2025 -- S 0713

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LC000475

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

     Introduced By: Senators Mack, Bissaillon, Kallman, Quezada, Valverde, Bell, Murray,
and DiMario

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 30-15 of the General Laws entitled "Emergency Management" is

hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

     30-15-46. Warming center alert.

     (a) As used in this section:

     (1) "At-risk individual" means an individual living outdoors, on the streets, in the parks, or

in poorly insulated settings, and who is at risk for weather-related exposure and possible death.

     (2) "Director" means the director of the emergency management agency ("agency").

     (3) "Local governing body" means the city or town councils of the state's cities and towns.

     (b) Plan for issuance of warming center alert. Cities and towns through their office of

emergency management or other appropriate office, agency or department that receives state or

federal funding to operate a shelter or warming center shall be required to keep the shelter or

warming center open and accessible every day, twenty-four (24) hours each day, until the weather

alert has ended, and shall establish a plan for issuing a warming center alert to municipalities, social

services agencies, and nonprofit organizations that provide services to at-risk individuals and are

located within the city or town's borders. Upon the designation of a warming center alert, the

director shall coordinate with the cities and towns to provide information regarding available

services. This coordination shall include, but not be limited to, postings on the Rhode Island

emergency management agency's webpage, postings on local media and social media channels.

The agency or appropriate office or department shall coordinate with municipal emergency

management coordinators in municipalities with a documented homeless population of at least ten

(10), as noted in the most recent report on sheltered and unsheltered people provided by the annual

Point-in-Time Count, in developing consistent warming center alert plans throughout the cities or

towns that provide for emergency warming centers during implementation of a warming center

alert plan. This plan may be carried out by designated volunteer organizations. Volunteer-organized

warming center efforts shall receive cooperation and logistical support from the director, but shall

operate autonomously; provided that, they operate in response to an alert and pursuant to the

warming center alert plan.

     (c) The director shall declare a warming center alert after evaluating weather forecasts and

advisories produced by the National Weather Service.

     (d) The director, or designee, shall review weather forecasts from the National Weather

Service on a regular and consistent basis to determine when a warming center alert is warranted.

     (e) Requirements -- Warning centers. During any warming center alert, municipalities,

through their respective emergency management offices, shall:

     (1) Arrange for shelters which shall be open seven (7) days a week and twenty-four (24)

hours each day.

     (2) Provide for notice and updates on the city or town webpage and available social media

outlets about the availability of resources including, but not limited to, shelters, warming centers

and/or community-based centers that are available to provide support or shelter.

     (3) When the shelter or warming center is open for twenty-four (24) hours or more, provide

provisions for individuals' comfort including, but not limited to, blankets, cots, mats, meals and

beverages.

     (f) Any municipality not identified as a "hot spot" for people experiencing homelessness

according to the most recent report on sheltered and unsheltered people by the Point-in-Time Count,

the city or town may collaborate with neighboring municipalities to combine resources and operate

a regional warming center which would satisfy the requirements of this section.

     30-15-47. Cooling center alert.

     (a) As used in this section:

     (1)"At-risk individual" means an individual living outdoors, on the streets, in the parks or

in poorly insulated settings, and who is at risk for weather-related exposure and possible death.

     (2) "Director" means the director of the emergency management agency ("agency").

     (3) "Local governing body" means the city or town councils of the state's cities and towns.

     (b) Plan for issuance of cooling center alert. The cities and towns through their office of

emergency management or other appropriate office, agency, or department, that receives state or

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federal funding to operate a shelter or cooling center shall be required to keep the shelter or cooling

center open and accessible every day, twenty-four (24) hours each day, until the weather alert has

ended and shall establish a plan for issuing a cooling center alert to municipalities, social service

agencies, and nonprofit organizations that provide services to at-risk individuals and are located

within the city or town borders. Upon the designation of a cooling center alert, the director shall

coordinate with the cities and towns to provide information regarding available services. This

coordination shall include, but not be limited to, postings on the Rhode Island emergency

management agency's webpage, postings on local media and social media channels. The agency or

appropriate office, or department, shall coordinate with municipal emergency management

coordinators in municipalities with a documented homeless population of at least ten (10), as noted

in the most recent report on sheltered and unsheltered people by the annual Point-in-Time Count,

in developing consistent cooling center alert plans throughout the city or town that provide for

emergency cooling centers during implementation of a cooling center alert plan. This plan may be

carried out by designated volunteer organizations. Volunteer-organized cooling center efforts shall

receive cooperation and logistical support from the director, but shall operate autonomously;

provided that, they operate in response to an alert and pursuant to the cooling center alert plan.

     (c) The director shall declare a cooling center alert after evaluating weather forecasts and

advisories produced by the National Weather Service.

     (d) Review of weather forecasts. The director, or designee, shall review weather forecasts

from the National Weather Service on a regular and consistent basis to determine when a cooling

center alert is warranted.

     (e) Requirements -- Cooling centers. During any cooling center alert, municipalities

through their respective emergency management offices shall:

     (1) Arrange for cooling centers which shall be open seven (7) days a week and twenty-four

(24) hours each day.

     (2) Provide for updates on the city or town webpage and available social media outlets

about the availability of resources including, but not limited to, shelters, cooling centers and/or

community-based centers that are available to provide support or shelter.

     (3) When the shelter or cooling center is open for twenty-four (24) hours or more, provide

provisions for individuals' comfort including, but not limited to, blankets, cots, mats, meals and

beverages.

     (f) Any municipality not identified as a "hot spot" for people experiencing homelessness

according to the most recent report on sheltered and unsheltered people by the Point-in-Time Count,

may collaborate with neighboring municipalities to combine resources and operate a regional

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cooling center which would satisfy the requirements of this section.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

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     This act would provide for warming center and cooling center alerts to trigger certain

procedures municipalities shall follow during extreme heat or cold to help at-risk individuals with

shelter.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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