Title 46
Waters and Navigation

Chapter 23.4
Act on Coasts — Coastal Resiliency

§ 46-23.4-2. Rhode Island chief resilience officer (CRO).

The chief resilience officer (CRO) shall:

(1) Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the climate risks related to sea level rise for coastal and riverine communities. The CRO will conduct an assessment of risk to Providence, Kent, Washington, Bristol, and Newport counties for the purposes of the development of a statewide coastal resilience strategy, building upon and supporting the work of the Rhode Island shoreline change special area management plan, hazard mitigation plan, and the municipal resilience planning program;

(2) Develop a coastal resilience plan and draft state policies on resilience and implement such policies in conjunction with the Rhode Island executive climate change coordinating council (the “RIEC4”) to improve coordination among state agencies and local jurisdictions to support community and economic recovery efforts and to address risk and vulnerability reduction from sea rise, riverine flooding, and urban heat. The CRO shall provide the statewide coastal resilience plan to the governor, the RIEC4, and the general assembly no later than October 1, 2025, to be included in the state climate plan as outlined in chapter 6.2 of title 42 (“2021 act on climate”) which statewide plan is due December 31, 2025;

(3) Coordinate resilience efforts across state agencies, municipalities, businesses, and other organizations and advise the RIEC4, established pursuant to § 42-6.2-1, on the status and effectiveness of those efforts;

(4) Draft state policies on resilience and implement such policies under the direction of the RIEC4;

(5) Serve as the primary voice and advocate for state actions on resilience;

(6) Build upon the planning assistance provided to municipalities by municipal resilience program (“MRP”) workshops, in coordination with partner agencies;

(7) Work closely with the Rhode Island infrastructure bank (“RIIB”) on the MRP action grants and the planning and financing of other resilience projects;

(8) Work with RIIB and the coastal resource management council on the implementation of the ocean state climate adaptation and resilience fund (“OSCAR”) grant program;

(9) Plan and implement projects to protect and restore the habitat and recreational resources owned or under the stewardship of the department of environmental management;

(10) Aggressively track and apply for federal grants to fund resilience efforts across Rhode Island;

(11) Coordinate resilience efforts with decarbonization programs, activities, and policies taken in accordance with the chapter 6.2 of title 42 (“2021 act on climate”);

(12) Provide technical assistance to municipalities and the state for the implementation of resilience planning, including resilience frameworks, vulnerability profiles, risk-reduction plans, and economic development strategies; and

(13) Provide biennial reports to the RIEC4, the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate on the state of resilience in Rhode Island, with the first report to be submitted by December 31, 2025.