News

from the
General Assembly

The Legislative Press and Public Information Bureau

Distributed April 30, 2002

For more information,
contact: Dana Rae DelSignore, Publicist
State House Room 20
(401) 222-2457
Email: ddelsignore@rilin.state.ri.us

House passes bill lowering boom on noisy car stereos

STATE HOUSE -- The House of Representatives today passed a bill aimed at turning down the volume on overpowered car stereo systems. 

The measure (02-H 6766A), sponsored by Rep. Joanne M. Giannini, would declare cars equipped with overpowered music amplification systems to be a public nuisance and health hazard, and would subject those systems to regulations.

“For several years now I have been working on getting noise pollution legislation passed,” said Representative Giannini, who represents District 7 in Providence. “The noise caused by cars with ridiculous sized stereo speakers is annoying, intrusive and tremendously harmful to residents’ quality of life. It is the number one complaint that I hear from my constituents.”

The bill also targets car stereo systems that “annoy and disturb” people outside of the car, and that create sound that can be heard in homes and businesses within 100 feet. Cars with such systems would be declared a public nuisance and health hazard.

Anyone found exceeding the motor vehicle noise limits or possessing an overpowered car stereo system would be stuck with up to a $500 fine, a hefty $450 increase over the current $50 penalty.

The legislation stems from work done by members of the Commission to Study Motor Vehicle Noise Pollution, a group that was formed through legislation sponsored by Representative Giannini. The measure is just one part of Representative Giannini’s Neighborhood Improvement Act, a legislative package that would crack down on quality of life issues such as noise, litter and public drinking.

“For the past eight years, I’ve been hosting and attending neighborhood meetings, and these are issues of great concern,” said Representative Giannini, who represents District 7 in Providence. “We’ll be able to significantly improve our neighborhoods with this packet of bills. It’s time to preserve our neighborhoods and maintain the quality of life for our residents.”

In addition to the noise legislation, a second bill included in the Neighborhood Protection Act would restrict public drinking where prohibited and a third measure would increase fines for littering.

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