2015 -- H 5478

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LC001319

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING THE RHODE ISLAND HOUSE COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC RISK DUE TO

FLOODING AND SEA RISE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Carson, Almeida, Lally, Azzinaro, and Naughton

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2015

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

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     WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has a long history of taking action to protect its

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shoreline, its coasts and its economy; and

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     WHEREAS, The Resilient RI legislation passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly

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in 2014, has signified that climate change will have an impact on the use and enjoyment of the

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public and private resources of the state and will require new types and levels of effort to secure

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their preservation, regeneration and restoration; and

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     WHEREAS, The effects of flooding and sea rise are real and measurable in Rhode Island

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and have been publicly recognized; these include a rising sea level measured 10.6 inches since

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1930 at the Newport Tide Gauge; thirty percent more intense storms driving worsening floods;

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measurably longer and hotter summers and heat waves; and increasingly damaging coastal storms

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and sea surge; and

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     WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has valuable public and private assets that sit in

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the floodplain; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island faces significant economic risks from flooding and sea rise

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because of its size and its coastal assets, exposure and its intricate web of inland rivers and

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streams and the effects of climate change that need to be seen in the context of other socio-

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economic drivers; and

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     WHEREAS, To date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the economic risks

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to the Rhode Island economy from flooding and sea rise; and

 

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     WHEREAS, The clearest and most economically significant of these risks are damage to

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publicly and privately owned coastal properties, businesses and infrastructure from rising sea

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levels and increased storm surge, business interruption, property devaluation, lost tax revenue to

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the municipalities and the state and climate-driven changes on labor productivity and public

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health; and

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     WHEREAS, Flooding impacts are unusual in that future risks are directly tied to present

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decisions; and

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     WHEREAS, Marine industries, the real estate industry and tourism are three of Rhode

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Island’s biggest economic drivers and are at risk from sea rise and flooding; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's business community and the public sector are partners in

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moving the economy forward and each play an active role in helping to determine how best to

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react to the risks and costs posed by sea rise and storm surge, and how to set the rules that move

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Rhode Island forward in a sustainable, affordable direction; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That the Rhode Island House Commission on Economic Risk Due to

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Flooding and Sea Rise be and the same is hereby created consisting of eleven (11) members:

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three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, not more than

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two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom

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shall be from a Rhode Island institution of higher learning with a specialization in economics and

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risk analysis, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the President of

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the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative

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of the insurance industry, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the

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Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce, or designee; one of whom shall be from a Rhode Island

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Chamber of Commerce, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be from

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the Newport Maritime Alliance, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall

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be the Chief Operating Officer of Provport, or designee; and one of whom shall be the Chairman

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of the South County Tourism Council, or designee.

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     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

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commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

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resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

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of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which

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is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

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     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study to assess Rhode

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Island's financial risk and economic exposure due to flooding and sea rise and report to the

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General Assembly, including but not limited to:

 

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     (1) Conduct a study from three case study locations using the Providence Port, the

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Newport Waterfront and South County tourism and marine industries. Identify and highlight

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climate risks to the specific business sectors of the Rhode Island economy attributed to the case

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study locations, and provide actionable data at a geographically granular level for decision-

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makers;

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     (2) Provide data and information to Rhode Island municipalities, businesses and the

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investment community so that they may factor sea rise and flooding into their short- and long-

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term decision making;

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     (3) Forecast and document the economic risks of sea rise and climate change in order to

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provide information necessary for government, the business community, and the public to prepare

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to respond to these risks through climate preparedness and mitigation in the case studies;

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     (4) Forecast and document potential lost sales and income, unemployment, delayed sales

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and income, increased expenses, delay of business plans, potential loss of value and the costs of

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recovery strategies in the case studies;

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     (5) Conduct risk assessment, identifying vulnerabilities that would make business assets

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more susceptible to damage from flooding and sea rise. Vulnerabilities include deficiencies in

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building construction, process systems, security, protection systems and loss prevention programs

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in the case studies;

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     (6) Project Rhode Island as a leader in the region for taking steps to insure minimal

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business interruption and loss of value due to sea rise and sea surge; and

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     (7) Make recommendations to the General Assembly for the broad purpose of

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understanding the scope of the risk in order to take further steps to maintain the value of public

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and private property and state and private revenue in Rhode Island's economy, to define effective

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adaptation strategies, to better understand cost inaction; and to propose new approaches to

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understand and address the business risks associated with sea rise and storm surge.

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     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

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the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson.

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     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

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     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

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     All departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information,

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documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

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desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

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     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

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for said commission; and be it further

 

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     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

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House of Representatives no later than January 6, 2016, and said commission shall expire on

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February 6, 2016.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING THE RHODE ISLAND HOUSE COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC RISK DUE TO

FLOODING AND SEA RISE

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     This resolution would create an eleven (11) member special legislative study commission

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whose purpose it would be to study and make recommendations concerning the economic risks

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relating to and resulting from sea rise and flooding in Rhode Island, and who would report back

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to the House of Representatives no later than January 6, 2016, and whose life would expire on

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February 6, 2016.

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