Legislation

This important piece of legislation created a legislative task force to thoroughly review the law enforcement officer’s bill of rights.

This bill which would have prohibited housing discrimination based on a potential tenant's source of income and ensured that no tenant is denied housing due to the origin of their rent money.

Each legislative session, dozens of bills are introduced, and a number of them passed, which counteract the important work of criminal justice reform, as these new crimes and increased sentences are often arbitrary and almost always unnecessary.

We supported this bill which creates a special legislative commission to study ways in which Rhode Island can encourage people of color to enter the field of education.

This legislation would have precluded the disability of a parent from acting as a basis for denial of issues regarding their children, such as welfare or guardianship.

This “equal pay” legislation, supported by the ACLU and many other groups, is essential to not only promote the growth of our state, but to provide economic mobility for women, and women of color in particular, who are already more likely to have lower incomes than virtually any other group.

This legislation would have provided a critical protection against housing discrimination based on a potential tenant’s source of income, an issue which particularly impacts tenants of color and those with disabilities.

Products that are necessary for the health and well being of women in Rhode Island are treated, for tax purposes, as luxury items. Legislation sought to change that by exempting feminine hygiene products from the state sales tax.

Well-intentioned legislation relating to the fraudulent portrayal of a pet as a service animal prompted ACLU concerns.