It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 23-7-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-7 entitled "Mosquito Abatement" is hereby amended to read as follows:

23-7-16. Grants for mosquito abatement -- (a) Consistent with the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, the mosquito abatement board shall establish a competitive grant program. Only a mosquito abatement district formed or authorized pursuant to section 23-7-7 is eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this section. A mosquito abatement district shall be eligible to apply for one grant per year. The purpose of the grant program shall be to provide financial support to mosquito abatement districts for programs of long term preventive mosquito control that lead to minimization of pesticide use and minimal disruption of natural environments. The mosquito abatement board shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding the awarding of grants pursuant to this section. Appropriate uses of grant money may include but are not limited to, the following: inventory of larval mosquito breeding sources, application of innovative and environmentally sound mosquito control methods, execution of approved water management projects which deal with mosquito control, and the purchase of educational materials and educational services. Grants made to mosquito abatement districts shall not be used to finance the routine operation of a mosquito control program, including but not limited to, the purchase of pesticides and pesticide application equipment.- , the purchase of pesticides and pesticide application equipment and routine spraying operations. All grants shall be issued pursuant to any established state response protocol for mosquito viruses. In the event that a district does not utilize all or any portion of its grant money, then the district shall return to the mosquito abatement board the nonutilized grant money.

(b) The mosquito abatement board pursuant to title 42, chapter 35 shall promulgate in regulation form the criteria upon which the grants will be awarded. The regulations setting forth grant criteria, in their final form, shall be given to all grant applicants. The mosquito abatement board shall clearly state in writing the reasons for its approval or denial of a grant.

SECTION 2. Section 23-25-6.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-25 entitled "Pesticide Control" is hereby amended to read as follows:

23-25-6.1. Registration fee -- Surcharge -- (a) In addition to the annual registration fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) as required by section 23-25-6, an additional thirty dollar ($30.00) registration surcharge fee shall be imposed upon each pesticide to be sold or used within the state. The registration surcharge fee shall be deposited as general revenues.

(b) All money appropriated for the Mosquito Abatement program are for the specifically outlined purposes:

(1) Up to sixty-two and one-half percent (62 1/2%) of all money relegated to the Mosquito Abatement program shall be made available to the department of environmental management, division of the agriculture for payment of ancillary costs and services, personnel, and equipment incurred in order to carry out the activities and programs of the office of mosquito abatement coordination, including an eastern equine encephalitis program, and associated functions.

(2) The director of the department of environmental management will allocate the remaining balance of the money not allocated in subsection (b)(1) to the Rhode Island mosquito abatement board to establish and carry out the Rhode Island mosquito abatement grant program. This program, consisting of fifty percent (50%) matching grants to Rhode Island cities and towns registered with the mosquito abatement board as mosquito abatement districts shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 7 of this title and all rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to chapter 7 of this title. The available funds shall be used for the purposes of assisting cities and towns in mapping and data collection or in any other start-up projects relating to the establishment of a mosquito abatement district but may not be used for routine operating expenses of any mosquito abatement program. This program shall consist of matching grants in the following amounts and for the following purposes: (i) fifty percent (50%) matching grants for the purchase of pesticides and pesticide application equipment and routine spraying operations; (ii) eighty percent (80%) matching grants for all remaining eligible uses as outlined in section 23-7-16(a). Grants issued to Rhode Island cities and towns registered with the mosquito abatement board as mosquito abatement districts shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 7 of this title and all rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.