§ 46-23.4-2. Rhode Island chief resilience officer (CRO).
The chief resilience officer (CRO) shall:
(1) Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the climate risks related to sea level rise
for coastal and riverine communities. The CRO will conduct an assessment of risk to
Providence, Kent, Washington, Bristol, and Newport counties for the purposes of the
development of a statewide coastal resilience strategy, building upon and supporting
the work of the Rhode Island shoreline change special area management plan, hazard
mitigation plan, and the municipal resilience planning program;
(2) Develop a coastal resilience plan and draft state policies on resilience and implement
such policies in conjunction with the Rhode Island executive climate change coordinating
council (the "RIEC4�) to improve coordination among state agencies and local jurisdictions
to support community and economic recovery efforts and to address risk and vulnerability
reduction from sea rise, riverine flooding, and urban heat. The CRO shall provide
the statewide coastal resilience plan to the governor, the RIEC4, and the general
assembly no later than October 1, 2025, to be included in the state climate plan as
outlined in chapter 6.2 of title 42 ("2021 act on climate�) which statewide plan is due December 31, 2025;
(3) Coordinate resilience efforts across state agencies, municipalities, businesses, and
other organizations and advise the RIEC4, established pursuant to § 42-6.2-1, on the status and effectiveness of those efforts;
(4) Draft state policies on resilience and implement such policies under the direction
of the RIEC4;
(5) Serve as the primary voice and advocate for state actions on resilience;
(6) Build upon the planning assistance provided to municipalities by municipal resilience
program ("MRP�) workshops, in coordination with partner agencies;
(7) Work closely with the Rhode Island infrastructure bank ("RIIB�) on the MRP action
grants and the planning and financing of other resilience projects;
(8) Work with RIIB and the coastal resource management council on the implementation of
the ocean state climate adaptation and resilience fund ("OSCAR�) grant program;
(9) Plan and implement projects to protect and restore the habitat and recreational resources
owned or under the stewardship of the department of environmental management;
(10) Aggressively track and apply for federal grants to fund resilience efforts across
Rhode Island;
(11) Coordinate resilience efforts with decarbonization programs, activities, and policies
taken in accordance with the chapter 6.2 of title 42 ("2021 act on climate�);
(12) Provide technical assistance to municipalities and the state for the implementation
of resilience planning, including resilience frameworks, vulnerability profiles, risk-reduction
plans, and economic development strategies; and
(13) Provide biennial reports to the RIEC4, the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
and the president of the senate on the state of resilience in Rhode Island, with the
first report to be submitted by December 31, 2025.