JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $250,000 TO 401 TECH BRIDGE TO STUDY AND EXPLORE SEAGLIDERS IN RHODE ISLAND

This resolution appropriates $250,000 to 401 Tech Bridge to conduct a feasibility study on seagliders in Rhode Island. The study, to be done in collaboration with the Rhode Island Seaglider Initiative (RISI), will assess how seagliders - a type of electric, passenger-carrying coastal vehicle - could benefit the state. Key focus areas include evaluating potential reductions in carbon emissions, job creation in the Blue Economy, and improved coastal transportation options. The funding is specifically for research, not for building or deploying seagliders. This is a procedural appropriation, not a substantive policy change.