Legislation

The ACLU testified in support of legislation to limit this the practice of civil asset forfeiture by requiring an individual to be convicted of an offense before their assets can be relinquished, and ensuring that co-owners of assets are not unfairly punished.

The U.S. Supreme Court banned states from imposing on juvenile offenders a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole, but states retain the discretion to impose the penalty on a case-by-case basis. Legislation sought to make this off-limits altogether for juvenile defendants in RI.

Possibly the worst result of the legislative session was the expiration of the state’s life-saving Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Act.

In April, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in support of legislation to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana use by adults.

This bill prohibits the searching of juveniles and pedestrians except when law enforcement has reasonable suspicion or probable cause of criminal activity, resumed data collection, and made certain agreements between law enforcement and immigration officials public.

In April, the ACLU testified before the House Health, Education and Welfare committee in support of legislation clarifying the ability of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe medication.

In June, the House approved legislation prohibiting any person convicted of a sex offense with a minor from holding employment in a wide range of jobs, even if that job never involved interaction with a child.

In June, the House approved legislation overhauling the state’s sex offender registration and community notification laws, replacing them with federal standards so costly that few states have chosen to implement them.

A set of bills dealing with the state’s littering laws will result in thousands of dollars of fines for Rhode Islanders, and thousands of dollars in proceeds for local law enforcement.