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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5193 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000848 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Read, Noret, Casimiro, Edwards, Serpa, Hull, Corvese, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Casey, Azzinaro, and Phillips |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: January 24, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House State Government & Elections |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 23-28.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of State Fire Marshal" 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 23-28.2-31. Electric and hybrid motor vehicles identification stickers. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) The office of state fire marshal ("the office") shall create a sticker to be affixed 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | voluntarily by a registrant of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle powered in whole or in part by a 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | high-voltage lithium-ion storage battery to any enclosure housing such a vehicle. 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) The office shall make the stickers available to registrants of electric or hybrid motor 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | vehicles upon request, whether in person or through an online application process. 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) The office is authorized to establish an online application for registrants to request the 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | sticker identified in subsection (a) of this section. 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) The office is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to assist fire departments 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | and fire districts in carrying out the objectives of this electrical fire safety program. 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 31-3 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | 31-3-130. Registration of electric and hybrid motor vehicles. 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (a) On or after September 1, 2025, any person who registers or renews a registration for an 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | electric or hybrid motor vehicle powered in whole or in part by a high-voltage lithium-ion storage 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | battery with the division of motor vehicles may elect to participate in a voluntary fire safety 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | program by obtaining a sticker from the office of state fire marshal to affix to any enclosure housing 19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC000848 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | a hybrid or electric motor vehicle. 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) The division of motor vehicles shall provide any person who registers or renews a 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | registration for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle with written notice of the office of state fire 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | marshal's electrical fire safety program and the opportunity to obtain a sticker to affix to any 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | enclosure housing a hybrid or electric motor vehicle. 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (c) The division of motor vehicles shall maintain a list of hybrid and electric motor vehicles 6 |
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| 51 | 51 | | registered in the state and provide quarterly updates of such registrations to the fire departments 7 |
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| 52 | 52 | | and fire districts within the state to be used for official purposes only. 8 |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. Chapter 46-12.2 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Infrastructure 9 |
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| 54 | 54 | | Bank" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 10 |
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| 55 | 55 | | 46-12.2-4.4. Funding for electric and hybrid motor vehicle fire safety program. 11 |
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| 56 | 56 | | The Rhode Island infrastructure bank is authorized to assist in funding, from the clean 12 |
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| 57 | 57 | | energy fund created pursuant to § 46-12.2-4.3, the efforts of the state fire marshal in carrying out 13 |
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| 58 | 58 | | the objectives of the electrical fire safety program at § 31-3-130 and § 23-28.2-31. 14 |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage. 15 |
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| 60 | 60 | | ======== |
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| 61 | 61 | | LC000848 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ======== |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | LC000848 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 66 | 66 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 67 | 67 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 68 | 68 | | OF |
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| 69 | 69 | | A N A C T |
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| 70 | 70 | | RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL |
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| 71 | 71 | | *** |
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| 72 | 72 | | This act would create a voluntary program through which registrants of electric and hybrid 1 |
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| 73 | 73 | | motor vehicles can request stickers to affix to enclosures housing such vehicles to promote first 2 |
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| 74 | 74 | | responders' safety in relation to electrical fires. The act would also require that the division of motor 3 |
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| 75 | 75 | | vehicles maintain a list of electric and hybrid motor vehicle registrations and send quarterly lists of 4 |
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| 76 | 76 | | such registrations to the fire departments and fire districts within the state. 5 |
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| 77 | 77 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 6 |
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| 78 | 78 | | ======== |
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| 79 | 79 | | LC000848 |
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| 80 | 80 | | ======== |
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