It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 2-14-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 2-14 entitled "Tree Wardens" is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-14-2. Appointment by town council or city mayor -- (a) Every town council at its regular meeting in January of each year, and the mayor of every city on or before February 1 each year, shall appoint a tree warden who is, or who within six (6) months of his or her assuming office becomes, an arborist, licensed under chapter 19 of this title, to engage in the business or practice of all phases of tree care, including, but without limiting the generality to the planting, pruning, trimming, spraying, or repairing of fruit, shade, forest and ornamental trees and shrubs. In the event a town or city does not have a resident who is, or who is about to become an arborist as defined in this section, then the mayor of that city or the town council of that town may appoint a resident who is not presently nor is about to become an arborist its tree warden subject to approval as provided in this section. The town clerk of the town, or the city clerk of the city for which a tree warden is appointed shall notify the director of environmental management of the appointment, and no appointment shall take effect until it has been approved by the director and approval has been certified by him or her to the town clerk or the city clerk, as the case may be. In case the director of environmental management disapproves of any appointment he or she shall notify the town clerk of the town, or the city clerk of the city, for which the appointment was made, of his or her disapproval and the town council of the town, or the mayor of the city, as the case may be, shall proceed to make another appointment and the town clerk or city clerk shall send notice to the director and the same proceeding shall be had until an appointment is approved by the director of environmental management.

(b) The residency requirement of the arborist as provided in this chapter shall not apply to the town of Hopkinton, the town of Jamestown or the town of Bristol, and the respective town councils are authorized to appoint a nonresident arborist subject to the approval of the director of environmental management.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage and section 1 shall take effect if and when the electors of the town of Jamestown qualified to vote upon a proposition to impose a tax for the expenditure of money vote to accept this act.