What is a Green Amendment?
Green Amendments are self executing provisions added to the bill of rights section of a constitution that recognize and protect the rights of all people, including future generations, to pure water, clean air, a stable climate, and healthy environments.
The Rhode Island Green Amendment What Happened in 2025.
Officially posted on February 24, 2025, the Rhode Island Green Amendment proposes to add the following environmental rights to Article 1 of the the state constitution:
“All people in the state of Rhode Island (The Ocean State) have an inherent, inalienable, indefeasible, and self-executing right to clean air, clean water, healthy and uncontaminated soil, a life-supporting climate, and the preservation of the environment’s natural, scenic, and recreational values. The state shall serve as trustee of the natural resources of Rhode Island, and shall conserve, protect, and maintain these resources for the benefit of all the people, including both present and future generations. The state shall not infringe upon these rights, and shall protect these rights and Rhode Island’s natural resources equitably for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or socioeconomics. ”
Championed by State Senator V. Susan Sosnowski, on May 28, 2025 the Rhode Island Green Amendment was passed by the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee by a vote of 5 to 1.
A week later the amendment was placed before the full Senate which, on June 3, 2025 voted ‘Yes’ overwhelmingly — 32 to 4 with only 2 not voting — to pass the amendment. Read the Press Release here.
In the end, while the subject of a hearing before the House Committee on State Government and Elections, the amendment was never put up for a vote on the House side of the legislature before the end of legislative session. But strong progress was made in 2025, the first year the amendment was proposed in Rhode Island, so there is a strong foundation for future discussion, learning and progress.
To learn more about the values of a Green Amendment for Rhode Island, check out our Resources Page.
To take action to help support and spread the word about the RI Green Amendment check out our Act Now page, and stay tune for future opportunities.
Join the Green Amendment Movement
To join the Green Amendment movement & stay ahead of the curve on what is happening in Rhode Island and nationwide, sign up for your free membership here so you receive our newsletter, updates and other ways to engage in Rhode Island and beyond.
The Green Amendments Action Platform
The Green Amendments Action Platform is another great space to join a closed community of Green Amendment activists to talk about the movement, learn from others, learn what is going on, share your ideas, and to ask your questions and get them answered. You can join this online platform via your computer by signing up at this link. Or you can download the Action Platform as an app to your phone by going to the app store and searching for Green Amendments FTG.
National Green Amendments Movement
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