Rhode Island Voters Will Decide on $55 Million Green Bond

The proposed bond measure on the November ballot aims to fund environmental resilience and state park improvements.

Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Environmental

Isometric editorial illustration of a coastal stone seawall and marsh vegetation, symbolizing state-level environmental resilience and infrastructure projects. — Rhode Island voters will decide this November on a $55 million Green Bond proposal dedicated to coastal erosion, flood mitigation, and land conservation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support increasing state borrowing to fund environmental and climate resilience projects?

Rhode Island voters will decide in November 2026 on a $55 million Green Bond to address coastal erosion, flooding, and conservation. The measure is part of a broader $600 million borrowing request across five separate ballot questions.

Why it matters

The bond is intended to fund essential mitigation for environmental challenges like stormwater management and coastal protection. Legislators expanded this year's proposal to incorporate new funding for open space and farmland preservation.

The bond allocates $25 million to the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund, with an additional $12 million for state parks, $7 million for watershed restoration, and $3 million for brownfield remediation.

The players

RIIB

The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank administers the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund and oversees grant distributions.

The details

Administered by the RIIB, the bond provides matching grants to public and private entities for climate mitigation projects. These funds build on past initiatives, such as the $1.8 million grant from the 2022 Green Bond that supported shore stabilization in East Providence.

Rhode Island has included environmental bond questions on ballots since the 1980s.
Voters approved the previous Green Bond in 2022.
Officials held a campaign event for Question 5 on September 28, 2026.
Voters will decide on the bond questions in November 2026.

The Big Picture

This ballot initiative updates the funding levels for the established Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund to address current infrastructure needs. The proposal follows a long-standing state pattern of using voter-approved bonds to maintain public environmental assets.

The bond could improve access to state parks, beaches, and campgrounds for residents while providing funding for local farmland protection. Residents may see direct improvements in flood mitigation and regional stormwater management if the measure passes in November.

The takeaway

Voters will ultimately determine the state's capacity to fund climate resiliency and recreation projects for the coming years. This election represents a continuation of the state's multi-decade practice of using bond financing for public land and water stewardship.