procurement, reporting) are not fully shown in the truncated text.
Bottom line
HB 6276 would create a statewide framework to assess and reduce property flood risk through a coordinated flood audit program and a new Flood Mitigation Council. The bill sets policy direction and organizational structure but leaves many operational and funding details to subsequent rulemaking or future legislation. As of 05/13/2025 the measure has been held for further study by the committee.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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