2026 -- H 8451 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO WORK

WITH THE TOWN OF NEW SHOREHAM TO DEVELOP A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

TO REDUCE TICK-BORNE ILLNESS ON BLOCK ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representative Tina L. Spears

     Date Introduced: April 15, 2026

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     WHEREAS, Block Island, comprising the Town of New Shoreham, is a unique island

community in the State of Rhode Island, accessible only by ferry or air, and home to a significant

year-round resident population as well as hundreds of thousands of seasonal visitors and tourists

each year; and

     WHEREAS, The island’s geographic isolation has prevented natural predation or

dispersal that would otherwise regulate deer numbers on the mainland; and

     WHEREAS, The presence of deer on Block Island has led to correspondingly elevated

populations of ticks, the primary vector for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and other

tick-borne illnesses that pose a serious and ongoing public health threat to island residents and

visitors; and

     WHEREAS, The rates of tick-borne illness infection among residents of New Shoreham

are disproportionately high relative to other communities in Rhode Island, placing a significant

burden on affected individuals, their families, and the healthcare resources available to the island

community; and

     WHEREAS, Effective management of deer populations has been demonstrated in peer-

reviewed scientific literature and in practice by other island and coastal communities to be one of

the most effective means of reducing the incidence of tick-borne illness in humans; and

     WHEREAS, The Town of New Shoreham has expressed a need for regulatory tools and

state partnership to address the deer population in a manner that is safe, effective, humane, and

consistent with sound wildlife management principles; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has

authority over wildlife management and the issuance of damage permits, including deer damage

permits, pursuant to the laws of the State of Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, It is in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Rhode

Island that the State partner with the Town of New Shoreham to devise a comprehensive,

evidence-based regulatory framework for addressing deer mitigation as a public health

intervention; now, therefore, be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

directs the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), in consultation with

the Town of New Shoreham and the Rhode Island Department of Health, to develop a

comprehensive regulatory framework for the management and reduction of deer populations on

Block Island for the purpose of mitigating tick-borne illness; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That such regulatory framework shall include, at minimum:

     1. Proposed strategies for the reduction or elimination of tick-borne illness vectors, with

particular focus on deer population management, including but not limited to licensed hunting,

culling programs, fertility control, and exclusion methods appropriate to the island environment;

     2. A comprehensive public safety plan governing any deer management activities

conducted under the framework, including protocols for coordination with local law enforcement,

notice to residents and visitors, and operational restrictions to ensure public safety;

     3. A mechanism for the Town of New Shoreham to apply for, and for DEM to issue, a

wildlife damage permit or such other regulatory authorization as may be necessary to carry out

approved deer management activities, notwithstanding any other general restrictions on the

issuance of deer damage permits;

     4. A method for regularly reporting progress and outcomes to the Department of

Environmental Management, the Department of Health, and the Rhode Island General Assembly;

     5. An ongoing data collection program to track deer population trends, tick density and

species composition, and rates of tick-borne illness infection among island residents and visitors,

for distribution to the Department of Health and other relevant public health entities; and

     6. A public education component to inform residents and visitors of tick-borne illness

risks and evidence-based personal prevention measures; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Department of Environmental Management shall submit a report

of its findings, proposed regulatory framework, and recommended legislative or administrative

actions to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the

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Senate no later than six (6) months following the adoption of this resolution; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

Environmental Management, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the

Town Council of the Town of New Shoreham.

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