Bill would create special commission to study Patuxent River flooding; sponsor cites record crests and federal damages

Representative Reed introduced House bill 5847, which would create an 11-member legislative study commission to examine flooding on the Patuxent River and recommend potential solutions to communities affected by repeated flooding.

Reed said the measure would focus on impacts in Scituate, Cranston, Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick and described the river’s watershed as roughly 231 square miles. “In February, the river set its record crest of 20.79 feet, breaking previous records and subsequently leading to a declaration of emergency,” Reed told the panel, adding that recent floods caused “over a hundred million dollars of property damage including homes, businesses, roads, and municipalities infrastructures.”

The bill would require the commission to report no later than Jan. 2, 2026, and to expire on March 2, 2026. Reed described the commission as a way to bring subject-matter experts together to analyze causes and seek federal assistance for affected communities.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about scope; Reed said the commission’s membership would include experts named in the bill text and that the commission would focus on flood impacts and potential federal assistance and solutions. No formal vote on the bill occurred during the hearing; the committee adopted a procedural motion to hold bills for further study.

Background: Reed noted five recent floods between 2020 and 2024 with threatening crests and cited federal and state emergency funds that have been allocated to affected municipalities. The bill language prescribes an 11-member commission and a fixed reporting and expiration date in early 2026.