Legislation

Broadly-worded legislation dealing with the isolation by caretakers of elders and dependent adults sparked concerns from the ACLU and elder advocacy groups.

This legislation, opposed by the ACLU, would allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to attest to a patient’s mental health condition and participate in certifying patients for mandated outpatient treatment, something that only doctors can do presently.

The ACLU supported various bills aimed at repealing or amending 2016 legislation that authorized the installation of speed cameras to issue traffic tickets.

Following the filing of criminal charges against Senator Nicholas Kettle, the RI Senate rushed to hold a vote seeking his expulsion. The State Constitution gives the Senate the power to punish its members, but that power should be exercised with an abundance of caution.

Legislation introduced would have required that a minor have a parent or guardian present during questioning by law enforcement.

In the wake of the tragic shooting of students in Parkland, Florida, the General Assembly introduced so-called “Red Flag” legislation aimed at removing firearms via an “extreme risk protection order” (ERPO) from individuals who pose a “significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others.

This legislation would have allowed drivers a hearing to prove their inability to pay traffic fines, and authorized payment plans or reductions in the fines before their license is suspended.

In early June, legislation that seeks to expand the denial of vehicle registration to individuals who may have outstanding unpaid interest or penalties on fines owed to a city or town was introduced.

Earlier this year, legislation introduced mandates that an individual who is found guilty of hoarding animals will be ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, against their will, to determine if counseling or treatment should become an additional condition of the sentence.