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Rhode Island Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 25,118 Active 7,678 In committee 7,673 Passed 5,917 Signed 4,510 Failed 6,972

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 31, 2024

SB 2766: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- PUBLIC RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

Updates public records administration act, modifies records control schedule, designates records officer, establishes procedures for retention of records. Provides administrator submit yearly reports, establishes public reporting compliance.

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 31, 2024

SB 2281: AN ACT RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- STATE AID TO LIBRARIES -- FREEDOM TO READ

Encourages and protects the freedom of public libraries to acquire materials without limitations and prohibits materials being removed from public libraries due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 31, 2024

SB 2905: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM -- CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS

Allows retired state employees who worked as certified or qualified court interpreter to be employed or re-employed for a limited period of time in a given year to provide court interpretation services within the unified judicial system.

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 31, 2024

SB 2834: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- VITAL RECORDS

Provides an exemption for certain incarcerated persons from the payment of fees for a first request for vital statistics from the department of health.

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 31, 2024

SB 3041: AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- DECISIONS, SPECIAL FINDINGS AND ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES

This bill modifies South Carolina's personal injury laws by formally adding the legal concept of "assumption of risk" to the existing rule of comparative negligence. Under the current law, a person can still win a lawsuit even if they were partly at fault, but their compensation is reduced by their percentage of negligence. The proposed change explicitly states that a plaintiff's decision to assume a known risk, or the fact that a danger was obvious, will not completely block them from receiving damages. Instead, the court will simply reduce the final award amount to reflect the injured person's share of responsibility for the incident. This update applies to all future cases involving personal injury, death, or property damage.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HB 7303: AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

This bill expands the legal definition of "public official" to include school superintendents, principals, central office staff, and all other school employees. By making this change, it ensures that making threats against these individuals is treated as a criminal offense under the same rules currently applied to elected officials, judges, and law enforcement officers. The law specifies that such threats must be made because of the person's role or public duties and carry penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine of $5,000, or both. This update directly affects schools by extending criminal protections to their staff and clarifies that threats motivated by hostility toward their positions are illegal.

passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 30, 2024

SR 3112: SENATE RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE REPORTING DATE OF THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL AND LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS THAT PROVIDE SCHOOL-BASED FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE PROVIDENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This resolution would extend the reporting date of the commission to review and provide recommendations for professional and labor management standards for employees of the Providence Public Schools, from January 24, 2024 to June 4, 2024.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HR 8322: HOUSE RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE 170TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. -- JAPAN TREATY OF PEACE AND AMITY

This resolution commemorates the 170th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Peace and Amity and celebrates the long-standing friendship between Rhode Island and Japan. It highlights historical connections, such as Commodore Matthew Perry's role in establishing diplomatic ties and the state's maritime heritage, alongside modern economic contributions from Japanese companies operating in Rhode Island. The bill directs the Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to federal officials in Washington and the Consul General of Japan in Boston to formally recognize this anniversary and encourage continued cultural and economic cooperation.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HR 7587: HOUSE RESOLUTION STRONGLY SUPPORTING A NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF THE 118TH CONGRESS H.R. 4052

This resolution is a non-binding statement from the Rhode Island House of Representatives that strongly supports a specific bill, H.R. 4052, introduced in the U.S. Congress. The bill seeks to create a National Infrastructure Bank to provide up to $5 trillion in financing for infrastructure projects across the United States. Proponents argue this funding would help repair aging systems like bridges and roads without requiring new federal taxes or increasing the national debt. The resolution itself does not change any laws or allocate funds but serves to urge the U.S. Congress to pass the underlying legislation.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HB 7758: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC RECORDS -- ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS

Amends the definition of public record to exempt from public disclosure the city or town of residence of the justices, judges, and magistrates of the unified judicial system.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HB 7113: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- STATE EMBLEMS

HB 7113 designates rhythm and blues as the official state music of the state. The bill defines this genre broadly to include elements of pop, soul, funk, hip-hop, and electronic music. Once passed, this designation becomes part of the state's official emblems and symbols.

passed · Rhode Island · House May 30, 2024

HB 7953: AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT COURT -- POWERS OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

This bill increases the fee that individuals must pay to justices of the peace in Rhode Island from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars, with a higher fee allowed for special sessions held between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. The legislation also grants justices of the peace immunity from lawsuits for actions taken while performing their duties under the law. These officials, who are already authorized to set bail and issue warrants for various law enforcement agencies, will see this financial adjustment apply to each person appearing before them. The change does not alter the existing powers of justices of the peace regarding bail, warrants, or scheduling pre-trial conferences, but it does update the compensation structure for their services.