Directs the RITBA design a safety barrier or netting system on the several bridges within its authority. Any newly constructed bridges with a deck height of over one hundred feet (100 ft) would be required to have safety barriers of safety netting.

Rhode Island Bridge Safety Barrier Bill

This bill would require the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) — the agency that oversees and maintains several major bridges in the state — to design and install safety barriers or netting systems on the bridges it manages. The goal is to add physical barriers that could prevent people from falling or jumping from these structures.

The bill has two main parts. First, it directs RITBA to develop safety barrier or netting designs for its existing bridges. Second, it sets a rule going forward: any newly built bridge with a deck height greater than 100 feet above the ground or water below would be required to include safety barriers or netting as part of its original construction.

This bill would primarily affect RITBA as an agency, which would be responsible for designing and implementing these safety features. It could also affect drivers and pedestrians who use these bridges, as construction or installation work may temporarily impact traffic. Taxpayers may also be affected, since designing and installing these systems on existing bridges would likely involve public funding — which is possibly why the bill has been referred to the House Finance Committee for review of its costs.

Overall, this is a safety-focused bill aimed at making Rhode Island's high bridges less dangerous. It reflects a broader national conversation about suicide prevention and accident safety on tall structures, though the bill itself does not specify a particular purpose beyond general safety.