46-31.1-3. Bays, Rivers and Watersheds Fund.

(a) There is hereby established a restricted receipt account within the Department of

Environmental Management to be called the Bays, Rivers and Watersheds Fund;

(b) The fund shall consist of any funds which the state may from time to time appropriate,

as well as money received as gifts, grants, bequests, donations or other funds from any public or

private sources, as well as all fees collected pursuant to § 46-23-1(f)(2) for the leasing of submerged

lands for transatlantic cables, and all fees collected pursuant to chapter 12.11 of this title for the

disposal of septage;

(c) All funds, monies, and fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the

Bays, Rivers and Watersheds Fund, and shall be utilized by the Department of Environmental

Management consistent with the purposes of § 46-23.2-1 entitled, “The Comprehensive Watershed

and Marine Monitoring Act of 2004,” § 46-12 chapter 12 of title 46 entitled , “Water Pollution” ,

chapter 33 of title 46 entitled, “Freshwater Lake Management Program,” and chapter 6.2 of title 4

42 entitled “ Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 Climate Change Coordination Council 2021 Act

on Climate .” All expenditures from the fund shall be subject to appropriation by the general

assembly.

SECTION 21. Sections 46-33-1 and 46-33-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-33 entitled

"Freshwater Lake Management Program" are hereby amended to read as follows: