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5/7/2026
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Senate approves Mack’s bill to establish warming and cooling center procedures for extreme weather
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today approved legislation introduced by Sen. Tiara Mack that would create warming and cooling center alerts to trigger municipal procedures during extreme heat or cold to help at-risk individuals.
“The homelessness crisis in Rhode Island is indeed a public health emergency, one that is growing by the day and is seeing our residents freezing and baking to death on our own streets and public spaces. Time is of the essence, and definitive and decisive action must be taken to protect the health and well-being of the vulnerable unhoused population. These warming and cooling center alerts will promptly trigger the necessary responses to keep our at-risk friends, family members and neighbors safe and alive during extreme weather events. Too many lives have already been needlessly lost and if we don’t act now, many more lives will be extinguished during future extreme weather events,” said Senator Mack (D-Dist. 6, Providence).
The legislation (2026-S 2264) would require municipalities to establish a plan for issuing warming and cooling center alerts to municipalities, social services agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide services to at-risk individuals. Once the alert is issued, postings on the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency's webpage, local media, social media channels and the United Way’s 211 would advertise the services available to at-risk individuals during the extreme weather event.
Warming and cooling centers would be required to be open seven days a week and 24 hours a day, and provisions such as blankets, cots, mats, meals and beverages would be required to be offered to those in the warming and cooling centers.
The bill now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett) has introduced similar legislation (2026-H 7987).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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