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SR 923

JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $400,000 TO THE COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Alana DiMario and 5 co-sponsors

Allocates $400,000 to CRMC for FY 2025-26 to sustain STORMTOOLS, CHAMP, and MyCoast RI, strengthening Rhode Island's coastal hazard forecasts and emergency response.

05/15/2025 Committee heard
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Bill Summary · SR 923

Summary of Rhode Island Joint Resolution SR 923

Overview

SR 923 is a joint resolution that would appropriate $400,000 to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) to fund ongoing operations of three URI-derived coastal-hazard tools: STORMTOOLS, CHAMP Analysis, and MyCoast Rhode Island. The funds are drawn from money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2025-2026. The resolution is introduced by multiple state senators and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee; as of May 15, 2025, the committee has heard the measure.

Purpose and Intent

  • Ensure continued funding for critical coastal hazard decision-support tools developed by URI’s Coastal Resources Center (CRC) in partnership with Rhode Island Sea Grant.
  • Support the state’s capacity to plan for and respond to storms and coastal flooding, leveraging real-time data, modeling, and crowd-sourced information.

Key Provisions

  • Appropriation: $400,000 from the state treasury, not otherwise appropriated, for FY 2025-2026.
  • Recipient: Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC).
  • Authorized Use: To continue current services of:
    • STORMTOOLS: Up-to-date flooding predictions for commercial and residential parcels statewide.
    • CHAMP (Rhode Island–Coastal Hazards, Analysis, Modeling & Prediction): Real-time predictions of damage to vital infrastructure for emergency responders.
    • MyCoast Rhode Island: Portal for collecting and analyzing crowd-sourced flooding and erosion data; expanding capacity to monitor inland flooding.
  • Administrative Details: The State Controller is authorized to issue payments, or portions as needed, upon properly authenticated vouchers, drawn from the General Treasurer.

Background and Context

  • CRMC is facilitated by URI’s Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant.
  • The three tools were developed starting in 2014 to assist emergency managers, communities, state agencies, and military partners in planning for coastal storms and flooding.
  • The combined program (RI-CHAMP, STORMTOOLS, MyCoast) is presented as an essential, ongoing capability for Rhode Island’s coastal hazard analysis, modeling, and prediction.

Affected Parties

  • Affected agencies: CRMC (primary recipient), URI Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant.
  • Stakeholders benefiting: State and local emergency managers, coastal communities, infrastructure planners, and the public reliant on coastal hazard data and flood forecasting.

Timeline and Procedural Aspects

  • Introduced: March 28, 2025 (Introduced by Senators DiMario, Sosnowski, Gu, Euer, Lauria, Kallman).
  • Referral: Senate Finance.
  • Schedule: Hearing noted for May 9, 2025; Committee heard on May 15, 2025.
  • Status: Committee heard (as of the latest action).

Impact Outlook

If enacted, the bill would provide stable funding to maintain and enhance critical coastal-hazard tools, supporting more informed emergency response, infrastructure protection, and public awareness of flood risks in Rhode Island.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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