Legislation

In response to last year’s controversy in Cranston over school-sponsored father-daughter dances, the General Assembly severely weakened the state’s sex discrimination laws by allowing schools to promote sex-segregated extracurricular activities.

The ACLU of RI continued its work with student and education groups to stop high-stakes testing from keeping otherwise qualified students from graduating.

The ACLU of RI testified in February before the House Health, Education and Welfare committee in opposition to legislation allowing school committees to charge fees to those students participating in extracurricular activities.

The General Assembly again weighed, but took no action on, Attorney General legislation drastically overhauling Rhode Island’s computer crimes laws, altering the definitions of old laws and creating a wide array of new offenses.

The General Assembly is again considering perennial legislation barring adults under the age of 21 from entering nightclubs where alcohol is served.

In March, the ACLU of RI testified before the House Health, Education and Welfare committee in opposition to legislation allowing for video and audio monitoring of nursing homes, including the bedrooms and bathrooms of residents.

The General Assembly considered, but took no action on, a pair of bills aimed at restricting the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, by law enforcement.

ACLU-drafted legislation sought to limit the use of suspensions by requiring them to be served in-school unless the student poses a physical risk or serious distraction to other students.

In February, the ACLU of RI testified before the House Corporations committee in favor of legislation barring health insurance companies from using gender as a factor in setting premiums.