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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- S 0520 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001946 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 15 | 15 | | MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $1,000,000 TO THE OFFICE OF ENERGY |
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| 16 | 16 | | RESOURCES TO FUND A REBATE PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PASSAGE |
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| 17 | 17 | | OF AN ELIGIBLE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BAN THE USE OF GASOLINE- |
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| 18 | 18 | | POWERED LEAF BLOWERS |
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| 19 | 19 | | Introduced By: Senators Zurier, Euer, and Lauria |
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| 20 | 20 | | Date Introduced: March 07, 2023 |
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| 21 | 21 | | Referred To: Senate Finance |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Gas powered leaf blowers emit high rates of pollution such as 1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | formaldehyde, benzine, fine particulate matter and smog forming chemicals which can cause 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | dizziness, headaches, asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, cancer and dementia; and 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, In addition, Gas powered leaf blowers generate noise at a decibel level 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | capable of causing hearing loss in a short amount of time; and 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Rhode Island's 2022-23 fiscal year ended with a surplus of more than $600 6 |
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| 30 | 30 | | million; now, therefore be it 7 |
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| 31 | 31 | | RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of the surplus funds in the treasury 8 |
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| 32 | 32 | | not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2022-2023, the sum of one million dollars 9 |
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| 33 | 33 | | ($1,000,000) to The Office of Energy Resources to provide a maximum of $250,000 per city or 10 |
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| 34 | 34 | | town, to fund a rebate program in conjunction with the passage of an eligible ordinance that 11 |
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| 35 | 35 | | would ban the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers and said refund would be implemented 12 |
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| 36 | 36 | | within two years of passage of the ban, with any unused funds returned to the state general fund 13 |
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| 37 | 37 | | after one year of implementation of the program and subject to refund to the State if the ordinance 14 |
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| 38 | 38 | | is repealed; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his orders upon the 15 |
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| 39 | 39 | | general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time 16 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | LC001946 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 43 | 43 | | required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. 1 |
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| 44 | 44 | | ======== |
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| 45 | 45 | | LC001946 |
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| 46 | 46 | | ======== |
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| 47 | 47 | | |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | LC001946 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 50 | 50 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 51 | 51 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 52 | 52 | | OF |
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| 53 | 53 | | J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 54 | 54 | | MAKING AN APPROPRIAT ION OF $1,000,000 TO THE OFFICE OF ENERGY |
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| 55 | 55 | | RESOURCES TO FUND A REBATE PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PASSAGE |
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| 56 | 56 | | OF AN ELIGIBLE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BAN THE USE OF GASOLINE- |
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| 57 | 57 | | POWERED LEAF BLOWERS |
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| 58 | 58 | | *** |
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| 59 | 59 | | This joint resolution would authorize an appropriation out of the 2022-2023 budget 1 |
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| 60 | 60 | | surplus of $1,000,000 to fund a rebate program in conjunction with the passage of an eligible 2 |
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| 61 | 61 | | ordinance that would ban the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers. 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ======== |
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| 63 | 63 | | LC001946 |
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| 64 | 64 | | ======== |
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| 65 | 65 | | |
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