Legislation

Every year, the ACLU of RI lobbies on hundreds of bills during Rhode Island's annual Legislative Session. Below are some of the bills we have tracked and testified on before the General Assembly. For more info on advocating for the issues you care about, check out our Advocacy 101 Guide. To see how your Reps and Senators voted on various bills over the past few years, visit our Legislative Scorecards page.

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students rights
Apr 28, 2023

School Social Worker Funding (H 5396, S 258)

Students’ Rights
Status: Held for Further Study

We strongly supported this bill which would appropriately allocate $2,000,000 for the hiring of school social workers.

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criminal justice
Apr 28, 2023

Prison Fiscal Impact Statements (H 5388)

Criminal Justice
Status: Held for Further Study

We strongly supported legislation which would require a fiscal impact analyses for any bills which increase or put in place criminal sentences.

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students rights
Apr 28, 2023

School Resource Officer Funding (H 5628, H 6149)

Students’ Rights
Status: Held for Further Study

We opposed two pieces of legislation which would indefinitely extend the reimbursement structure that had previously existed for SROs, incentivizing schools to continue to hire personnel who are not...

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criminal justice
Apr 21, 2023

Decriminalization of Controlled Substances (H 6162)

Criminal Justice
Status: Held for Further Study

We strongly supported this legislation which would reclassify the simple possession of 28 grams or less of certain controlled substances from a felony to a misdemeanor.

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racial justice
Apr 21, 2023

Teacher Certification Requirements (H 5794, S 488)

Racial Justice
Status: Held for Further Study

We urged amendment to this legislation, which seeks to make certification easier for teachers in order to address a severe teacher shortage, to include a moratorium on the current standardized testing...

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disability rights
Apr 21, 2023

Rhode Island Hope Scholarship Act (H 5099, H 5200 Budget Amendment #9, S 77, S 242, S 274)

Disability Rights
Status: Held for Further Study

We urged that language which appropriately accommodates students with disabilities who may need more time to complete their studies be included in the codification of a bill that would extend a free tuition...

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