Legislation

We opposed two pieces of legislation which would have indefinitely extended the reimbursement structure that had previously existed for SROs, incentivizing schools to continue to hire personnel who are not adequately trained in youth mental and behavioral health, such as SROs.

We supported a critical piece of legislation which would have largely eliminated the ability for a K-5 student to be given an out-of-school suspension and strengthen the current reporting requirements for school districts.

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 program, called the “Rhode Island Hope Scholarship,” to Rhode Island College students.

Though we were very sensitive to the intentions behind this bill, which would have established a voluntary program by which individuals with autism could receive a specially marked driver’s license and a car decal indicating that they have autism, we opposed this legislation.

Though bullying is a scourge, a piece of legislation which would have statutorily created an “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” drew our opposition over concerns about its breadth.

We supported legislation which will prohibit insurers from denying life, disability income, and long-term care disability insurance on the basis of an individual’s status as a “living donor."

As a matter of making police interactions for individuals with cognitive and communication-related disabilities safer and respectful of their unique needs, we supported legislation that will require training of police officers in responding to individuals with disabilities.