Education

died · Rhode Island · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 2083: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FEDERAL AID

Establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for all” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes universal school meal program in public schools, directly expanding student access to nutrition and supporting educational well-being per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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signed · Rhode Island · House Jun 19, 2026

HB 7416: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- GUARANTEED ADMISSION FOR EAGLE SCOUT AND GOLD AWARD RECIPIENTS

HB 7416 would grant automatic admission to Rhode Island's public colleges and universities (URI, RIC, CCRI) for state residents who earned the Eagle Scout rank (Scouting America) or Gold Award (Girl Scouts of the USA), starting in Fall 2026. Applicants must meet basic application requirements but won't need to satisfy competitive academic thresholds. The law explicitly excludes specialized programs like nursing or engineering from automatic admission (requiring program-specific qualifications) and clarifies it doesn't guarantee financial aid or change residency rules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands college access for specific merit-based award recipients (Eagle Scout/Gold Award) via automatic admission to public institutions without competitive academic thresholds.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

died · Rhode Island · House Feb 10, 2026

HB 7419: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS

HB 7419 extends current teacher certifications for three or five years without fees or penalties for all teachers certified as of July 1, 2026. It waives all application fees and Praxis exam costs for new teacher certifications from July 2026 through June 2029 to support recruitment. The bill also requires the Rhode Island Department of Education to revise certification rules to create multiple pathways, including accepting non-traditional experience and competency demonstrations for credentialing. These changes aim to reduce barriers for teachers seeking initial or additional certifications while streamlining the process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends teacher certifications without fees, waives exam costs, and creates multiple certification pathways to support recruitment and reduce barriers for educators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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passed · Rhode Island · Senate May 6, 2026

SB 2420: AN ACT RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- NATIONAL GUARD

SB 2420 allows Rhode Island National Guard members in good standing to use their state tuition assistance benefits for their dependents. Dependents enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) can receive tuition waivers for up to five courses per semester at any Rhode Island state college or university. The program is funded up to $100,000 annually per fiscal year, requires a one-year military service commitment for each 12 course credits used, and mandates that both the Guard member and dependent maintain good academic standing. Failure to meet service or academic requirements may trigger repayment of benefits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $100,000 annually for tuition waivers, directly increasing state spending on a specific program.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waivers for military dependents at state colleges, expanding access to higher education through state-funded benefits.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProvides tuition waivers for dependents of National Guard members, expanding educational benefits for military families tied to veterans' support programs.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Military Families National Guard & Reserve Veteran Education

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died · Rhode Island · House Apr 28, 2026

HB 7318: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT

Increases the state’s regionalization bonus to six percent (6.0%) of the state’s fiscal year share of foundation education aid. This bonus would be ongoing and continuing so long as the district remains a regional school district.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly provides property tax relief via increased state education funding (6% regionalization bonus), directly reducing local property tax burdens for regional school districts.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state funding for regional school districts via 6% regionalization bonus, directly advancing educational funding for K-12 districts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax School Funding

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in committee · Rhode Island · Senate Jan 16, 2026

SB 2081: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- POSTSECONDARY TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR SHORTAGE TEACHING FIELDS

SB 2081 creates a state-funded tuition assistance program for Rhode Island students pursuing teaching careers in critical shortage fields, specifically science and mathematics for grades 7-12. It provides financial support covering tuition and certain non-tuition costs (like transportation or childcare) at Rhode Island colleges, after other financial aid is applied. To qualify, students must enroll in a teaching program in these fields and agree to complete three years of full-time teaching in Rhode Island public or private schools. If recipients don't finish their degree or fulfill the teaching requirement, the assistance converts to a repayable loan.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesState-funded tuition assistance program increases state budget allocation for education, directly funding essential teaching workforce development per Budget & Taxes indicators.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state-funded tuition assistance for teaching in critical shortage fields (science/math), directly advancing educator recruitment and retention in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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passed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 3, 2026

SB 2280: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

Requires all schools and educational institutions to develop and implement a school safety plan that would provide for immediate access to school facilities by first responders in an emergency.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools to implement safety plans for emergency access, directly protecting student safety within educational institutions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · Rhode Island · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 7459: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT

HB 7459 would change the retirement eligibility rule for public school teachers from a "Rule of 95" to a "Rule of 93." Under the current rule, teachers must reach an age plus years of service totaling 95 to retire early; this bill lowers that threshold to 93. The change would allow eligible teachers to retire sooner if their age plus years of service equals 93 instead of 95. This directly affects teachers covered under the state's existing retirement statutes for public education employees.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationChanges retirement rule to allow earlier retirement for teachers, directly supporting educator benefits under education statutes.90% confidence

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died · Rhode Island · House Apr 28, 2026

HB 7317: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND EARLY EDUCATOR WORKFORCE ACT

HB 7317, the Rhode Island Early Educator Workforce Act, directs the Department of Human Services and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to collaborate on managing existing programs supporting early childhood educators. It specifically requires maintaining the Child Care WAGE$ program with at least $1 million annually to provide salary supplements for educators in licensed childcare centers and family childcare homes, while also overseeing workforce development scholarships (T.E.A.C.H.) and registered apprenticeships. The bill directly affects early educators in Rhode Island’s licensed childcare and early learning programs, who currently earn an average of $16.74 per hour - among the lowest wages in the state. These provisions aim to improve retention and compensation by aligning early educator wages with K-12 standards through existing, research-backed programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirectly funds early educator salaries via WAGE$ program with $1M+ annual mandate, supporting workforce development and educator compensation.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates $1M+ annual funding for salary supplements to early educators via Child Care WAGE$ program, directly supporting wage increases for childcare workforce.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood K-12 Education Teachers Workforce Development

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died · Rhode Island · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 2382: AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE POLICIES

Mandates all insurance contracts, plans or policies provide insurance coverage for the expense of diagnosing and treating infertility, for women between the ages of twenty-five (25) and forty-two (42) years.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates indoor air quality testing for school safety, improving infrastructure standards as part of building assessments.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires indoor air quality standards in schools, reducing pollutant exposure, aligning with pollution control under environmental protection.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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