JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY SLUDGE MANAGEMENT IN RHODE ISLAND (Creates a 19-member joint commission to study and provide recommendations for effective sludge management, and who would report back to the General Assembly by January 5, 2027, and would expire on March 5, 2027.)

Plain English: H7532A 2026 -- H 7532 SUBSTITUTE A ======== LC004425/SUB A ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D.

• H7532A 2026 -- H 7532 SUBSTITUTE A ======== LC004425/SUB A ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D.
• 2026 ____________ J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY SLUDGE MANAGEMENT IN RHODE ISLAND Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Noret, and Phillips Date Introduced: February 06, 2026 Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources 1 WHEREAS, "Sludge" is defined as any solid, semisolid or liquid waste generated from a 2 municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or 3 air pollution control facility or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects; 4 and 5 WHEREAS, Effective sludge management is essential to reduce the massive volumes of 6 waste generated by wastewater treatment, mitigate severe environmental contamination 7 (groundwater and soil), and eliminate pathogens in order to protect public health; now, therefore 8 be it 9 RESOLVED, That a special joint legislative commission be and the same is hereby 10 created consisting of nineteen (19) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of 11 Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the 12 Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more than two (2) 13 from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall 14 be a member of the Rhode Island Clean Water Association (RICWA), to be appointed by the 15 Chair of the Board of Directors for the RICWA; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of 16 the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC), or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive 17 Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, or designee; one of 18 whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, or 19 designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration 1 Division of Planning, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative of a treatment facility, to 2 be appointed by the Speaker of the House; two (2) of whom shall be representatives of Rhode 3 Island communities that have incinerators, one of whom to be appointed by the Speaker of the 4 House, and one of whom to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the 5 Executive Director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, or designee; one of whom 6 shall be the Executive Director of the North East Biosolids & Residuals Association (NEBRA), 7 or designee; one of whom shall be a professor from the University of Rhode Island conversant in 8 sludge processing, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the 9 Executive Director of the Coastal Resource Management Council, or designee; and one of whom 10 shall be a representative of a private company involved in biosolids management, to be appointed 11 by the Speaker of the House.
• 12 In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory 13 commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly 14 resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu 15 of a legislator.
• 16 The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and review of 17 the current state of sludge management in Rhode Island, with an emphasis on the current status of 18 the sludge incinerator at the Woonsocket thermal conversion facility.

• This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Plain English: H7532Aaa 2026 -- H 7532 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED ======== LC004425/SUB A ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D.

• H7532Aaa 2026 -- H 7532 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED ======== LC004425/SUB A ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D.
• 2026 ____________ J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY SLUDGE MANAGEMENT IN RHODE ISLAND Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Noret, and Phillips Date Introduced: February 06, 2026 Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources 1 WHEREAS, "Sludge" is defined as any solid, semisolid or liquid waste generated from a 2 municipal, commercial, or industrial wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or 3 air pollution control facility or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects; 4 and 5 WHEREAS, Effective sludge management is essential to reduce the massive volumes of 6 waste generated by wastewater treatment, mitigate severe environmental contamination 7 (groundwater and soil), and eliminate pathogens in order to protect public health; now, therefore 8 be it 9 RESOLVED, That a special joint legislative commission be and the same is hereby 10 created consisting of twenty (20) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of 11 Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the 12 Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more than two (2) 13 from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall 14 be a member of the Rhode Island Clean Water Association (RICWA), to be appointed by the 15 Chair of the Board of Directors for the RICWA; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of 16 the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC), or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive 17 Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, or designee; one of 18 whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, or 19 designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island State Director of Clean Water Action, or 1 designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration 2 Division of Planning, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative of a treatment facility, to 3 be appointed by the Speaker of the House; two (2) of whom shall be representatives of Rhode 4 Island communities that have incinerators, one of whom to be appointed by the Speaker of the 5 House, and one of whom to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the 6 Executive Director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, or designee; one of whom 7 shall be the Executive Director of the North East Biosolids & Residuals Association (NEBRA), 8 or designee; one of whom shall be a professor from the University of Rhode Island conversant in 9 sludge processing, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the 10 Executive Director of the Coastal Resource Management Council, or designee; and one of whom 11 shall be a representative of a private company involved in biosolids management, to be appointed 12 by the Speaker of the House.
• 13 In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory 14 commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly 15 resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu 16 of a legislator.
• 17 The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and review of 18 the current state of sludge management in Rhode Island, with an emphasis on the current status of 19 the sludge incinerator at the Woonsocket thermal conversion facility.

• This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.